TPT May 2018

I NDUS T RY

Sikora is laying foundation stone for new production building in Bremen

SIKORA AG has started construction work for its new production building at its headquarters in Bremen-Mahndorf, Germany. In December 2017 the executive board of the company laid the foundation stone for the new building in the presence of employees and business partners. During the process a time capsule was placed into the prepared foundation. The expansion of the location creates more space for efficient production and logistics as well as ideal conditions for communication, creativity and innovation. The completion of the building is scheduled for November 2018. The new building, with an effective area of 7,000m 2 , offers space for production and logistics on three floors, including a stacked storey with areas for communication and creativity purposes to help increase new idea generation and innovation. The building will be erected on the site of the old production building, which has now been demolished. Production has been moved to a building 400m away in order to maintain continuity for the management, administration and development teams at the company. The project is being supported by BAB – The development bank for Bremen and Bremerhaven. “The expansion at the production location Bremen is a strategic future investment,” said Dr Christian Frank, CEO of Sikora AG. “We invest in further growth and global competitiveness.” Strong growth as well as diversification of the company in new markets and

The new building of Sikora AG creates more space for production and logistics

architect Jürgen Keil, associate of Gruppe GME. He added: “We have found a perfect solution that combines the contemporary and traditional elements. This is reflected in the design of the exterior as well as the interior planning, which, in addition to production specific aspects, offers creative areas for communication purposes and new ideas.” With the new construction Sikora also makes a clear commitment to Bremen as a production location. “We want to continue gaining qualified employees for our company in Bremen and to remain attractive for them,” explained Dr Frank. This year, new employees have already been hired for production and logistics. “In 2018, our work force will continue to grow to meet the increasing requirements of the market,” said Dr Frank. Sikora AG is a manufacturer and supplier of measuring and control technology for the hose and tube, wire and cable as well as optical fibre and plastic industry. With over 250 employees worldwide, 14 international offices and more than 30 regional representatives, the company provides customers with innovative product solutions and individual service. The measuring and control systems are made at the headquarters in Bremen. Innovation, product quality and customer satisfaction define the daily activities at Sikora AG.

the accompanying new and further developments of technologies and devices prompted the expansion. Sikora serves the four industrial areas wire and cable, optical fibre, hose and tube, and plastics with measuring, control, inspection and sorting technology. “Our portfolio grew significantly in the last few years for the cable segment as well as in optical fibre measuring technology and the hose, tube, sheet and plastics industry, and we reached the limits of our capacity with the existing building,” said Dr Frank. The new building offers 350 per cent more space for the growing businesses. The expansion will also be used to make existing procedures more efficient and innovative. The integration of modern, lean production concepts is a key element in order to increase productivity. Prior to the construction of the new building, an intensive planning phase took place where existing processes were recorded in order to optimise material flows from incoming goods, via production up to the shipping department. The result is a more efficient and innovative production to ensure product quality as well as delivery reliability. The architectural realisation of the production building is carried out by Gruppe GME, who also realised the previous three Sikora buildings. “The challenge was to find a design concept that emphasises the contemporary character of the new building and also harmonises with the existing two buildings,” explained

Sikora AG – Germany Email: sales@sikora.net Website: www.sikora.net

Dr Christian Frank, CEO Sikora AG

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MAY 2018