PICTURED: GROB CNC shop.
GROB Systems, Inc., a Bluffton developer of manufacturing systems and machine tools, announced a new partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, bringing precision 5-Axis GROB machines to the 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions at its Concord, North Carolina campus.
In production at Hendrick Motorsports are three GROB Universal 5-Axis Machining Centers including two G350a machines and one G550a machine.
"GROB proudly announces our partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, bringing together two companies of precision engineering with a shared legacy of excellence," said Michael Hutecker, CEO of GROB Systems, Inc. "With GROB's trusted machinery bolstering the team's renowned capabilities, we hope to pave the path for future triumphs on the track. As longtime partners of General Motors, we're excited to fuel Hendrick Motorsports' success with our cutting-edge equipment, driving innovation, and performance to new heights."
"GROB is very well suited for components that we want to make," said Michael Tummond, Hendrick Motorsports' engine engineering manager. "They have a strong relationship with General Motors and a long history of manufacturing engine parts, namely cylinder heads and engine blocks.
"A lot of the standard features with these machines will allow us to make extremely accurate parts down to the micron level. There is a direct correlation between accuracy and power. Ultimately, it is going to result in faster race cars. That is the whole goal here."
Engineering has been a key to Hendrick Motorsports’ on-track success in NASCAR’s top series. The 2024 season sees the organization celebrating its 40th anniversary. After its win in the 2024 DAYTONA 500, the Rick Hendrick-owned team has won a race in 39 straight seasons and holds the all-time series marks in every major statistical category, including wins, pole positions, and laps led.
"We did a factory visit at GROB in Ohio. One of the things that jumped out to all of us is their apprenticeship program," Tummond said. "They bring a lot of people in from the ground floor and teach them how to make their products the way they want to make them. No matter who you ask in the factory, they all know their product inside and out."
GROB broke ground in December 2023 on a 135,000 sq. ft. expansion project that will add approximately 35% more space for production and shipping to the existing 400,000 sq. ft. and add 200 new jobs to its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Bluffton, Ohio.
