On course for growth

Thermokon, which currently has around 260 employees at its headquarters in Mittenaar, had been lacking space for some time. The company had responded to the rapid growth in sales figures by maintaining production and warehousing facilities at two locations in Mittenaar and a third in Herborn.

Around ten years after opening its headquarters, the sensor technology specialist decided to make another major investment and acquired a 54,000 square metre site in the neighbouring town of Bischoffen. Within just ten months, a production facility of around 11,300 square metres was built there, with a production hall of almost 6,000 square metres, a warehouse of around 3,700 square metres, social and office areas and over 250 parking spaces. With photovoltaic systems on the roof of the hall, charging points for electric cars and parking spaces for bicycles, the new site is also consistently designed for sustainability.

Thermokon owner and Managing Director Harald Zygan emphasises: ‘The decision in favour of Bischoffen is a commitment to “Quality made in Germany” and to the region in which we have our roots. The measure not only recognises our successful development to date, but also lays the foundation for future growth. We are also utilising the increase in our capacities to considerably simplify our logistics. The spatial consolidation ensures short, efficient routes and thus also creates added value for Thermokon's customers.’

Outstanding work by employees and partners

Production at the new site, which is just two kilometres from the company's headquarters in Mittenaar, has been running since the beginning of January. The fact that the ambitious schedule could be met is not only due to the good cooperation with regional partners during the construction phase, but also to the commitment of the employees. ‘Our employees did an outstanding job both during the relocation and after the start of the production process in Bischoffen,’ reports Production Manager Thomas Seyfarth. ‘They quickly familiarised themselves with the new conditions and processes so that there were no teething problems. It is not a matter of course for a project of this size to run so smoothly. We can be proud of that.’

3 million euros for the expansion of the machinery

Thermokon's administration, including the development and product management departments, are still located at the headquarters in Mittenaar. This will remain the case in the future. The focus of the relocation, which affects production, logistics and quality control, is on optimising processes and expanding production and delivery capacities.

Around 3 million euros of the total investment went into extensive expansion and modernisation measures. To increase the production volume, the production facility was equipped with a third assembly line, which assembles the PCBs with SMD components at high speed. ESD-protected workstations and a special floor prevent the formation of electrostatic effects that could jeopardise the functionality of the components. Ergonomic workstations in the newly installed production islands also ensure the well-being of employees.

Thermokon has also invested extensively in warehousing. In order to be able to respond quickly and flexibly to customer requests even when demand increases, the company set up a modern high-bay warehouse that significantly increases the previous capacity. The finished goods warehouse was also expanded.

Increased customer satisfaction

According to Harald Zygan, the positive effects are already evident. ‘By merging the locations, we can react much more flexibly. The increased warehousing is also already proving its worth; our customers are very satisfied. The outstanding team performance in particular has made a significant contribution to this. We have them to thank for the fact that the move went completely unnoticed by our customers.’