Production relocation to the Czech Republic
In December 2023 we informed all KÖCO colleagues, customers and business partners for the first time about our major project to relocate our welding stud production from Ennepetal to our Czech production site in Zacler. Six months on, we would like to provide an update concerning the progress of the project and inform about the background of the production relocation.
Reasons for the production relocation
The relocation of the welding stud production to Zacler is a strategic step to organise KÖCO's production capacities more efficiently and therefore more economically at just one location.
By relocating, we not only want to reduce our production costs, but also strengthen our competitiveness on the international market in the long term.
3D-view of the new production hall in Zacler, Czech Republic
Current project status, June 2024
We are pleased to be well on schedule with our project. The most important details concerning the project status are the following:
- Construction work: The necessary construction work in Zacler has begun, including demolition work.
- Staff development: The recruitment of experienced staff for production operations, quality assurance and purchasing is proceeding according to plan, and the familiarization phase in the various areas has already begun.
- Machine relocation: The dismantling and the relocation of two presses in Ennepetal is planned for July 2024. These will then be used in the new production hall in Zacler.
- Parallel production: Production on the remaining presses in Ennepetal will continue until 31 March 2025 to ensure delivery readiness.
- Logistics relocation: The relocation of our logistics site is planned for November 2024. The ability to deliver our standard products is of course still guaranteed.
View of the construction site in Zacler
Outlook
According to the current project status, the regular stud welding production in our new, modern production hall in Zacler is scheduled to start on 1 January 2025. An extensive test run is planned for mid-November 2024.
We are proud of the project's progress to date and would like to thank our dedicated teams at both sites for their outstanding work. Their support and the many good wishes for the successful realization of the project confirm that we are on the right track.
Do you have any questions about the project? Then we look forward to hearing from you!
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