The principle of sustainable investment

On the first weekend in March 2009, the grand opening of the new production facility of Hess AAC was celebrated in Enschede. Over 500 visitors attended the inauguration event, which also included an exhibition of the currently produced equipment range.

In July 2006, Hess Group acquired the Dutch company Stork Bouwtechniek, which had been doing business in the autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) market since the 1960s. Initially, the supplier had focused on the production, assembly and maintenance of manufacturing equipment delivered to globally active AAC market leaders. This is why the company has gained specific experience and expertise in designing equipment and machinery for the AAC industry. To date, HESS has installed several production lines for customers, and has become the hallmark of sound craftsmanship, technical expertise and quality worldwide. The heavy-duty machines consist of premium components and come at a competitive price.
At the Enschede site, the technology provider company currently employs over 100 people. Until October 2008, the company had been located in Hengelo, which is only a few kilometers away from the new site. Since the manufacturing capacity had reached its limits, the company decided to invest and build a significantly larger new factory. The decision in favor of the industrial area in Enschede was then made relatively quickly as these premises offered unrivaled advantages: The company could retain its permanent employees and purchase a well-suited plot of land from the City of Enschede. The support provided by the municipality during the permit application and construction process was more than helpful. The travel routes of employees to and from work have remained almost the same, which makes this decision a true example of a sustainable company culture. The building was designed just as intelligently since the structure chosen preserves the option of adding another office floor and a third factory bay.
While this division of Hess accounted for only a minor part of total group sales in 2006, i.e. the year of the acquisition, the Dutch business already made a major contribution to total sales last year. This year, the company intends to repeat the good result of last year. Due to its full order books, the business has every reason to be confident to achieve this goal. Managing Director Ralf Beier welcomed the attendees in a brief introductory speech. The event was attended by suppliers, employees of the company’s banks, insurance brokers and, as a matter of course, many customers from the international AAC industry. First and foremost, the Managing Director of AAC thanked the municipality for the dedicated support provided to the construction project, which enabled smooth progress of the work. Also, he referred to the trust the bank had put in Hess AAC, which made it possible to raise the required funds. Amidst the global financial crisis, this point is certainly worthy of note. He also extended his gratitude to the customers whose trust in Hess and its products made the new project necessary in the first place. He wished the members of his team and himself a good year of 2009 and a prosperous future.
Following this introduction, the “Wethouder of Enschede” (City Councilor), Eric Helder, spoke cheerful words. On behalf of the municipality, he expressed his gratitude and joy about the fact that the successful, globally active business stayed in the region. This means that the highly skilled employees that HESS AAC could take over will be retained at the site, and remain on the company’s payroll. Since the Enschede region is to become a high-tech region, such specialized providers need to be closely linked to the area. In this regard, the proximity to the renowned Twente University will create just another benefit for Hess AAC.
Already in the morning, the company had opened its factory gates to present the newly built production facility to the invitees. The exhibition showed almost all components required to set up an autoclaved aerated concrete production line. These included:
» Reinforcement assembly wagon
» Reinforcement manipulator
» Reinforcement dipping bath » Green separator
» Tilting manipulator
» Back-tilting table
» Multifunctional unloading manipulator
» Pre-cutter
» Vertical cutter and profiling
» Horizontal cutter
» Cross-cutter and handgrip milling
» Tilting table (packaging line)
The visitors were especially interested in the back-tilting table and green concrete separator, which are components that are characteristic of Hess lines. A video was shown in the production facility to demonstrate the manufacture of autoclaved aerated concrete on a HESS line. This video presented on a large flat screen was yet another attraction for the audience. In addition, the associated laboratory provided many useful insights. This area of the factory serves the company’s customers by providing them with technical advice and consultancy services in the AAC production line ramp-up phase or when having to make decisions regarding the selection of the most appropriate raw materials. Among other systems, the laboratory equipment includes units to analyze raw materials, a laboratory-scale mixer, an aggregate processing unit (crusher, jar mill, ball mill etc.), a laboratory autoclave system, heating furnaces, a cube cutter and a press.
Moreover, the suppliers Lahti Precision, the partner for mixing and dosing and mixer control systems, and Addinol Lube Oil GmbH, the partner for oils and lubricants, took part in the event with small stands set up in the production facility.    [aj]