Ground-breaking ceremony at BENNINGHOVEN

This project is the largest single investment (over EUR 100m) in the history of the WIRTGEN GROUP, and is a clear commitment to Germany as a production location, to Rhineland-Palatinate, to the region and also to the town of Wittlich. The new factory is a logical and necessary step towards strengthening the company’s position as a global competitor. The company can no longer meet growing demand with its current production capacity.

BENNINGHOVEN’s integration into Wirtgen Group’s sales and service network has been completed successfully in Europe and Australia, and the company will now pursue the successive development of other international markets over the next few years. More than ever before, all the signs point to growth.

The WIRTGEN GROUP is investing in a brand new factory at the Wittlich site to handle an increasing volume of orders as well as a long-term strategy that aims to make Benninghoven one of the world’s leading companies.

As a company, BENNINGHOVEN has grown organically, and currently produces its mobile, transportable and stationary asphalt mixing plants, mastic asphalt mixers and granulators at two sites in Mülheim an der Mosel and Wittlich. Plants for the production of rolled and mastic asphalt, and technologies for the recycling of old road surfaces. The new factory will bring these two sites together under one roof. The geographical circumstances at the two old locations offered no opportunities for expansion. Concentrating the entire production chain – from pre-fabrication to final assembly – in one place guarantees optimized production processes.

Another key factor in the choice of location was its proximity to the existing facilities. The company has not only announced its intention to protect the jobs of its highly skilled staff, but also plans to create new jobs in the future and expects the workforce to increase to 1,000 over the medium and long term.

The aim is to establish a state-of-the-art factory, built around the very latest production systems featuring lean management approaches and Industrie 4.0 technologies, and with a particular emphasis on workplace quality, including the installation of ergonomic workstations in all units as well as modern ventilation systems and natural lighting, to name just a few aspects.

The 333,000 square meters of land at the site will be used to construct a 46,000 sqm production facility plus a five-floor office building covering 12,000 sqm of space. The generous dimensions of the new main factory will perfectly accommodate the component sizes of the asphalt mixing plants, which are up to 50 m tall. As a company focused on growth, BENNINGHOVEN has already included possible expansion phases in the planning.

BENNINGHOVEN has been a specialist manufacturer of asphalt mixing plants for over 50 years. As a company with a long tradition, BENNINGHOVEN prioritizes both quality and innovation. From standard designs to bespoke projects, BENNINGHOVEN can offer plant solutions suitable for any market requirements.

With its unique innovations in the field of asphalt mixing and combustion technology, Benninghoven has long been seen as an industry pioneer. Today, the company’s approach to doing business is still guided by its pioneering spirit, backed by long tradition, advanced technologies and a team of highly specialized employees. From steel construction to the development of complex control systems – BENNINGHOVEN develops and manufactures all core components in house.

Today’s ground-breaking ceremony marks the start of the excavation work, with over 400,000 m³ of earth to be removed, followed by building construction work in the new year, so the moving lorries can be on the road early in 2018. The first asphalt mixing plants will then be produced in Wittlich Wengerohr from spring 2018 onwards.

Mülheim/Wittlich, 31 August 2016