By 1808Delaware
The growth of data centers is usually measured in sprawling campuses, powerful servers and billions of dollars in investment. But behind every facility is a less visible challenge: keeping all that computing equipment cool. That need is now bringing a major manufacturing expansion to Delaware.
The Wieland Group plans to invest $15 million in a second local production facility, adding 100 jobs as demand increases for high-performance cooling equipment. The company will occupy a 100,000-square-foot building at 115 Innovation Court while continuing production at its existing facility at 600 London Road.
The new positions are expected to generate more than $6.7 million in annual payroll. Wieland’s current Delaware operation supports 31 jobs with an annual payroll of approximately $2.1 million.
Manufacturing the technology behind the technology
Wieland will use the new facility to manufacture heat exchangers, equipment that removes heat from cooling systems and helps data centers operate safely and reliably. Although data centers are associated with software, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, their continued growth depends on physical infrastructure. Servers produce enormous amounts of heat, creating demand for increasingly efficient cooling systems.
Wieland’s heat-transfer technology is designed to provide greater cooling capacity while using less material and refrigerant. The company also supplies equipment for commercial buildings and industrial customers.
“Demand for high-performance data center cooling is accelerating, and this investment gives us the capacity to grow with our customers,” said Rodrigo De Luca, vice president of Wieland Onda Global.
De Luca said the company’s existing Delaware workforce established the foundation for the expansion. Operating a second location will allow Wieland to increase production while strengthening its North American data-center cooling business.
A second Delaware production site
The project represents a substantial expansion of Wieland’s local presence rather than a relocation. Production will continue at the London Road facility after the Innovation Court operation opens. The addition of 100 jobs would more than quadruple the company’s current Delaware workforce.
“This investment will create new career opportunities and connect our community to one of the world’s fastest-growing technology markets,” Delaware Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle said. “We are proud that a global company sees Delaware as the right place for its continued growth.”
The expansion also illustrates how the economic impact of data centers extends beyond the communities where the facilities themselves are built. Their growth creates demand for construction, electrical systems, cooling equipment, maintenance services and specialized manufacturing. Wieland’s investment places Delaware within that larger supply chain, producing equipment that could support digital infrastructure throughout the country.
“Data center growth is creating an economic ecosystem that reaches well beyond the facilities themselves,” said Jonas Peterson, president of One Columbus and the organization’s chief economic development officer.
Global reach with a local foothold
Wieland traces its history to Germany in 1820 and has grown into a global copper and technology company with more than 80 locations worldwide. Forty-four of those operations are in North America. The company manufactures copper and copper-alloy products for industries that include electronics, refrigeration, air conditioning, automotive production, aerospace and construction.
The Delaware operation became part of Wieland through its 2024 acquisition of Italian heat-exchanger manufacturer Onda S.p.A. Onda brought more than 30 years of experience in heat-transfer technology to the larger company.
For Delaware, that global acquisition is now producing a distinctly local result: a second manufacturing site, $15 million in new investment and 100 jobs tied to an industry whose appetite for computing power continues to grow.
