moving on Relocations and expansions

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Relocations and expansions across Europe

Schlemmer moves into new headquarters on the edge of Munich

At the beginning of July 2017, Schlemmer, the internationally operating technology group, will be moving into its new company headquarters in Aschheim near Munich. For the previous 37 years, the Schlemmer Group has had its head office in the neighbouring town of Poing, but space there was limited for the growing company. At the new location in the Aschheim district of Dornach, Schlemmer now has 4300 square metres of office space, including 400 for the newly created ‘Technical Centre Europe’.

With the relocation from Poing to Aschheim, Schlemmer has responded according to plan to the strong growth of the company. At more than 60 locations worldwide, the technology group currently employs nearly 3000 people, more than 200 of which are based at the headquarters. Employee numbers continue to grow at all locations. The new headquarters at the Eight Dornach office complex now offers the company ample space in modern, generously dimensioned offices, appealing break-time areas and inspiring think tanks. Visit: www.schlemmer.com

Sodra invests in increased production in Orrefors

AT its small-diameter timber sawmill in Orrefors, Södra is investing about SEK 35 million in a new boiler and drying facility, which will enable production increases in the future. The supplier is Fröseke Industriservice AB.

“This investment is necessary for profitability. Currently, there is insufficient boiler capacity, which means we must sell some goods undried. The investment will enable us to increase production and also dry the entire sawn volume,” said Jörgen Lindquist, president of the Södra Wood business area. The limiting factors for the sawmill’s capacity are the boilers and wood dryers. The two existing biofuel boilers that currently serve the sawmill are to be replaced by a new, larger biofuel boiler of 6 MW instead of today’s 2.5 MW.

“The change of boiler will also enable the simultaneous expansion of wood drying through the addition of six chamber dryers. Following the investment, the sawmill will go from a drying capacity of about 60,000 cubic metres to approximately 105,000 cubic metres,” says Jörgen Lindquist. The new facility will be put into operation in 2018. Visit: www.sodra.com

Bühler builds first industrial-scale insect processing plant in Europe

Bühler Insect Technology is to build its first industrial plant to process black solider flies for animal nutrition together with its partner Protix in the Netherlands. Bühler will deliver the technology, equipment, and process know how for the rearing and processing of the insects and the feedstock preparation. Start of operation is planned for the first half of 2018.

Protein is an essential component of nutrition for both humans and animals. Agriculture produces roughly 525 million tonnes of plant protein a year, found in corn, rice, wheat or soybeans. However, today’s protein production is not sustainable: Only 25% of proteins land as vegetable proteins on our plates, while 15% are wasted and 60% are used to produce animal protein. Furthermore, with the growing world population, protein production needs to double by 2050. Experts agree this cannot be achieved using traditional farming practices and resources, which is why alternative sources for protein such insects or algae are becoming increasingly important. Insects offer a sustainable alternative: Grown on organic residues, they can recover up to 70% of nutrients, thus recycling these underutilised streams back to the food value chain. Visit: www.buhlergroup.com

cressall opens second site in leicester

Power resistor manufacturer Cressall Resistors has expanded its UK operations following an increase in demand for large scale, high power resistors and load banks. Cressall have taken a lease on a 8000 sq ft unit just five minutes from its UK headquarters in Leicester, allowing the business to work on significantly larger projects.

“In the 23 years Cressall has been manufacturing in Leicester, we have significantly grown both our customer base and how many people we employ,” explained Simone Bruckner, managing director of Cressall. “Our site on Evington Valley Road has served us well during this time, but as the size of the projects we work on continues to grow, so must our facility.” Visit: www.cressall.com

Major Expansion for Croda at Hull

Croda International Plc, the speciality chemicals company that creates high performance ingredients and technologies relied on by industries and consumers everywhere, has announced the start of its major capital expansion project at its Hull manufacturing site in Yorkshire.

Croda’s group chief executive, Steve Foots, officially ‘handed over’ the project to project manager John Batty for work to start on the investment that will nearly double existing capacity. It demonstrates the company’s commitment to uK manufacturing and will provide long term job security for the workforce at their facility in Hull and support the local economy during the construction phase. It is in line with the company’s strategy to invest in faster growth markets, enabling it to satisfy growing demand for its renowned polymer additives. This technology is used by global polymer manufacturers to address issues such as friction, scratch resistance and stability of plastic materials used in multiple industries including automotive and packaging. Visit: www.croda.com