Japanese company opens new in Lincoln, NE:

Morio USA Corp. this week unveiled its new manufacturing and warehouse facility in north Lincoln.

The 11,436 square-foot space at 3425 N. 44th St. allows the Japanese maker of electronic sign displays and moving message board panels to consolidate its manufacturing and warehouse operations, which had been in two different locations.

Morio, which is a major supplier to Kawasaki’s Rail Car division, first established a presence in Lincoln in August 2013 and began operations in separate office and warehouse buildings in January 2014. The company outsourced production of its products to another Japanese company, Daitron, also located in Lincoln. While most of the manufacturing in its new facility will initially be done by Daitron employees, over time, Morio’s 18 local employees will take over full production.

“We are so pleased to now make our home in one location,” Morio USA President Mike Ohashi said in a news release. “This new facility came at a critical time because we decided to triple our capital from this past March, adding $2 million in anticipation of expanding the business.”

Morio USA is a subsidiary of Morio Denki Ltd., a 105-year-old company that manufactures and sells electrical equipment for rolling stock, automobiles, ships, and other related industries as well as operating a real estate business.