The new BENNINGHOVEN product philosophy
New BENNINGHOVEN asphalt mixing plants incorporate a great deal of what BENNINGHOVEN has learnt about asphalt production and mixing plants since the 1960s. During this time, the company has developed on a continuous basis and is now one of the global leaders in the field.
Combined since summer 2018 with the world’s most state-of-the-art factory for manufacturing asphalt mixing plants, the company can offer customers the best possible solutions when it comes to producing asphalt economically and to the highest standards, with a concept based on components with modular combination options.
Made in Germany! This is an approach that BENNINGHOVEN has followed for over a century.
From modest beginnings as a workshop, it has grown into a global player with sites in Mülheim an der Mosel and Wittlich. A further milestone was reached in 2014 with the company’s integration into the WIRTGEN GROUP. The WIRTGEN GROUP has been part of John Deere since the end of 2017. These developments further increase the strength of BENNINGHOVEN as an employer.
This year, success reached a high point with the opening of the world’s most state-of-the-art factory for manufacturing asphalt mixing plants in Wittlich.
Over €130 million was invested in this construction project. The goal was not only to retain the jobs, but also to create new jobs going into the future, thus allowing the company to grow in the medium and long term while simultaneously making BENNINGHOVEN into a global market leader.
This project is the largest single investment in the history of the WIRTGEN GROUP (>€100 million) and is a clear commitment to Germany as a production location, to Rhineland-Palatinate, to the region and also to the town of Wittlich. The new plant is a logical and necessary step in strengthening the company’s competitive position at a global level.
After exactly one year and eleven months, all of the around 800 BENNINGHOVEN employees moved into the new factory in Wittlich on 30 July 2018.
At the same time, BENNINGHOVEN also made a detailed analysis of the existing product portfolio and created a completely new product architecture, thus ensuring the company is perfectly positioned for exploring and serving new markets in future. The further implementation of SAP was thus a logical consequence in order to map and implement these defined processes.
For the first time in its history, the WIRTGEN GROUP is now able to offer customers everything from a single source, from mining of the material, asphalt production, laying and compaction all the way through to the milling and recycling of old road materials. With the additional construction machines from John Deere, Wirtgen can now boast an unbeatable team in the field of road construction.
The new product philosophy in a nutshell
- Completely new variance in expansion phases and the configuration of mixing plants
- Top quality thanks to high manufacturing standards (e.g. powder coating)
- User-friendly ergonomics and maintenance concept
- Short project implementation times, short set-up times
- Minimal construction required, short delivery times
FACTS AND FIGURES
Timeline
- Ground-breaking ceremony 31 August 2016
- Laying of the foundation stone 11 April 2017
- Topping-out ceremony 18 October 2017
- Start of operation 30 July 2018
- Construction time of exactly one year and eleven months
Facts and figures
- Investment of 130 million euros
- 800 employees
- 62 apprentices (as of August 2018)
- 310,000 m² total site area
- 120,000 m² paved area
- 60,000 m² hall area
- 12,000 m² administration building spanning five floors
- 400,000 m³ earth moved
- 8 to 9 m height difference across the site
- Approx. 300 workers on the construction site daily
Comfort at work
- Ergonomic workstations
- Adjustable tables and comfortable chairs
- A training course will be held on the subject of ergonomics.
- Protection against exposure
- In pre-fabrication, a state-of-the-art layer ventilation system from Kappa is used together with additional extraction systems on hand-held welding equipment to ensure employees are better protected against exposure.
Sustainability
- LED lighting with presence detector: The lights go out if nobody is in the room, which thus saves electricity.
- Modern surface technology: Where paint coats are currently used, powder coating is used almost exclusively at the new factory. This allows solvents as used currently to be eliminated almost completely.
- Heat exchange: The hot air extracted from the hall is cleaned using filters. The energy generated from the hot air is returned to the air circulation.
Apprentices
Training workshops: The apprentices can look forward to facilities equipped with the latest technology and all apprentices will also benefit from their own training space for theoretical courses, preparing for exams, control technology and for carrying out events.
The azubiday was one of the important events held at the apprentice workshop this year. Under the motto “The future is waiting”, BENNINGHOVEN held its azubiday for the third time. With around 250 registered guests, the event took place for the first time in the new factory, for the first time in Wittlich and for the first time in these new dimensions.
