Permobil Breaks Ground on New Facility

Permobil, Inc., an international company that is the world’s leading manufacturer of custom-made powered wheelchairs, will build its new $12 million North American Operations Center in Lebanon on a 17-acre site located in Park 840. The project is the largest, single capital investment that Permobil has ever made since it was established more than 40 years ago. Permobil’s new 120,000 square foot building will be the company’s second largest and most technically-advanced manufacturing facility. It will include over 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space and nearly 40,000 square feet of corporate office space. Construction of the new building will begin in late October 2009 and is slated for completion in summer 2010.

Permobil, which is based in Timrå, Sweden, has operated a manufacturing plant in Lebanon since 2000 in the Eastgate Business Park. Its new facility will be twice as large. When the new plant is completed, Permobil will double its Wilson County workforce within the next three to five years; the company currently employs 85 people in Lebanon and more than 145 people in the U.S.

The new Permobil building will incorporate a variety of innovative green-building technology features, uniquely applied to meet the needs of a manufacturing facility.

“As an early pioneer and an ongoing innovator in the wheelchair industry, we’re proud to apply those same ideals and principals to the design and construction of our new North American headquarters through implementation of a host of green technologies,” said Jackson. Michael Manous, RA, Manous Design, Lebanon, is providing architecture and engineering services for the new facility. T.W. Frierson, Nashville, is the construction contractor.