Steelwrist, the global manufacturer of tiltrotators, automatic quick couplers, and work tools for excavators, has expanded the operations at its North American headquarters in Newington. The investment further strengthens the company's long-term commitment to the U.S. market and positions Connecticut as a strategic hub for advanced manufacturing and assembly within the construction equipment industry.
The expanded facility enhances Steelwrist's machining, local assembly, and product testing capabilities, enabling the company to deliver products that are assembled and tested in the United States. This development marks an important milestone in Steelwrist's North American growth and reinforces its ability to serve contractors with shorter lead times, increased flexibility and high product availability.
The expansion was officially inaugurated on February 19 during a ceremony at the Steelwrist Newington facility. The event brought together company leadership, including CEO Stefan Stockhaus, along with representatives from the State of Connecticut and local partners to mark the milestone and celebrate the company's continued growth in North America. The inauguration underscored Steelwrist's long-term commitment to Connecticut and highlighted the state's role as a key partner in supporting advanced manufacturing investment, job creation and regional economic development.
Since entering the North American market in 2017, Steelwrist has experienced strong growth as contractors increasingly adopt tiltrotators and fully automatic quick coupler systems to improve safety, productivity, and machine utilization. The Newington facility serves as the company's North American headquarters, housing warehousing, technical support, training, and now expanded machining, manufacturing and assembly operations all under one roof.
Connecticut has played a central role in this growth journey. Its strategic location in the Northeast provides excellent access to key markets, ports, and transportation infrastructure across the United States and Canada. Equally important, the state offers a highly skilled and experienced workforce, particularly within advanced manufacturing and precision assembly.
"Ten years ago, as I was travelling across various states in the U.S. looking for the future location of our North American headquarters, I was searching for strong infrastructure, a talented workforce and a collaborative business environment. I was also asking myself where I would like to live, if I were to live in the U.S. Now, ten years later, I am really happy that we took the decision to go for Connecticut, which indeed has exceeded our expectations. With the expansion of our operations in Newington we will now be able to support our growing customer base in North America while ensuring that products are assembled and tested here in the U.S. This investment reflects both our confidence in the market and our long-term commitment to growth in the region," says Stefan Stockhaus, Steelwrist CEO.
The expansion also supports job creation in Connecticut, with new roles in assembly, testing, logistics, and technical support. Steelwrist reports that recruiting skilled employees for these positions has been a smooth process, reflecting the depth of manufacturing competence in the state.
"Steelwrist's decision in 2017 to establish its North American headquarters in Connecticut — and to expand that presence today — speaks volumes about the strength of our state's advanced manufacturing ecosystem," says John Bourdeaux, president and CEO of AdvanceCT, Connecticut's nonprofit business development organization. "This expansion not only reinforces Connecticut's reputation as a premier destination for manufacturers, but also solidifies our state's role as a hub for companies serving customers across North America and beyond. We are proud to partner with Steelwrist as they continue to invest in their operations and people here and look forward to building on this momentum together for many years to come."
By increasing local assembly and testing capacity, Steelwrist strengthens its ability to align production with regional demand and further shorten lead-times to customers. Products assembled in Newington are tailored for North American contractors and supported by local technical expertise, enhancing responsiveness, and service levels across the continent.
The investment in Connecticut complements Steelwrist's broader focus on growth in North America, which also includes an expanding dealer network and strong OEM partnerships. At the upcoming CONEXPO-CON/AGG show in Las Vegas, March 3 to 7, this commitment to growth in North America will be visible as Steelwrist will show several new products. As adoption of tiltrotators and fully automatic quick couplers continues to accelerate across U.S. job sites, local production capacity becomes a critical enabler of further expansion.
With its expanded Newington operations, Steelwrist reaffirms Connecticut's role as a key partner in its North American success story — combining advanced manufacturing capabilities, skilled talent, and strategic location to support the next phase of growth.