Inauguration of a modern plastic injection-moulding plant near the A2 motorway

Following the inauguration, production in the new, sustainable and renewable energy-oriented plastics plant at the Aurea Industrial Park is now ready to start. “We are delighted to be able to celebrate the official opening and commissioning today, after a record-breaking construction period of just under one and a half years”, explains Sebastian P. Brandenburg, Managing Partner of the Craemer Group. He adds that this was another extraordinary milestone in the company’s 111-year history. Together with his brother Christoph J. Brandenburg, who is also Managing Partner, and Managing Director Siegbert Geldner, he welcomed several high-ranking representatives of the federal state, neighbouring companies and municipalities, as well as business partners and employees in a joint introduction.

In a video message, Hendrik Wüst (from the Christian Democrats), Minister President of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia paid tribute to the Craemer Group, which, together with other family-owned and medium-sized companies, contributes to making North Rhine-Westphalia the most important industrial region in Europe. “For more than a century, Craemer has been firmly rooted in the region. That’s because you have always shown courage and responsibility. For more than 100 years, you have invested in secure, qualified jobs, in competitive quality products – and thus in the future of your region, of our country and in its people”, Wüst says, adding: “You are the living proof: Yes, it is worth working and investing here, with us, in North Rhine-Westphalia."

Karin Rodeheger, Mayoress of the City of Oelde, conveyed greetings on behalf of the three municipalities involved in the intermunicipal industrial park, i.e. for Herzebrock-Clarholz, Oelde and Rheda-Wiedenbrück. On behalf of the machine supplier, the Engel Group in Schwertberg (Austria), Dr Stefan Engleder, CEO, and Christopher Vitz, Regional President Europe Central, delivered their best wishes for the new plant and expressed their gratitude for the 25-year business partnership. In his presentation, architect Dr Mathias Eisenmenger gave an insight into the construction project and Ralf Westermann, Head of Facility Design & Provision at Craemer, presented the energy concept. During a tour, the guests explored the site and the plastic products on display.

A 17-hectare site with sufficient space for expansion

The new building is located about ten kilometres south of the company’s headquarters and main site. This construction project became essential due to the lack of expansion possibilities in the town of Herzebrock-Clarholz. In the spring of 2021, the Craemer Group acquired an approximately 17-hectare plot of land with sufficient space for expansion space near the A2 motorway at the approximately 80-hectare Aurea Industrial park, which belongs to the municipalities of Oelde, Rheda-Wiedenbrück and Herzebrock-Clarholz. Construction works started in autumn 2021.

The premises in Herzebrock-Clarholz were purchased by company founder Paul Craemer in 1923, when the company – originally founded in 1912 in the town centre – reached its limits there. Over the decades, the company’s larger site on the B64 main road to Rheda-Wiedenbrück has grown to around 18 hectares. Today, this area is largely occupied by the three business divisions of metal forming, plastics processing and tool making, as well as a modern technology centre with its own research and development department. After exactly 100 years, the Craemer Group occupies an area of almost the same size at Aurea – at 17 hectares, the largest plot in the industrial park.

Now completed and operational, this modern plastic injection-moulding plant at Aurea comprises an 18,000 square-metre production and warehouse hall that is up to 16 metres high, with an integrated office and social tract. It is surrounded by 10,000 square-metres of paved outdoor area for outdoor storage, lorry bypasses and manoeuvring areas, as well as a car and lorry parking site. Twelve 27.5-metre-high silos (each with a diameter of 4.2 metres) in the outdoor area provide the supply with plastic granulate, and the foundation is designed for a further six silos.

The production hall currently houses five injection moulding machines with capacities ranging from 3,200 to 5,500 tonnes. An extruder produces high-quality recyclate from discarded Craemer plastic products, and three welding machines for new products will soon be installed. The initial 50 or so new jobs will primarily produce pallets and pallet boxes made from high-quality polyethylene (PE). With further growth ahead, the hall will be able to accommodate two more large injection-moulding machines.

Renewable energies for power supply

As plastic injection-moulding production is very energy-intensive process, the company is looking to renewable energy sources to power the new site. There are plans to build a wind turbine with a total height of around 250 metres. The annual output of the plant is expected to be 16.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity (equivalent to the demand of 5,000 households), with excess capacity to be used at the headquarters in Herzebrock-Clarholz. Following the submission of the expert assessments at the end of 2022, the approval of the building authorities of the district of Warendorf is now required. Nine wind turbines are already in operation on Aurea, and the Craemer Group expects to start operating its wind turbine from 2025.

In addition to wind power, Craemer will also be using solar energy at the new site in the foreseeable future. Photovoltaic systems are planned for the open space below the future wind turbine and on the entire roof of the production hall. The entire new building complies with KfW-55, the standard for energy-efficient houses developed by the KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau; German reconstruction loan corporation). Energy-efficient houses are considered to be particularly environmentally friendly,  consuming only 55 per cent of the energy of a conventional new building. “When everything is in place, the total investment in the new site will be a high double-digit million figure,” concludes Christoph J. Brandenburg.