The South Burlington facility includes expanded state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities enabling OnLogic to continue delivering trusted industrial computing solutions to their customers all over the world.
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Global industrial computer hardware manufacturer and solution provider, OnLogic (www.onlogic.com), cut the ribbon May 14 on its new 150,000-square-foot global headquarters in South Burlington.
While the building itself has become a landmark adjacent to the “Whale Tails” on Interstate 89, the campus will eventually add 150 employees. OnLogic Co-founder Roland Groeneveld told VermontBiz that beyond the significance to his own firm, the company helps underpin the opportunity Vermont presents, while the building itself, intentionally along the interstate, shows it off. This is the kind of development the state needs in such a visible location, he said.
About 200 visitors joined in the festivities.
OnLogic Co-founder Roland Groeneveld kicked off the festivities. VermontBiz Photos. Very top photo looking through the Whale Tails from I-89.
Co-founder Lisa Groeneveld, of the husband/wife team, said they could have put the headquarters anywhere in the US or even in Europe, but chose to locate it in their home state. Lisa Groeneveld is a native Vermonter. She said that this decision was not without challenges, including the lack of housing.
Lisa Groeneveld, US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and US Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) were the featured speakers at the event. They were joined by the OnLogic team, members of the business and tech community, and representatives from ReArch Company, Wiemann Lamphere Architects, and VHB.
"It's such an inspiring experience to see what happens when cooperation, teamwork, ingenuity, commitment, and discipline work," said Senator Peter Welch. "This is how all of us not only want to build a business, it's how we want to build a community, it's how we want to live, it's how we want to be in the world, where we're part of something better, when we show up for work we're glad to be there. I am awfully proud to be a Vermonter in this OnLogic building celebrating the success of all this hard work by so many people in this company and in this community."
"It is very inspiring to come here, to see this incredible testament to hard work, teamwork and collaboration," said U.S. Representative Becca Balint. "OnLogic is a leader in our thriving tech sector here in Vermont, and its successes and continued growth has brought hundreds of jobs to this community and helped solidify Vermont's place as a growing tech hub. It's an important driver of innovation and creativity. A project like this, becoming a global headquarters, is such a positive thing not just for this community, but for Vermont as a whole."
Lisa Groeneveld, center, and to her right Becca Balint and Peter Welch. OnLogic photo.
OnLogic is a global industrial computer manufacturer which designs highly configurable, solution-focused computers engineered for reliability at the IoT edge. Their systems operate in the world’s harshest environments, empowering customers to solve their most complex computing challenges, no matter their industry.
Founded in 2003, the company has offices in the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan and Malaysia. OnLogic has helped more than 70,000 customers worldwide advance their ideas with computers that are designed to last, built to order and delivered in days.
OnLogic specializes in providing computers that need to work regardless of conditions and in spaces where peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse) may not be required. www.onlogic.com
Other guests at the ribbon-cutting included Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle and Development Secretary Joan Goldstein, VEDA CEO Cassie Polhemus, Vermont Chamber President Betsy Bishop, Champlain College President Alex Hernandez and VCET CEO David Bradbury, along with legislators, South Burlington officials, businesspeople, family and media.
Located in Technology Park, the facility houses full business and production capabilities for the company, which was founded in 2003.
Specializing in the design and manufacture of compact industrial computing solutions, OnLogic caters to a diverse clientele, spanning from burgeoning startups to global giants like NASA, Google, and Amazon. Their extensive line of orange systems power manufacturing, automation, advanced agriculture, smart cities, energy management, artificial intelligence, and the industrial internet of things.
The new space, which broke ground in June of 2022, is four times larger than the company's former Vermont location on Thompson Street, which they opened in 2004 and expanded in 2015. That building, recently sold, is located “across the street” on the south side of I-89.
The new plant’s development took a forward-looking approach to sustainability, energy efficiency, and community connectivity.
"Innovation is at the forefront of everything we do, and we went into this project with ideas to enhance efficiency and sustainability, including geo-thermal heating and solar power, with the goal to make the facility as self-sufficient as possible," said Roland Groeneveld. "This new space gives our team of around 180 people here in Vermont the resources and room they need to most effectively collaborate. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to grow here and contribute to the thriving tech community and economic engine in Vermont."
The company estimates that the new space will be able to fully accommodate their planned growth in Vermont for the next 10 years. Globally, OnLogic has nearly 300 employees at their facilities in the US, The Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
Co-Founder Lisa Groeneveld, with Senator Peter Welch, far right. VermontBiz photo
"We are continually inspired by the trailblazers at OnLogic," said Diane Abruzzini, COO & Co-Founder of Rigorous Technology, who use OnLogic computers to power their robotics solutions. "Their top-tier industrial PCs enable us to bring advanced digital controls to industrial robots – facilitating 3D simulation, vision integration, and remote monitoring. As OnLogic continues to expand, they in turn further empower their partners’ solutions across industries, from Vermont, to outer space, and everywhere in between."
Building Details
- A 500 kW roof-mounted solar array, which accommodates the majority of the facility's energy needs and offsets the equivalent of 60 homes per year.
- 24, Level 2 Electric Vehicle Chargers for use by the OnLogic team.
- A geothermal mechanical heating and cooling system which, when compared to a code compliant conventional HVAC system, will save approximately 1,600,000 lbs of CO2 per year. The system is designed with the capacity to run all heating and cooling for the building, with additional capacity available for future expansion.
- A fully integrated building automation system designed, in part, by the OnLogic team themselves to minimize energy usage. The system responds in real-time to building use and grid needs.
- Foam Glass Gravel sub-slab insulation by Glavel Inc., locally sourced from Essex, VT. Made from recycled glass, this substrate results in an 87% reduction in carbon use compared to traditional gravel insulation.
- Amenities: On-site cafe, indoor bike storage and showers, employee rec room, and a walking path.
From left: Andrew MacKechnie, Hunter Gomez, Johnny Illick, Peter Welch, Becca Balint, Sean Larkin, Roland Groeneveld and Lisa Groeneveld. OnLogic photo.