WITRON Doubles Manufacturing Capacity in Parkstein

In order for WITRON to remain a strong partner for its customers and employees in the future and to meet growth demands, company founder and owner Walter Winkler decided in early 2019 to expand the manufacturing capacities at the Parkstein location by 120,000 m² to 220,000 m², which corresponds to an investment volume of nearly 200 million euros.

(Parkstein) The expansion of WITRON’s production is one of the largest private construction projects currently underway in Northern Bavaria. After a record-breaking planning and construction period of just over two and a half years, and in time for the company’s 50th anniversary, highly dynamic conveyor technology elements and control cabinets will be manufactured in the new “Plant II North” starting in early September 2021. This will create up to 1,800 new attractive jobs in Parkstein – for IT and SPS specialists, project employees, designers, metalworkers, mechatronics engineers, and electricians. The opening was celebrated appropriately with handpicked guests while adhering to current regulations. In his festive speech, Minister Albert Füracker described the company as a “shining example for all of Bavaria.”

“Future-oriented solutions and successful projects have been and continue to be the driving force behind the strong growth of the WITRON Group. To reliably meet this high demand both qualitatively and quantitatively, we have decided to make this investment. Furthermore, this step allows us to secure jobs in the region as well as in our branches in Europe, North America, and Australia permanently and to remain technologically at the cutting edge. Because innovation and motivated, well-trained employees have been a cornerstone of WITRON since its founding,” said Walter Winkler in his welcoming speech. “A company must not be interchangeable. Not in terms of the solutions it offers, and certainly not in terms of corporate culture and employee engagement. Only then can it be permanently successful. Natural intelligence is at least as important as artificial intelligence.”

Added Value for the Upper Palatinate

Albert Füracker, Bavarian State Minister of Finance and Home Affairs, praised WITRON as an added value for the Upper Palatinate and a shining example for all of Bavaria. He also emphasized the lived WITRON culture based on tradition and progress. “WITRON has been a down-to-earth company for 50 years, which still modestly refers to itself as a ‘hidden champion,’ but is a true ‘real champion’ – with Walter Winkler as a business personality characterized by creativity and passion. A personality that not only has ideas and plans in mind or perhaps sketches them on paper but consistently and, above all, successfully implements them. For the benefit of customers, for the benefit of employees, for the benefit of society,” said the minister. The ongoing success of WITRON is the result of inspiration and transpiration.

Nearly Two-Year Construction Period

“Only a few months after the decision to plan and build, the first earthworks began. A prerequisite for this was also the pragmatic collaboration with local authorities, architects, all suppliers, and the responsible general contractor. Thanks to many diligent hands and the great commitment of all involved, the inauguration of Plant II North can be celebrated appropriately in the anniversary year after just under two years of construction,” Walter Winkler expressed his delight.

Another 1,800 Attractive Jobs Planned

Currently, WITRON employs 4,800 employees, of which over 2,000 are at the Parkstein location. In the next two years, there will already be 7,000 employees worldwide, as customer orders have been placed. For the fiscal year 2021, revenues of nearly 1 billion euros are expected. “Due to this positive outlook, it is essential to significantly expand manufacturing resources and hire additional employees,” explains Walter Winkler. “We can then offer up to 1,800 additional attractive jobs in Parkstein – for IT specialists, control and project employees, designers, mechatronics engineers, electricians, and metalworkers.”

Highly Optimized Material Flow – Future-Oriented Work Processes

Since 2005, the Parkstein logistics general contractor has been producing its highly dynamic and energy-efficient pallet, container, and tray conveyor technology elements in-house. Production for all projects worldwide is centralized in Parkstein. In 2010, 2013, and 2018, the manufacturing resources were massively increased. In the new Plant II North, the area alone for the production of conveyor technology elements, including galvanizing, covers 87,000 square meters. An additional 12,000 square meters are designated for the production of control cabinets. The storage capacities in the automated warehouses are designed for 10,500 pallet and 23,750 container storage spaces. The maximum height of the building is 11 meters. For reasons of space optimization, storage is largely done below ground level.

The machinery is equipped with the latest manufacturing technology, such as laser punching-bending combination machines or a large area for galvanic surface finishing. This enables the necessary manufacturing breadth and thus consistently the highest quality down to the detail. The production resembles more of a manufactory than a production facility. The final assembly of the conveyor elements takes place at so-called production islands based on precisely coordinated work processes. All production islands are designed as bright and ergonomic workplaces and stock all necessary parts to completely finish an element with its variants. Production control and parts supply are supported by a Kanban system in conjunction with automatic pallet, tray, and container warehouses. The individual production and storage areas, including incoming and outgoing goods, are precisely interconnected in a transparent, highly optimized material flow.

Instead of being on-site at the customer’s construction site, wiring work on motors, control, and regulation units is already carried out during the manufacturing process in an optimal work environment. High product quality, reduced commissioning times, and the efficient interaction between controllers, sensors, and the SPS and IT components developed in-house at WITRON, which works without interface problems, are the consequences.

Supplying Over 100 Million People Worldwide

“We realize projects in a system-relevant industry. Our solutions supply more than 100 million people daily through branches or online trade with food and many important daily necessities – economically, ecologically, and socially. Numerous customers worldwide, especially from the food sector, rely on our project experience and our technology expertise, such as the WITRON patented OPM/COM technology,” emphasized Walter Winkler. OPM/COM is considered the most successful fully automated order picking system for trade units worldwide.

“Moreover, our customers – and we are particularly proud of this – rely on the values and culture that make the family-owned company WITRON so unique: rolling up sleeves, keeping promises, being credible, reliable, and predictable, and staying down-to-earth,” Winkler highlighted the company’s strengths. “The entire WITRON Group is aware of this responsibility every day. And with the additional opportunities that Plant II North offers us, we are rising to this challenge – today and in the future, for the benefit of our customers and employees.”

Photo: © Drone-Pics.de / Image Caption: An additional 120,000 m² of manufacturing capacity has been created in record time in Parkstein.