KNOLL America Inc. recently went from being a sales, service, and repair outlet for European products to a fully-fledged and well-settled American fabrication facility. Growing sales by around 40 percent over the past three years, KNOLL America is now on an impressive trajectory driven by excellence and brand recognition.
Since making the decision to set down roots, this chip management giant has further cemented its reputation for premium engineering, reliability, and precision, while also gaining new customers at an impressive pace. As part of its logistics and processing portfolio, the company also offers advanced automation solutions. These include automated assembly lines, as well as transport robots (AGVs) designed to move products efficiently throughout the production environment.
Here to stay
Now, after riding out a few seasons of economic fluctuations, the company is here to stay. To mark the decision, it welcomed existing and prospective customers to the opening of its smart new 30,000-square-foot headquarters at 5131 Apple Creek Parkway in Dallas, North Carolina, toward the end of last year.
Offering 26,000 square feet of manufacturing space, this state-of-the-art facility houses all the functionality the company needs to significantly expand its presence across the continent over the next decade or so. The new facility is complete with a fully equipped pump testing and repair division, KNOLL has become the go-to for high-performance chip management operations in need of equipment that works the first time and works for the long term.
“We have a new test system where we can make sure everything is functioning to the highest standard before we ship it to the customer,” says Justin Viner, Director of Sales.
A game changer
The team has been busy innovating. Its recently introduced solution is a high-pressure booster trolley, custom-developed for a U.S.-based, German OEM. The machine promises to be a game changer, especially for tooling operations. This technology enables smoother tooling operations by improving chip evacuation, cycle times, and output, helping end users significantly increase revenue.
Another solution is based on a range of filtration options, what the company refers to as a bypass solution. The concept is deceptively simple in its brilliance. Traditional filters typically allow a certain percentage of fine particles to pass through filters, forming sludge that potentially reenters machining centers, causing issues like tool guide damage and tool blockages due to contaminated oil or coolant. To prevent this, end users are typically forced to manually drain such systems annually—sometimes even more often.
To remove this common pain point, one of the solutions cleans coolant through a centrifuge before returning it to the system—all without losing functional uptime. “As a result, there is no production downtime, no manual stop, no manual cleaning, and we increase the quality of the oil or coolant in the clean tanks, which improves machining quality,” explains Lothar Burger, Chief Executive Officer.
Next-generation offerings
Another exciting arrival is the Click.it, a new device set to revolutionize time management in fabrication and storage facilities with fantastic potential for other industries as well.
Click.it provides a digital-human interface designed with a set of buttons, each of which is programmed to communicate an individual instruction or request to a specific source via phone call, text, or email, for the ordering of everything from parts at workstations to the office supplies. As a scalable system that can have as many units as needed for an organization, the next-generation Click.it saves time, improves workflows, eases communication, and ultimately boosts productivity and bottom lines.
The system can also be integrated into enterprise resource planning to generate routine instructions, making waste removal, bulk material ordering, and a host of other functions a cinch. “Every time you click the button, it saves valuable time that would have been verbal communication and a possible walk. Over a year, that’s a lot of time,” says Viner.
The company’s purchasing options are equally convenient. With certain equipment, it has lease and rent-to-buy options making the cost of ownership easy to manage, KNOLL America has all bases covered for prospective buyers. “Most people who rent just buy it once they see the positive performance,” Burger shares. As KNOLL prides itself on always doing better, it is already developing the product further, adding predictive AI messaging.
KNOLL America is committed to advancing production, service, and customer support through innovative digital solutions. “We are actively investing in technologies that make our equipment smarter, more connected, and more autonomous. As part of this initiative, we are exploring the development of a dedicated KNOLL AI Assistant designed to support both employees and customers. This assistant will enhance interactions with our products, simplify troubleshooting, and provide real-time guidance across our equipment portfolio.”
Together, these efforts mark a significant step toward a smarter, more efficient, and user‑centric future for KNOLL America.
“AI has its pros and cons, but we’re working on the pros, which can make life easier and give us easy access to information,” Burger explains. He also notes that by harnessing this new technology, the company will greatly enhance its communication strategy internally and externally.
