IMI has opened a new manufacturing facility in Lake Forest, California, bringing its Southern California Process Automation operations together on a single purpose-built site.
Energy is one of IMI's three long-term growth megatrends - our Process Automation business sits at its centre. With increased investment in data centres and electrification driving demand for energy, IMI’s solutions continue to enable developments in the sector, including the expansion of nuclear power capacity and the continued need for precision in upstream and downstream oil and gas operations. Lake Forest is IMI's investment in our capacity to meet that demand.
The move ends more than three decades at Rancho Santa Margarita, where the business had been based since 1987. Lake Forest consolidates over 200 people across engineering, manufacturing, project management, quality assurance and R&D into a site designed specifically for the work they do: designing, manufacturing and servicing severe service control valves.
Sustainability was a design priority from the outset. A rooftop and parking lot solar array, due for installation shortly, is expected to offset around 80 to 90% of the facility's electrical consumption. Heating and appliances are fully electric, with gas limited to welding processes only. Electrical discharge machining and painting have been outsourced to remove the site's largest source of VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions. Nine electric vehicle charging stations are operational at opening, with infrastructure in place to reach 27. Stormwater runs through an underground retention system and seven modular wetlands before discharge. The building has been designed with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification principles in mind and a laser overlay welder arriving in the second half of 2026 is expected to cut welding gas usage substantially.
"This facility reflects where IMI is heading as a business. It gives our team the environment and the tools to deliver the critical engineering our customers depend on, while significantly reducing our environmental impact," said Kevin McKown, President of Valve Automation and Digital at IMI.
"We work in industries where there is no margin for error, and Lake Forest gives us a platform to continue raising the bar on both performance and sustainability."
For more information about IMI's Process Automation capabilities click here
