Frog AGV Systems opens manufacturing facility

Frog AGV Systems has moved its offices from Auburn Hills to a new facility in Macomb Township that should allow it diversify its service offerings and set the stage for future growth. "We can not only do sales and services but manufacturing of automated guided vehicles," says David Noble, vice president of business development for Frog AGV Systems. The 30-year-old company describes itself as a "global material handling company that develops, implements and markets Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVs), navigation hardware, and software" used in manufacturing and warehousing industries. In short, it specializes in self-driving forklift technology, similar to Google’s self-driving car. It previously specialized in sales and service at its former location. The move to Macomb Township in April provided the company with a manufacturing facility that it hopes to attract more customers over the next year. "If we can do the engineering and manufacturing ourselves we don’t have to outsource it," Noble says. "It allows us more flexibility in what we can do." Frog AGV Systems has hired three people over the last year, including a project engineer, a software engineer and an executive. The company now employs 80 people globally with a dozen of those employees being based in Detroit. Noble expects its Metro Detroit staff to grow over the next year as the new manufacturing facility opens up more opportunities to do more business. "The move will allow us to secure more projects," Noble says. Source: David Noble, vice president of business development for Frog AGV Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.