Bamberg
Foundation stone ceremony at Brose Bamberg
The foundation stone for the new administrative building of international automotive supplier Brose was laid today in Bamberg. The ceremony was held on the Breitenau site in the presence of guests from local government and industry. Brose Group shareholders and executive board members, Bamberg’s mayor Andreas Starke, and architect Peter Hesse filled a time capsule with construction plans, coins, a current newspaper and a copy of the company's own staff magazine, and the capsule was embedded in the foundation stone.
“Our decision to construct a new building in Bamberg is not just an investment in the future of our company, but also strengthens Germany as an industrial location and demonstrates our commitment to the Franconia region,” says Jürgen Otto, CEO of the Brose Group. “Our new administrative building will bring 600 Brose employees to this World Heritage town. With a total of just under 2,000 employees, Bamberg and Hallstadt form the second largest Brose location in Germany and the third largest in the world,” he says.
The Mayor of Bamberg, Andreas Starke, emphasizes Brose’s importance for the regional economy: “It is not just the construction industry and tradesmen who will benefit from this investment project worth over 50 million euros,” he says. “This welcome project will send a message that will have important positive implications for the general development of our town and will create key long-term incentives.”
During the first stage of the project, which is due for completion by the end of 2015, an administrative building will be erected on the 75,000 m2 site. “Brose’s global business has been growing for years. Because of the ongoing market success of our products, we are expecting our business volume to continue to grow in the future, especially in North America and China. To allow for the increasing significance of our global activities, we are bringing together our important group functions in Bamberg at a site with long-term prospects,” explains Otto.
The new complex, which will provide around 18,000 m2 of office space, will house some of the Brose Group’s technical and commercial units. In 2013, the company’s central purchasing department sourced materials, services and capital equipment worth approximately 3.6 billion euros from around 1000 suppliers worldwide. Brose’s central IT department, currently based in Coburg, will also be relocating to Bamberg, and Brose will be setting up a new data center – an important requirement for supporting the company’s expected future growth. The new administrative buildingwill also house the group’s central development function.
Optimum working conditions
As with all Brose locations, the aim in Bamberg is to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. The basis for this is provided by the Brose Working World, a system first introduced in 2001. Bamberg will see the first implementation of an improved version of this office system, which is based on fast communications, short distances and transparency. The new concept is more closely oriented towards the need for international activities. Elements like desk sharing, meeting zones and product spaces promote intensive collaboration and global project management. As well as providing optimum working conditions, the Bamberg site will offer a broad range of social, health and sports activities to enable the employees to combine work and family life.
Brose decided to establish a site in Bamberg more than two years ago, based on an analysis of the future prospects of its Coburg, Würzburg and Bamberg sites. The factors in favor of the World Heritage town were its good infrastructure, positive population dynamics and attractiveness. The convenient transport connections between the south of Coburg and the north of Bamberg presented a significant advantage for visitors, employees and commuters, as did the site’s proximity to the Brose plant in Hallstadt. The constructive, professional nature of the company’s collaboration with those in positions of political responsibility at town and regional level also influenced the decision.
Successful partnership
Brose has been active in the Bamberg area for nearly 30 years. Hallstadt is the headquarters of the Brose door systems business division, which generated sales of 2.4 billion euros worldwide in 2013. The Hallstadt plant produces door systems and window regulators for BMW, Audi, VW and other car manufacturers.
Brose plays an important role in the regional economy, employing 1500 people in the Bamberg area. A further 600 people are employed by its suppliers. The purchasing power from the net earnings of these employees amounts to 60 million euros and helps support local trade, commerce and service companies.In addition, the automotive supplier believes it has a duty to play an active part in shaping the communities in which it operates. Brose has been the primary sponsor of Bamberg’s professional basketball team since 2006 and the team bears the Brose name. In 2013 the company expanded its involvement by acquiring shares in the club and the right to use the company name on the Brose Arena. The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra has also enjoyed the support of this family-owned company for many years. The Chairman of the Brose Group, Michael Stoschek, is chairman of the board of trustees of the Bamberg World Heritage Foundation, and supports various cultural and social projects in a private capacity.