Recaro Aircraft Seating breaks ground on new expansion project at the headquarters in Schwaebisch Hall
The new buildings are part of the space2grow expansion strategy and encompass a new customer service area, a flame lab and crash facility
The area under construction comprises of 24,000 square meters and features 19,000 square meters of building construction, around 190 parking spaces, and a bike rack for about 60 bikes. Designed by Maja Djordjevic-Müller and Siegfried Müller of Bürogemeinschaft mdm Architekten, the expansion project creates an optimal working environment for all Recaro staff members through sustainable and modern industrial infrastructure. Construction kicked off in December 2019 and is slated for completion in summer 2021.
The customer service area will improve operational processes by connecting all production, administration and logistic areas via a central meeting axis.
Scheduled for a spring 2021 launch, the new flame lab will ramp up the facility’s testing capabilities by seamlessly integrating the fire test chambers with the flame certification tests.
By 2021, the new crash facility will be able to run 300 dynamic crash tests a year at the site for the certification and development of passenger seats . Additional technical features include:
- A modern Instron crash catapult, with a force of 2 MegaNewton and a 40m track length
- 2 preparation rooms for the setup and post processing of test seats
- Dummy laboratory with 10 crash-test-dummy with integrated sensor to analyze possible injury criterion
- Pyrotechnical static inflation test room for the development of modern retention systems
The new building will be designed as a KfW-Effizienzhaus 55-standard. Recaro is thus taking an important step towards energy efficiency and a sustainable, as well as resource-saving future in building operation. This will be achieved via measures including energy-efficient solar shades and the integration of the district heating to improve the end-use of energy.
“We are proud to be a family-owned company with a long-term corporate strategy,” said Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO and Shareholder of Recaro Aircraft Seating. “For us, this means repeatedly identifying investment opportunities for the future in order to secure and sustainably expand Recaro's growth. Our expansion strategy space2grow strengthens our commitment to our Schwaebisch Hall headquarters.”
The groundbreaking ceremony on December 5 featured remarks from Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO and Shareholder of Recaro Aircraft Seating, Gerhard Bauer, County Commissioner, as well as Hermann-Josef Pelgrim, Mayor of Schwaebisch Hall. Also in attendance was Martin Putsch, Shareholder and CEO of the Recaro Holding, as well as Schwaebisch Hall city officials, Maja Djordjevic-Müller and Siegfried Müller of Bürogemeinschaft mdm Architekten, media, and Recaro team members.
Recaro Aircraft Seating is looking towards a confident future. For the first time in company history, Recaro has earned more than €600 million in revenue by October 2019.
Our picture shows from left to right: Jochen Wohlers, Peter Müller, Martin Putsch, Hermann-Josef Pelgrim, Maja Djordjevic-Müller, Martin Löffelad, Mark Hiller, Gerhard Bauer, Siegfried Müller, Joachim Ley
