The company says the new plant will improve its ability to meet demands of customers across the D-A-CH region.Equipment and systems at the existing plant in Hanau-Steinheim will be relocated to Ealensee, which is less than 10 km away.
"Being a specialist for consumer packaging, displays, and strategic supply cycle solutions, it is our goal to delight our customers. Today’s changing markets mean that we need to adapt to continue to meet their requirement for high quality, competitive solutions," said Michael Lamprecht, director of sales and marketing at DS Smith l Packaging Division D-A-CH. "We are therefore investing in the latest corrugating and converting equipment, and fully-optimized logistics facilities, to provide the best possible flexibility and competitiveness for current and potential customers."
The company notes that the Hanau-Steinheim plant "has had a long and proud history," but it is located in a "mixed-zone" area, meaning that the site can no longer meet the requirements of a highly efficient industrial business model. The company adds that it also decided that the display activities of DS Smith in Germany needed to be strategically repositioned and consolidated at a central location to maximize efficiency and flexibility.For these reasons, DS Smith searched for a new location and found it on the site of the former "Fliegerhorst" in Erlensee.
Of the 87.000 square meter of land available at the new site, production and logistics facilities will cover around 40.000 square meters. There will also be presentation suites for customers, together with offices and social facilities for DS Smith employees
"With the new plant, we will strengthen our display competence, by merging all of our production under one roof. Our customers will continue to benefit from their usual contacts in sales, customer service, and solution development, but with one location we are able to reduce supply chain complexity and optimize logistics," Georg Staub, strategic business development director and project manager for the new investment, said.
DS Smith is one of the leading providers of packaging and displays in Europe. In 2012, DS Smith employed nearly 2,800 people in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The company’s packaging and display specialist‘s product portfolio includes high quality consumer packaging, intelligent transport, industrial and hazardous goods packaging, creative displays, and promotional material, as well as a broad range of consultancy services across the entire supply cycle.
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