Sindelfingen/Schkeuditz, 10/04/2013. 

•           Construction of new buidlings to house production, the warehouse and dispatch

•           More space for training apprentices

•           Successful conversion of production to NEW ECOLINE

With the expansion of the Schkeuditz facilities, the BITZER Group is underlining its ties to production in Germany.

In close proximity to the main factory, buildings are being erected to house production, the warehouse and dispatch on a 16,000 m2 plot of land, for which BITZER signed the purchase agreement at the end of February 2013. In addition to social spaces and offices, the company is creating a new training workshop on the top floors. The existing capacities can no longer accommodate demand – in the future, three instructors will be able to train up to 32 apprentices. Alongside construction of the new buildings, the main factory in Schkeuditz is being renovated to expand production as well as office and canteen space. Estimated at €30 million, construction should be completed by the end of 2016. ‘This investment will allow us to create a basis on which to achieve further growth in Schkeuditz. This is also an important sign for our employees,’ explains Factory Manager Frank Fuhlbrück.

In 1991, BITZER took over production of refrigeration compressors from Maschinen- und Apparatebau (MAB) Schkeuditz with its then 180 employees. The site now employs 700 people. As a center of expertise for reciprocating compressors, the location plays a key role in the full conversion of production to the NEW ECOLINE series, which was carried out on 1 April 2013. The compressors are now more versatile and, except for R134a, available for many more refrigerants. They boast higher energy efficiency and increased cooling capacity and every ECOLINE is compatible with its predecessor and can be installed in existing systems.

The BITZER Group is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigeration compressors with sales companies and production sites for reciprocating, screw and scroll compressors as well as pressure vessels all over the globe. In 2012, 3,046 employees generated sales of €639 million.

 Bird’s-eye view of the Schkeuditz location of BITZER Kühlmaschinenbau GmbH (image: BITZER)

Refrigerant fittings augment product portfolio

BITZER SE takes over Armaturenwerk Altenburg

Sindelfingen|Altenburg, 11 January 2013. BITZER SE, Sindelfingen, has taken over the long-established company Armaturenwerk Altenburg GmbH (AWA) based in Germany, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2013. The acquisition was approved by the Federal Cartel Office on

20 December 2012. Chief Procurement Officer Jürgen Kleiner explains, ‘By taking over Europe’s leading manufacturer of refrigerant fittings we have secured a supply to our manufacturing sites worldwide, and expanded our product portfolio. Our customers will from now on benefit from a complete range from a single supplier – all in the familiar BITZER quality.’

AWA, which was founded in 1879, produces and sells valves, sight glasses, solder adapters, flanges and fittings for refrigeration and air conditioning systems worldwide. The company generates a turnover of around €23 million with a total of 200 employees. Forty-five percent of its products are exported to the European Union, the USA, China, Brazil and Russia. ‘The AWA, FAS and Hans Nobis brands which the company markets will be retained, all of which stand for exceptional quality and reliability,’ comments Jürgen Kleiner.

New managing directors of the BITZER subsidiary will be long-standing AWA employees Diana Schubert and Günter Schuboth. Jürgen Kleiner continues, ‘Both of them enjoy our complete trust and will provide continuity both within the company and to the outside world.’ The previous owner,

Karl-Fritz Jordan (67), is leaving the company for personal reasons. Jordan made the business successful within just a decade, multiplying its turnover from three million (2002) to the current level of 23 million euros. Jordan says that selling AWA to BITZER secures a promising future for the Altenburg-based company. BITZER plans to expand and develop the location very soon. A neighboring property has already been purchased from the local council. ‘We are extending the production facilities and planning a logistics center which will ensure fast, flexible delivery,’ says Jürgen Kleiner.

The BITZER Group is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigerant compressors with sales companies and production sites for reciprocating, screw, and scroll compressors as well as pressure vessels all over the globe. In 2011, 2,966 employees generated sales of 632 million euros.

BITZER SE takes over Armaturenwerk Altenburg, Germany