Local Motors, a company that strives to improve on automotive design through many unique methods, has just named MakerBot CEO Bree Pettis to its Board of Directors. The assignment of Pettis is effective as of Janauary 30, 2014.

We’ve seen Local Motors use MakerBot’s 3D printers quite a bit in the development and building of their Rally Fighter vehicle. They printed the body of a 1:16 replica for test purposes, and also used 3D printing to print parts of one of the vehicle’s side-view mirrors.

Bre Pettis will be joining 3 other Local Motors Board members. Current Board members include Jay Rogers (CEO), Thomas D. Lehrman, and Mark Smith.

In discussing the appointment of Pettis to the Board, Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, said,

“I have long admired Bre as a great American entrepreneur. He is, at his core, an independent maker and innovator who successfully pursued these passions to become a defining figure in the Maker Movement and Third Industrial Revolution. His thoughtful advice will be of immeasurable value as we continue our march to democratize production methods using advanced manufacturing techniques.”

Local Motors recently announced that they have plans to buld the first production vehicle completely from 3D printing by the end of this year. Pettis will surely be an extremely valuable asset in this process. Pettis has been a long time fan of what Local Motors has been doing.

“I’ve watched with amazement as Local Motors has pioneered a co-creation and micro-manufacturing model that has democratized the development and production of complex machines, effectively transforming consumer choice from supply-driven to demand-driven,” said Pettis. “Not to mention I’ve wanted a Rally Fighter, their first community co-created product, from the moment I saw it. I’m a car guy at heart. That vehicle really speaks to the power of the crowd. I’m finally building my own in April.”

Local Motors does not follow the patterns or processes of manufacturing that typical automotive companies do. They are a crowd-powered design, manufacturing and technology company that has been working on creating game-changing vehicles through open-source principles. The addition of Pettis is surely going to help them move forward in this process.

Discuss this article and what you think this means for Local Motors and MakerBot at 3DPrintBoard.com.

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