IVECO and NIKOLA: joint manufacturing facility for battery-electric trucks and fuel cell trucks
An exciting new chapter in the history of sustainable road haulage commenced in September 2021 when IVECO (CNH Industrial’s commercial vehicle brand) and NIKOLA opened a production plant in Ulm for the electric truck NIKOLA TRE. The first NIKOLA TRE models produced in Ulm are to be delivered to customers in the US as early as the beginning of 2022. In addition to the battery-electric (BEV) NIKOLA TRE production model, the next evolution of this modular heavy-duty platform is also on display to the public in the form of the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) prototype of the NIKOLA TRE. This subsequent model is expected to enter production in Ulm by the end of 2023.
The manufacturing facility was completed in record time and on schedule over an area of 50,000 square metres. IVECO and NIKOLA made a joint investment in the location and in the first phase of industrialisation. From the beginning to the end of the production process, roughly 160 automotive suppliers are involved. “The new joint-venture facility by IVECO and NIKOLA is a milestone in the further development of emissions-free mobility for commercial vehicles. With its vehicles, IVECO is an important partner to the eWayBW project in Baden-Württemberg. The company’s innovative power is on show in the vehicles used for a tech comparison on the test route in the Murgtal valley. That’s why it was also a good decision to choose Baden-Württemberg as the location for this important facility. I am delighted that Baden-Württemberg is where progress is being made with different technologies for emissions-free goods transport”, says Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann.
Synova founds new subsidiary in Rottweil
Since May 2021, Swiss manufacturer of patented water jet guided laser cutting systems Synova has been producing and selling Laser MicroJet machining systems for the high-precision machining of materials such as metals, ceramics, diamonds and composites at the new manufacturing and distribution facility in Rottweil. A micro-machining centre (MMC) including a showroom for job shop production and sales activities was added in September. “The Rottweil site allows us to move closer to customers in the German market, Austria and the Benelux countries and to introduce them to the unique advantages of our water jet laser technology and its numerous application possibilities,” says Dr. Bernold Richerzhagen, Synova Founder and CEO. Synova S.A., headquartered in Duillier, Switzerland, manufactures advanced laser cutting systems with significant yield and improved cutting quality.
Interroll opens new plant near Mosbach
In mid-June 2021, Swiss stock corporation Interroll commenced production in the new plant near Mosbach with 250 employees. With around 19,500 square metres of floor space, the plant is Interroll’s largest worldwide. According to Jens Strüwing, Executive Vice President Products & Technology, it also offers plenty of space for expansion. The new location will focus on the production of conveyor platforms for packages and pallets. Production of the new Smart Pallet Mover (SPM), used for Industry 4.0 solutions, started in the autumn. Interroll invested around EUR 45 million in the new location, setting up a manufacturing and assembly hall as well as an administrative building in a period of just twelve months. With annual sales of CHF 530 million, 34 subsidiaries at 16 locations and 2,300 employees, the Interroll Group is a global player in the logistics solutions industry. Interroll’s customers include Aldi, Lidl, Amazon, DHL and Siemens.
Coca-Cola invests EUR 15 million in Karlsruhe
Coca-Cola European Partners Deutschland (CCEP DE) will in future fill more beverages in Karlsruhe as a result of expanding the manufacturing, manufacturing-related and logistics functions of its plant there. The company has invested EUR 15 million and created a total of 60 new jobs. It encompasses the transfer and establishment of a PET filling facility which the location received from a different plant that lacked potential for expansion and growth. 35 jobs were created at the Karlsruhe location to operate this new production line. Furthermore, manufacturing times have been extended on the canning line since the end of May 2021, resulting in the creation of 25 additional jobs. According to Plant Manager Andreas Dederer, this expansion is a positive sign for the future and constitutes one of the largest investments in the plant’s 40-year history.
CCEP DE has maintained close links to the location, the region and to Baden-Württemberg for many decades as a company, a business partner and an employer. The location in Karlsruhe is one of three Coca-Cola plants in Baden-Württemberg and employs 208 staff (as of June 2021). CCEP DE fills beverages on a total of six production lines in Baden-Württemberg. Four of the lines are for recycled containers, while two are for disposable containers.
Coca-Cola European Partners Deutschland GmbH (CCEP DE) had a sales volume of more than 3.5 billion litres in 2020, making it Germany’s largest drinks company. CCEP DE is part of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), a leading global producer of consumer goods, serving in excess of 600 million consumers in 29 countries with a wide selection of beverages.
