Wacker Neuson opens new compact equipment factory

Wacker Neuson started production at its new compact equipment factory in Linz, Austria, in the first half of May. The facility represents a €65 million investment by the company.

The Hörsching plant replaces the existing factory at Leonding - both are in Linz - and will produce machines up to 14 t weight, including excavators, compact loaders and site dumpers.

The first compact excavator produced at the plant, a Wacker Neuson 3503, was handed over to the local municipality in Hörsching.

Martin Lehner, deputy chairman of the management board of Wacker Neuson, who is responsible for compact equipment, said the factory would help Wacker meet demand; "Given the increasing demand for our own products, plus the cooperation with Caterpillar for the production of excavators of up to 3 t, we were being pushed to our capacity limits."

The relocation was undertaken in two weeks in May, with almost 1000 lorry loads required to transfer administrative and production departments to the new facility. Gert Reichetseder and Johannes Mahringer, managing directors of Wacker Neuson Linz, said the transfer had been a "logistical masterpiece".

The 17 hectare site is close to Linz airport and comprises a 48300 m2 covered area. There are six assembly lines, an in-house testing ground, paint shop with powder coating and a sandblasting unit, along with an office building.

It also has an in-house apprentice workshop, testing area and a service workshop for training purposes. "In the first step, we created around 200 new jobs, and we are currently employing 520 persons," said Mr Reichetseder.