German truck and trailer mounted crane and hoist manufacturer Böcker has broken ground on a second phase of the ongoing expansion of its production facility, the largest construction project in its history.
The company began upgrading its Lippestrasse facility in Werne, north of Dortmund in late 2021. It includes new production areas with lean manufacturing processes, larger logistics areas and modern offices.
The new phase will include a service area, final inspection hall, a 3,800 square metre ‘logistics centre’, with an adjoining 1,700 square metre warehouse for storing long and bulky items. The new building includes a mezzanine in the warehouse plus three office floors above, along with an 840 square metre social area/canteen and entrance lobby. Completion is due by the end of March 2026.
An artists impression of the new buildings
In addition to the building work, Böcker is investing in a new more sustainable energy and heat supply for its buildings, all of which have been or will be equipped with solar panels, which are already generating around 1,067 MWh of electricity a year, saving 531 tonnes of CO2 emissions. In addition, the solar panels are powering air heat pumps to heat the buildings.
The groundbreaking ceremony included managing directors Alexander Böcker and Stephan Kuck, along with the mayor and chief finance officer of the city of Werne, representatives from the general contractor Gieseke and the architects Schwerdt+Schwerdt.
(L-R) Frank Liesner and Volker Böckmann from the contractor Gieseke with Alexander Böcker, the mayor Lothar Christ and Stephan Kuck of Böcker, along with the architect Alexander Schwerdt, Ansgar Jünemann of Gieseke, Silke Linnhoff of Böcker, Matthias Stiller from the city of Werne and Juri Sagiev of Böcker Alexander Böcker said: “In the first construction phase, we dismantled old structures on the company premises and replaced them with modern production buildings suited to building our products, including a large assembly hall with an office extension, which is adjoined by a spacious test and final inspection area. In addition, two neighbouring existing halls were expanded. Based on detailed preliminary planning, we have created line production with optimised procedures and processes as well as an ideal material flow. This means we can efficiently produce the quantities that have increased significantly in recent years and are also ideally prepared for further sales growth. The expansion also creates space for attractive and secure jobs.”
Stephan Kuck added: “By centralising our logistics processes at the main plant, we will significantly increase the quality, speed and efficiency of our entire material supply. Our customers in particular will benefit from greater reliability and shorter delivery times. At the same time, we are sustainably improving the C02 balance of our logistics, for example by minimising transport routes. We know how hard and committed our employees are to our company. We are therefore particularly pleased to be able to provide new shower and sanitary rooms, along with a modern canteen with great food. The new facilities are a sign of our appreciation and are intended to help improve your quality of life at work.”
Comments