Nickolas Asset Management and Kreate Announce $100 Million Advanced Manufacturing Investment in Tiffin, Ohio
542,000-square-foot facility will deploy 32 new ENGEL molding systems, FANUC robotics, autonomous material handling and Krevera read-write AI while creating approximately 120 jobs
TIFFIN, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickolas Asset Management and Kreate today announced a $100 million investment in a 542,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility at 458 Second Avenue in Tiffin, Ohio.
The investment includes the facility, machinery, infrastructure, tooling and startup of an operation that will manufacture Kreate's consumer and professional products.
The first machines have already arrived. Production is scheduled to begin October 1, 2026.
"Skilled trades plus technology is the future of American manufacturing," said Nickolas Reinhart, founder and owner of Kreate. "The companies that win will put a full stack of technology in the hands of the best people. Tiffin brings both under one roof to create the most efficient and competitive manufacturing operation in our industry."
The facility will operate 32 new ENGEL injection-molding machines equipped with iQ weight-control technology. The systems will be integrated with pick-and-place robots, FANUC collaborative robots, autonomous guided vehicles and automated packaging.
Krevera's read-write computer-vision AI platform will connect production equipment, quality systems and factory operations. The technology will inspect output, identify process deviations, communicate directly with equipment and enable machines to make autonomous corrections in real time.
The connected system is designed to increase production speed, improve quality, reduce material usage and operate with significantly less waste.
"ENGEL and Dr. Stefan Engleder are true technology and integration partners," Reinhart said. "They understand our scale, our speed and the level of performance we expect. We are not buying individual machines. We are building one complete manufacturing system."
The Tiffin site offered an uncommon combination of scale, electrical capacity, rail access, warehousing and existing industrial infrastructure. These capabilities allowed Kreate to install new technology and launch production substantially faster than a ground-up development.
The facility also provides room to add equipment and expand manufacturing capacity as demand grows.
An integrated rail spur capable of holding 25 railcars will strengthen raw-material supply, simplify material movement and reduce resin, freight and handling costs. Extensive on-site warehousing will support high-volume production, inventory management and distribution.
The facility will also include on-site tool-and-die maintenance and repair. Kreate's skilled trades team will be able to maintain, repair and optimize production tooling internally, reducing downtime and accelerating product launches.
Kreate expects the Tiffin operation to create approximately 120 jobs across skilled trades, tool-and-die repair, manufacturing, engineering, robotics, automation, maintenance and logistics.
About Kreate
Kreate is a product development company focused on reimagining product categories for today's consumers. From ideation to realization, Kreate combines innovation, engineering and manufacturing expertise to develop differentiated products and bring better solutions to market.
About Nickolas Asset Management
Nickolas Asset Management (NAM) is an evergreen, operator-led family office built on permanent capital and a long-term ownership philosophy. NAM partners with management teams to strengthen essential businesses by investing in people, improving processes, and building better products.
SOURCE Kreate
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