Groundbreaking in Niederzissen
AKRO-PLASTIC expands production area by 20.000 m2 and provides 80 new jobs in the area
After expansion of warehouse, laboratory and administration building, AKRO-PLASTIC, the specialist for innovative and application-oriented plastic compounds invests again at the location Industriegebiet Brohltal-Ost in Niederzissen, Rhineland Palatinate. Groundbreaking for the expansion of the new production hall took place on 12th of August 2011.
Andreas Stuber, Managing Director of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH welcomed guests of local politics and involved construction companies in the new multi media room being on the top floor of the currently established administration building. Approximately one year after the last groundbreaking on 14th of June 2010, the repeated willingness to invest of the group of companies at this site was welcomed. “We are grateful and proud, that AKRO-PLASTIC and in this way the internally acting Feddersen Group remained loyal with our area and business location”, according to Dr. Jürgen Pföhler (CDU), district administrator of the Kreis Ahrweiler. “This decision shows that the efforts of municipality and district to strive for an attractive economic location had been successful," Dr. Pföhler adds.
Dr. Pföhler emphasized in his greetings also the positive development of job market in the area. An unemployment rate of approximately 4 % means almost full employment. These figures are significantly below the state average and all the more below national average. By creating about 80 new jobs in the area, AKRO-PLASTIC makes its contribution to this positive trend.
The authorities have done their duty by easing the processes for permission. In case of AKRO-PLASTIC, the approval procedure was very complex and technically demanding as an additional power supply was necessary for the new building. This could be clarified smoothly and quickly within a round-table discussion together with the energy supplier, municipality and AKRO-PLASTIC.
Mr. Andreas Stuber praised the good cooperation with municipality as well as the long-standing successful cooperation with the local construction- and planning companies. After presenting a short overview of Feddersen Group and its single companies, Mr. Stuber explained expansion of production at the site Niederzissen in detail. At an area of 20.000 m², 14 new compounding lines will be successively installed reaching a capacity of more than 60.000 tons.
This means expansion of production capacity by 1.5 times. The existing, state-of-the art production concept running in the 2002 constructed plant will be transferred to the new plant. There, AKRO manufactures mainly compounds on basis of polyamide, being sold under their own brand names AKROMID® or respectively AKROLOY®, as well as polyester being manufactured by toll compounding.
With the company FEDDEM GmbH & Co. KG situated in Sinzig also belonging to the district Ahrweiler, the Feddersen Group has a division manufacturing extrusion- and compounding lines. This backward integration represents a significant benefit, especially regarding service and maintenance.
“Due to the positive business trend in the last year, we have decided soon after expansion of warehouse, laboratory and administration to start expansion of production”, according to Andreas Stuber. “As a matter of fact, we cannot pretend in these days that the economic situation remains stable in future, but we like to invest anti-cyclical. We are all working for this getting a great success."
The investment volume of the new construction of production at AKRO-PLASTIC amounts to approximately 17 million euro and is thus presently one of the biggest investments in Brohltal, as Johannes Bell (FWG), mayor of the Verbandsgemeinde Brohltal emphasized. “By establishing its new building in 2002, AKRO-PLASTIC created the start for this industrial area and remains the motor since that time”, according to Bell.
The mayor emphasized in his greetings once more how important it is to create highly qualified jobs in the neighborhood area and to include regional partners and companies in the building project. This would finally result in increasing tax income for the area, being used for financing infrastructure, kindergarten and schools. In the end, the general public interest is supported in this way.
During the subsequent plant tour through the administration building being established in 2010/2011 and the accredited laboratory, the guests could convince themselves from the state-of-the-art production and testing facilities.
In 2010, further investments within the Feddersen Group have been done in China, where AKRO Engineering Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. has obtained a new plant in the 3rd quarter. Starting with 2 compounding lines, the annual manufacturing capacity has been expanded to 7.000 tons. Further lines are planned and will be ordered, as the capacity expands to meet the increasing demand.
Dr. Jürgen Pföhler (second on the right), district administrator of the Kreis Ahrweiler wishes Andreas Stuber (second on the left) good luck for the expansion