Construction project at Vlotho-Exter operation

The Hettich Group is increasing its production capacities for hinges in Vlotho-Exter, Germany. The turf was cut on 8 July 2016 to expand and optimise production as part of the group's growth strategy. It is investing € 10 million.

The construction project will involve three building phases: First, the new production building will be constructed with a gross floor area of around 7,000 sq.m. by the end of 2016. This first construction phase will not only extend production facilities but also provide a new technical service centre for sprinkler, compressed-air and ventilation systems. Once the new supply services have been completed and connected up, work will start on taking down the existing technical centre with the prominent chimney from the building's previous usage. As part of intelligently reorganising incoming and outgoing goods, this will be followed by the second and third building phases, adding a further gross floor area totalling 2,500 sq.m. in 2017.

The reinforced concrete floor slab will provide the base for a highly insulated engineered timber frame construction with slightly sloping flat roof. On the external walls, in the form of a partly open timber frame construction, as well as on the centre axis made of fixed vertical steel supports, 54 trussed laminated timber beams will carry the visible rafter structure.

As a construction material of unrivalled sustainability in terms of primary energy, timber also determines the atmosphere inside the building, which is flooded by natural daylight, and creates outstanding workplace qualities for Hettich staff working at the Vlotho-Exter site.

The construction project is being built to a high energy efficiency and ecological standard, falling well within the requirements of the German energy saving ordinance from 2014 and greatly reducing running costs for the user. Completion of the extension is planned for the end of 2017.