Investment in the future: Austrian fire engine manufacturer will move from Hönigtal to Premstätten within 2020 and expand its production capacity.
For almost 100 years, Magirus Lohr has manufactured fire engines in Hönigtal near Kainbach in Austria. As a result of successful business developments in recent years, there is a requirement to accommodate potential growth. “Following increasing demand, we started a strategic search for a new location in 2017,” said Christian Reisl, Managing Director, Magirus Lohr. “Due to the specific topographic conditions, there is no possibility for expansion at the Hönigtal site.”
From 10,000m² to 17,000m² in 10 months
The company has therefore determined a site in Zettling, located in the municipality of Premstätten near Graz, Austria, which, by 2020, will become a modern plant, comprising development and production facilities, a distribution centre as well as a point-of-sale for firefighting equipment. At 17,000m2 and an investment totalling some 10 million euros, the Company’s new location will operate to the latest standards and be ready to meet future challenges.
Regional Economic Councillor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl underlines the importance of the company for the Graz location, “Companies such as Magirus Lohr GmbH are the backbone of the Styrian economy. With Magirus Lohr, Styria has a leading company that turns tradition into innovation. The company’s new location is a result of successful developments over the past few years and creates the conditions for further growth and secures existing jobs in the region.”
A key priority of Magirus Lohr is maintaining uninterrupted production during the transfer, whilst seamlessly optimising manufacturing processes.
Magirus Lohr won the majority of tender lots advertised by the Austrian Federal Procurement Agency (BBG) for fire engines in late 2019. In addition, this site will continue as the manufacturing centre of excellence for crew cabins, group-wide components as well as responsibility for strategic market developments in Eastern Europe.
Positive outlook
“Close customer relationships are the most significant element of Magirus’s philosophy,” said Marc Diening, CEO of the Magirus Group. “The new location will enable us to provide even better on-site customer support, and bring us closer to our customers, a fact already appreciated in Austria and abroad.”
