Groundbreaking in Niederzissen
AKRO-PLASTIC expands warehouse and administration building at Niederzissen. Further national as well as international investments within the Feddersen Group are being planned
The company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, specialist for innovative and application-oriented plastic compounds, invests about 3 million euros in 2010 at head quarters in Niederzissen, Rhineland-Palatinate. Groundbreaking for the expansion of warehouse and administration building took place on 14th of June 2010.
In the presence of both, the mayor of the Verbandsgemeinde Brohltal, Mr. Johannes Bell (FWG) and the district administrator of the Kreis Ahrweiler, Dr. Jürgen Pföhler (CDU), Andreas Stuber, Managing Director of the company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH symbolically broke ground for the expansion of the warehouse and adminstration building at the industrial area Brohltal in Niederzissen on 14th of June.
The first half of 2009 the tough business climate did not signal expansion but short-time work. However, the second half of the year was totally contrasted by a significant recovery in business levels. From 1st of July 2009, the compoundeur ran a continuous production process 6 days a week.
In fact, the consequences of the crisis were still evident at the end of the year, but in total the turnover was at the top end of the forecast. This is one of the reasons why the Management Board is confident about future developments and is now realizing the expansion, which was originally planned and approved by the community for 2008. "Initially, we have made use of 2009 in order to observe the continuing process of the crisis. The consequences regarding our industrial sector were not conceivable at this particular time“, according to Andreas Stuber. "Due to the favourable signs in our market and the positive communications we led with our principals, for whom our plastic compounds are being manufactured in toll compounding, this plan could now be put into action," Stuber adds.
Already at the beginning of the year, 6 further twin compartment silos with a capacity of 1200 m³ had been built. Due to the expansion of warehouse, 1500 m² additional storage space as well as 1100 m² office space for adminstration, laboratory and a big multi media room for customer events are being added. The company FEDDEM GmbH & Co. KG, Sinzig sister company within the Feddersen Group and manufacturer of compounding and extrusion lines gets its own state-of-the-art technical center within the new premises. Completion of warehouse is scheduled for August 2010, while the administration building should be completed in February 2011.
Furthermore, 500.000 euros had been invested in expansion of laboratory as well as production at AF-COLOR, subsidiary of AKRO-PLASTIC. AF-COLOR is located in the industrial area Scheid in Niederzissen and is specialized in the manufacturing of masterbatches. Overall, 25 new full time jobs and training positions have been established for the area in both plants.
Further investments within the Feddersen Group are being transacted during this year in China, where Akro Engineering Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. will establish a new plant in the third quarter. Starting with 2 compounding lines, the annual manufacturing capacity will be expanded to 7.000 tons. Further lines are planned and will be ordered, as the capacity expands to meet the increasing demand.
In total, the companies of the Feddersen Group will be investing about 8 million euros within the year 2010.
Already in 2009 by founding the company FEDDEM GmbH & Co. KG, Sinzig, continuing the operations of the division "construction of extrusion and compounding lines“ of the company Decroupet Maschinenbau, the value chain for engineering plastics has been completed within the Feddersen Group. Furthermore, in 2009 K.D. Feddersen UK Ltd., a British subsidiary of the plastics distributer K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG, also shows further potential for growth of the Feddersen Group abroad.
Dr. Jürgen Pföhler (on the left), district administrator of the Kreis Ahrweiler, wishes Andreas Stuber (third from left), Managing Director of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, good luck for the expansion.