The Shapeways Blog: 3D Printing News & Innovation
Shapeways Blog
Thursday, March 22. 2012
New York Shapies: We're now shipping from your back yard!
Our Director of Industrial Engineering Kegan Fisher (@keganfisher) shares the exciting news about opening up our NY Distribution Center:
Just over one year ago we jumped the pond, set up an IKEA delivery, and opened the doors to our NY office.
Since then we have strengthened our team, bought some plants, killed some plants, eaten Curry Hill, pulled more then a few all nighters, and started a monthly Meetup with the goal of building a community that shared the dream of democratized manufacturing.
This week we took this one step further, and officially opened DCNY -- our first official Distribution Center in NY, Long Island City to be precise. This is the first step toward opening up a Factory of the Future in NYC.
What does this mean? US orders will be shipped from NYC, and production will start soon as well. We are on the path to shorter lead times, greater transparency, and lower costs all around. I know you've been asking for additional shipping methods since I started, and this is the first step towards making it happen. Living in the digital world, it's easy to forget that the physical does not move as quickly, and trust me when I say, I am as impatient as all of you.
We have built a distribution center that holds no inventory. Everything goes in and out same day, every SKU is unique, and we are constantly astounded by the products that pass from machine to package.
By opening up NY distribution and building the factory, we're helping to revitalize the industry that built our country and wake up the sleeping giant that is manufacturing. With your help, we're reclaiming and rewriting how objects go from idea to reality. Welcome to the future of stuff.
At the same moment in which we are more global them ever, we're more local. We're in your backyard, we're opening our doors, our DC, and that little black box of magic between digital file and the product in your hands.
Beyond a couple desks and loads of boxes, our walls are barren. Obviously, we have to fix this. I want all my US Shapies to send in pictures of you, your creations, and your geo-coordinates. Well be pinning them to a giant map for vistors to see exactly what you do, and how it's happening.
As we kick off NY distribution, we'll also be building the Factory of the Future. We promise that once we're up and running, there will be lots of pictures, videos, and of course, a grand opening!