Going for growth
Looking at its development as a business, KNOLL America’s continued customer-focused approach through its marketing and sales teams is reaping the desired rewards. And with efforts invested in getting its name—and its offerings—out into the world, growth has been inevitable. “We have a stronger online presence,” says Andrea Guzman, International Relations and Marketing, noting that KNOLL’s regular participation at the International Manufacturing Trade Show has also brought new opportunities.
Since its inception, the company’s culture has evolved significantly. “With the new team and the changes we’ve implemented, we have a completely different culture within the company now—one that is far more customer-focused,” Burger says.
As part of this overhaul, KNOLL America now maintains a significantly larger parts inventory now that it has expanded storage capacity. “When the customer keeps their experts on the machine side and uses our expertise on the chip management side, they get the best of both worlds,” Burger continues.
Apprenticing for the future
KNOLL America’s apprenticeship program focuses on personalized training while preserving intergenerational knowledge.
KNOLL’s most recent candidate graduated in 2025 following an IT apprenticeship. In this case, the three-year training program has resulted in her appointment as the company’s IT support technician. The company’s next apprentice will be enrolled this year. Collaborating with Gaston College means that other employees can also improve their skills part-time, while the company uses the college as an extension of its educational facilities for training in crane safety, OSHA, basic electronics, and other standard courses.
While the two-and-a-half to three-year apprenticeship program may seem foreign in an American context, generations of German skilled workers have successfully trained this way, demonstrating its effectiveness. Students complete 1,600 hours of part-time community college coursework in trade theory, combined with hands-on practical training during the rest of the workweek. “You become book smart while you learn with your hands. Early on, you become an expert in the products the company makes,” Burger says.
Upon completing 8,000 hours of combined classroom and hands-on training, apprentices graduate as entry-level professionals. The program covers tuition, and apprentices earn a salary with full benefits, including 401(k) and health coverage, while they learn.
The company’s expectation of the apprentice is to be committed and exceptional at what they do. “Our goal is to ensure apprentices reach their full potential,” Burger explains. “We provide the best training to cultivate the best professionals.”
Building stability
This approach allows young professionals to immerse themselves in the company’s culture while gaining a solid understanding of its systems and operational standards. Over time, they develop expertise in specialized areas and learn to navigate the unique demands of each customer, helping the company remain agile and responsive in a dynamic market.
By supporting employee growth and higher education, KNOLL has maintained an exceptionally stable workforce at its European branches for over four decades, with many employees’ children choosing to follow in their parents’ footsteps.
“In America, the culture often revolves around ‘hire and fire,’” Burger explains. “That’s not our approach—we invest in the people we develop rather than making decisions solely for shareholder value.” As a family-owned company, this philosophy has helped KNOLL remain stable during economic challenges, supported by a loyal, long-term workforce that maintains continuity and operational steadiness.
Developing a resilient and skilled workforce is critical as KNOLL expands its capacity to serve the growing North American market. Burger is encouraged that the industry’s gradual adoption of this apprenticeship model could lead to broader improvements in operational standards.
Caring for its people
KNOLL’s commitment to its staff extends beyond job security and competitive compensation. The company allows a day for community volunteering, and its diverse team—drawn from multiple states and countries—fosters an open, collaborative culture that emphasizes healthy workplace relationships. “We often discuss how easy it is to speak to management. You can be yourself—your authentic self. It makes communication much easier,” says Guzman.
“What we are building now is for the future. We are looking at the next 40 years,” Burger emphasizes. By ensuring that the company understands what the market wants, it can focus on investing in further education and training to ensure that everyone stays at the top of their game as volumes and demand increase.
Burger emphasizes that in a rapidly evolving market, staying agile must remain central to the company’s strategy. “Complacency is not an option,” he says. “We strive to remain at the forefront and constantly monitor performance to ensure we meet our clients’ needs.”
With its clear focus on local markets and industry-leading solutions, KNOLL America is here to stay.
