Adidas has announced it will open its first Speedfactory for...

Adidas has announced it will open its first Speedfactory for the U.S. market in the Atlanta, Georgia area in 2017. The purpose of the new highly automated shoe factory is to allow the sporting goods giant to create products faster and closer to its consumers in the U.S., with more opportunities for customization in America, the company said. The 74,000-square-foot Atlanta factory, which is expected to be fully functional in the second half of 2017, will have a focus on running shoes. While creating around 160 jobs, the new U.S. Speedfactory will largely be operated by robots. Advances in robotics and automation are favoring the return of production closer to consumers. A similar Speedfactory was scheduled to start up now as a pilot at Ansbach in Germany. Last year, Nike said it intends to create 10,000 jobs in the U.S. in the next decade by producing more in its home market.