Offenburg, Germany – HOBART is continuing to expand its development and production site in Offenburg-Elgersweier: after the completion of the international distribution centre for spare parts, the warewashing specialist is marking the start of its production area expansion with the official groundbreaking ceremony. An additional 12,000 square metres will be at the disposal of the world market leader for commercial warewashing in the future, for the production of its dishwashers. HOBART has invested approximately 20 million euros for this. The first machines should be rolling off production lines in the new hall by 2020.
"We are sending out a clear message with the plant expansion, and are looking forward to a very promising future. We have grown continuously in the past, and would like to continue presenting ourselves as a strong, international company in the area," said Group President Global Warewash, Axel Beck, who was able to greet a row of prominent guests during the official groundbreaking ceremony. Scott Santi, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the HOBART parent company, Illinois Tool Works, travelled from the USA especially for this event. Marco Steffens (First Mayor of the City of Offenburg) and Kurt Augustin (District Mayor Village Elgersweier) also symbolically reached for their spades.
HOBART is considered a leading innovator in the industry, and has produced approximately 37,000 machines in the past year – with an upwards trend. It is not only production that takes place at the Offenburg-Elgersweier site, but research and development as well. The manufacturer of warewashing, cooking and food preparation technology has over 100 patents for the premium line PREMAX alone. "HOBART is known for its excellent innovations, and is strongly focused on the requirements of its customers, so that it can deliver real added value to them for their daily work. The expansion of production is therefore the logical result of the consistently positive company developments and the next step to securing HOBART's innovative leadership position for the long term," explained Axel Beck at the groundbreaking ceremony. "HOBART is one of the strongest brands in the group. This means that the investment into the plant expansion is also confirmation of the successful work produced in Offenburg."
Alongside the construction of the new production hall, plans for the accompanying restructuring of the production lines are already in full swing. In addition to new and more efficient production line concepts, the level of automation in terms of machine production will also be increased. It is for this reason that an additional 5 million euros will be invested towards new facilities and production technology, and new employees will be hired as well.
Modern production hall with energy strategy
HOBART is putting a great deal of emphasis on a sustainable design and the use of natural energies in the construction of the new production hall. 70 % of the roof will feature vegetation. The rest of the surface will be fitted with a photovoltaic system. The generated electricity will be used entirely for the company's own needs, and consequently, the CO2 emissions will be reduced by up to 200 tonnes per year. Likewise, not only does the green surface have an effect on the indoor climate of the production hall – it serves as insulation – it also acts as a green area, compensating for "green field" that has been built on, and is in turn also an important contribution to the improvement of the microclimate. In order to increase the wellbeing for employees in the new plant, particularly in the summer, HOBART is employing concrete core activation – an innovative method for the cooling and warming of buildings.