MULTIVAC is set on regional expansion

A new building with approx. 35,000 square metres floor area, complete with state-of-the-art manufacturing and automation technology – The MULTIVAC Group, the leading manufacturer of packaging and processing solutions, is investing around 100 million euros in building a second production site at the company's headquarters. By embarking on this expansion, the family-owned company, which operates around the world, is not only showing its trust in the local region, but also pointing the way for the future.

For more than six decades now, MULTIVAC has left its mark on the industrial landscape of the Allgäu region. Founded in 1961 in the Lower Allgäu, this innovative company has since established itself as a leading supplier globally of packaging and processing technology, and it employs around 7,200 staff at its production sites and over 80 subsidiaries around the world. Now the company is expanding once again at its Wolfertschwenden headquarters in the Allgäu: A new state-of-the-art production factory is to be built just 800 metres away from the main site, and this will meet the needs of the market leader for its continuing growth.

The level of the company's ambition is impressive: A factory with state-of-the-art equipment, covering an area of 35,000 square metres, will be completed by the end of 2025, and it will include both a manufacturing site and a spare parts warehouse. The investment of around 60 million euros in the building, together with a further 40 million in equipment and technology, underlines the MULTIVAC Group's commitment to its future and that of the Allgäu region. 

The dynamic change in the needs of customers is one of the main drivers for the latest expansion plans. The demand for tailored turnkey line solutions from one source, instead of stand-alone machines, is growing strongly, since these line solutions encompass all the stages from processing through to packaging of food, medical or pharmaceutical products. These complete solutions, which often include product slicing, packaging, inspection, labelling and end-of-line handling, are not only very complex, but they also require a large assembly area, since the lines are frequently more than 20 metres long. Despite its considerable floor space of 90,000 square metres, the existing factory in Wolfertschwenden is now reaching the limits of its capacity. 

It is for this reason, that the manufacturing of machine components, which currently takes place in the main factory, is to be moved into the new building complex. This will create space in the main factory for the expansion of the slicer and line business, which is seeing continual growth. The new building will also have a state-of-the-art Logistics Center for spare parts, and this will significantly improve delivery times around the world: “There we will store thousands of spare parts for machines produced by the entire Group, i.e. MULTIVAC, TVI and FRITSCH. And we will also be able to dispatch spare parts, which are ordered via the Webshop, from there on the same day,” explains Dr Lau.

The new building complex with a ground floor area of 27,500 square metres comprises an area of 18,000 square metres for manufacturing, an area of 9,500 square metres for logistics, and around 3,750 square metres on the first floor for offices, a canteen and social rooms. In order to be faithful to its sustainability strategy, MULTIVAC is also planning for the new production site a wide range of measures, which will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include the use of regenerative energy sources, such as ground water for cooling the building, as well as geothermal heating systems, bio district heating, and the company's own photovoltaic equipment. 

Automation will also play a central role in the new factory: Fully automated process chains are planned for the warehouse, dispatch area and parts of the manufacturing operation. The latest technology, such as driverless transport systems and industrial robots, will serve the CNC milling machines, not only to increase production efficiency and precision, but also to counter the increasing shortage of manpower. 

“In view of demographic change, automation is no longer just an option, but also a necessity,” explains Dr Lau. “In Germany it is expected in the medium term, that annually around 400,000 more people will go into retirement, than will be replaced with a young workforce. Just as with our customers, we too have to prepare ourselves for the consequences of this demographic development. It is for this reason therefore, that we are using the latest automation technology in the new factory, so that we can increase the productivity per staff member and use our capacity more efficiently. We are also advising our customers, as to how they too can follow this path, so that they remain competitive over the long term. By making targeted investment in automation, we are not only safeguarding our own future, but also supporting that of our customers and business partners.”

By building its new production site, the MULTIVAC Group is also pointing the way for the future. “Our new factory in Wolfertschwenden is much more than just an expansion of our production space, it also underlines our commitment to innovation, sustainability and a strong economy in the Allgäu region,” emphasizes Dr Lau. “Despite certain challenges, which Germany currently faces as an industrial location, our faith in the region remains steadfast. We not only have firm roots here, we also benefit from excellent training standards and highly qualified personnel. We see our combination of global reach and local anchoring not as a contradiction, but as a strength. This new building is therefore not only an investment in sustainably successful relationships with our customers, and therefore also the future viability of the MULTIVAC Group, but also an expression of our faith in the long-term prospects here in the Allgäu.“