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All wrapped up and ready to move forward March 2004. SIG Combibloc is investing in the future. In order to cover the growing demand and to react quickly and flexibly to customer needs, additional carton production units are currently being built in Wittenberg and Linnich (Germany). Another production facility is being developed in Riad (Saudi Arabia). With its decision to expand packaging material production for aseptic beverage cartons, the board of directors of SIG is setting a clear signal and focusing on the growing drinks market. In the SIG Combibloc production plants, the packaging material for aseptic beverage cartons is coated, printed, cut, creased and sealed. The finished, flat carton sleeves are then transported to the customers' plants where they are filled aseptically with juices, milk or sauces in SIG Combibloc filling machines. In addition to expanding shifts, a total of approximately Euro 100 million will be invested in the German production sites in Linnich (three production plants at present) and Wittenberg (one production plant at present). Wittenberg: High-performance plant for large-volume cartons The construction of a new plant building in Wittenberg is in full swing. The new plant will eventually incorporate two flexible final production lines for creasing and sealing already coated and printed packaging materials. The first new final production line is scheduled to begin operation at the end of July 2004. As soon as the new building is completed, a second construction phase will create space for an additional printing machine. The second new final production line as well as the printing machine will start operation in autumn 2005. In January 1994, the plant in Saxony-Anhalt started packaging material production with 130 employees after a one-year construction phase. Around eleven billion beverage cartons – primarily medium- and large-sized formats – have left the plant since. Expanding the shift system led not only to a rise in the quantity produced, but also to rapid growth of the workforce. The number of employees at the Wittenberg site rose by around 30 percent to 325 employees in the last two years. SIG Combibloc expects to employ 375 people in the beverage carton production plant in Wittenberg by year-end. With the completion of the new building, the total built-up area at Wittenberg will be around 48,000 square metres. Adequate space is also available to implement the option of adding printing and coating units to the new final production line. As a result of this investment, the production plant in Wittenberg will become a high-performance plant for large-volume cartons in the medium- and large-sized range. Linnich: production loaction for all formats Production capacity will be increased significantly also in Linnich. This will initially be achieved by expanding the shifts and by integrating an additional final production line and a new printing machine in the existing buildings. While the new line is scheduled to be started up in summer, the new printing machine will begin operation already in spring 2004. In addition, the board of directors of SIG recently approved an investment in another coating plant in Linnich. This decision was mainly driven by the expected volume requirements and Linnich’s central location. Rolls coated in Linnich can be processed locally and supplied to other SIG Combibloc plants. This investment requires the construction of a new production building. The new coating plant is planned to be started up in early 2006. The switchover to continuous operation and the expanded production capacity will lead to strong workforce growth in Linnich. With the start of the new production units, the number of employees at SIG Combibloc GmbH in Linnich will most likely rise from 1,380 at the beginning of 2003 to around 1,585 at year-end 2004. “The expanded production capacities in Linnich put us in an excellent position for tackling the challenges of the future. The approval of these investments once again reflects the board of directors’ confidence in the capabilities of the Linnich plant which looks back on several decades of efficient production for all formats and sizes,” says the management of SIG Combibloc GmbH. The investments in Linnich also include an expansion of the training centre in order to ensure that forward-looking innovations such as the combishape packaging system can be supported by high-quality training in the future. By year-end 2004, a new 700 square metre hall will be fitted with four filling lines. These lines will exclusively be used to train SIG Combibloc employees and customer employees. In addition, the new building will comprise six variable-size seminar rooms and a number of staff rooms. SIG Combibloc is also constructing a further packaging plant for the production of aseptic cartons in Riad, Saudia Arabia. SIG Combibloc operates as a joint venture with the Saudi Arabian Obeikan Investment Group in the Middle Eastern markets. The packaging plant is scheduled to start operation at the beginning of 2005. Download Media Release 040311 Your contact: Heike Thevis – Press Officer SIG Combibloc GmbH Rurstrasse 58, D-52441 Linnich, Germany Tel: +49 2462 79 2608 Fax: +49 2462 79 17 2608 E-mail: heike.thevis@sig.biz SIG Combibloc is one of the world's leading systems suppliers of aseptic beverage cartons and filling machines. Employing approx. 3,900 people, the company recorded a turnover of EUR 1.058 million in 2003. SIG Combibloc is a division of SIG Holding AG, Neuhausen am Rheinfall. News overview >> |
