Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), which currently enjoys a market cap of US$9.46 billion, said it will build a largescale facility in Monterrey, Mexico, that will include a manufacturing plant, test lab, and a global business services (GBS) office as demand for digital infrastructure hardware spikes in the Americas region.

The company has plans to begin production in the first quarter of 2022 at the new site, where it will initially manufacture thermal management products.

The facility will add more than 430,000 square feet of capacity by the end of 2022, and employ more than 1,500 people.

The test lab and engineering centre has been designed to enhance research and development in support of Vertiv products and solutions.

It will be used for testing integrated rack solutions, thermal management systems, power management systems and modular solutions used in data centres across the world.

Monterrey, a manufacturing centre and one of Mexico’s largest urban areas, is home to two of the top engineering schools in Mexico and is renowned for its engineering workforce.

Vertiv also has manufacturing facilities in three other Mexico cities. The new GBS facility will complement existing offices in Manila, Philippines, and Cluj, Romania, offering support for research and development, human resources, finance, customer service and marketing.

Rob Johnson, Vertiv CEO, said: “I am excited about Vertiv’s growth opportunities as we deliver solutions that manage a customer’s entire infrastructure as an integrated system. Every day we are inspired and motivated by the knowledge that Vertiv helps to connect the world. We enable families, educators, healthcare, businesses and organizations to connect, communicate and collaborate.

“We take our responsibility seriously and our new Monterrey facility, and the talented team we will employ there, will strengthen our ability to innovate with and for our customers,” said.

Bulking up edge ranks

Elsewhere, Vertiv has appetited Birgit Jackson as director of the integrated racks and IT solutions business in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

She will report to EMEA president and global channel leader Giordano Albertazzi and is tasked with developing strategies and directing a team to help Vertiv’s continued growth and leadership in the IT channel market. She replaces Alex Pope, who has recently been promoted to global vice president for edge systems.

Jackson joins Vertiv with over 20 years’ experience in global product management, which has seen her define product lines, positioning and price structure; lead on product strategies for European sales regions, and direct marketing and communications initiatives.

Albertazzi said: “We saw a strong increase in our channel partner base across EMEA and just in 2021 we have rolled out over 20 new products that are brought to market through our channel partner network.

“Continuing to attract the very best into our business is vital to fuel our growth further. With her strong track record of strategic and decisive business leadership, as well as her extensive product management experience, it’s clear Birgit belongs in this category.”