Webasto Opens New Headquarters in Stockdorf
- First milestone in the long-term development of the site
- Building symbolizes the corporate culture and the future
Webasto, one of the 100 largest automotive suppliers, celebrated the opening of its new Administration and R&D Center in Stockdorf, close to Munich, on May 14, 2018. During the opening ceremony with business partners, owners, members of the Supervisory Board and employees present, the State Minister in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy and Technology, Franz Josef Pschierer, and Bernhard Mattes, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), gave speeches. The new building offers over 14,000 square meters of floor space and has a 5,000 square meter glass façade that incorporates a so-called shed roof, which reflects the Webasto core business sector of sliding and panorama roofs. It provides attractive and modern workplaces for 550 employees. The company has invested some 40 million euro in this building. "The building is a symbol of our corporate culture and the Webasto of the future", said Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board, Webasto SE, during the opening ceremony. "It stands for innovation and perfection, promotes networked cooperation—which is so important for us—and supports our continuous transformation", continued Engelmann.
Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs, Franz Josef Pschierer, emphasized in his speech: "I am sure that Webasto will, in future, be even better positioned to deliver innovative products and services for the electromobility sector." To promote alternative drive technologies, Bavaria intends to strengthen basic research into battery technology and improve the general conditions to allow competitive battery cell manufacture and drive the development of synthetic fuels.
In his welcoming speech, VDA President Bernhard Mattes underscored: "Webasto is synonymous with everything that characterizes the German automotive industry worldwide: innovative strength, a strong spirit of enterprise and flexibility. These virtues make the company not only a supplier, but also a partner to both its domestic and international customers." Furthermore, “Webasto also has a keen sense of what will become particularly important for the automotive industry over the coming years, allowing the company to differentiate between fundamental changes and passing fashions”, explained Mattes.
Long-term commitment to the site supports strategic corporate development
The newly opened building is the first milestone in the long-term development of the site at the company's long-established location in Stockdorf. "As a company in family ownership, we are able to actively address future trends from a solid basis and press ahead with innovative projects, thereby ensuring the long-term development and further transformation of Webasto", said Engelmann, looking into the future. Transformation, as part of the corporate culture, is reflected in the building's office concept. The multi-functional space concept, which includes the areas used by the Management Board, promotes interdisciplinary cooperation and strengthens the innovative potential of employees.
The testing unit, which has also moved into the new building, is a further innovation. Over a space of 2,000 square meters the unit offers state-of-the-art facilities which include vibration test benches, environmental chambers, a sprinkler system, a sunlight simulation and corrosion chamber and an acoustics center. It therefore meets the current requirements of Webasto customers while simultaneously focusing on the future.
Facts and figures about the building:
Three office levels with
- 550 ergonomic workplaces
- Central communication areas
- Over 30 conference rooms
- More than 50 think tanks
High level of energy efficiency
- Dedicated cogeneration unit with compression cooling system
- Integrated heating and cooling system with concrete core activation
- In addition: cooling using a 23-meter-deep groundwater well
- Optimum insulation (e.g. triple glazing)
- Energy-saving lighting technology
Conclusion: 20 percent lower energy consumption compared with similar new buildings
