Jungheinrich celebrates fifty years of production in Norderstedt

Hamburg/Norderstedt: Jungheinrich today celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its plant in Norderstedt, Schleswig-Holstein. The Hamburg-based intra-logistics expert has been producing industrial trucks and storage technology for the global market in the district of Friedrichsgabe since 1967. The Group has since invested over EUR 230 million in the plant directly adjacent to the Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster railway route towards Kaltenkirchen. Jungheinrich assembles electrical high-lift trucks, reach forklift trucks and low-platform trucks on this site across 214,000 m2. In 2016 alone, 47,380 Jungheinrich vehicles left the production line in Norderstedt. Together with the shareholder family, the Board of Management, Supervisory Board and employees celebrated the fiftieth birthday of the Jungheinrich plant as part of a large family festival. The highlight was the unveiling of the millionth forklift truck by the two daughters of company founder Dr Friedrich Jungheinrich. “At fifty years of age, the Jungheinrich plant in Norderstedt is older than the town of Norderstedt itself, which was established three years later. From the very beginning, Jungheinrich focused on solid growth. Production of our millionth vehicle is evidence of the success and importance of our oldest plant outside Hamburg. Without the fantastic commitment of everyone at the site over the past five decades, this development would not have been possible,” emphasises Hans-Georg Frey, Chairman of the Board of Management of Jungheinrich AG.

With its approximately 1,300 employees, Jungheinrich Norderstedt AG & Co.KG is today one of the largest employers in Schleswig-Holstein. Around 600 young people have been trained in various skilled trades at Jungheinrich in Norderstedt since 1967, over half of whom still work at Jungheinrich. “Our employees’ training ensures the quality of our products. Jungheinrich in Norderstedt has for fifty years focused on sound training as a foundation for the professional and personal success of the people working here,” summarises Nils Sander, Managing Director of Jungheinrich Norderstedt AG & Co.KG.

In addition to the production lines, the plant premises in Norderstedt today also accommodate the Jungheinrich Training Center. Training rooms with modern equipment and large spaces for working on and learning about vehicles and storage racks on all Jungheinrich lines have been created across almost 8,000 m2. Up to 5,000 people can train here every year. The Jungheinrich research and development centre for electromobility and modern lithium ion batteries is also accommodated at Norderstedt. In the Energy and Drive Systems division over 200 employees are working on efficient and environmentally friendly electrical drives for the future. Jungheinrich is currently the only manufacturer of industrial trucks that produces its own lithium ion batteries. The batteries are manufactured in the Norderstedt plant. Due to the globally growing demand, the Group is planning to significantly expand its manufacturing capacities.

Timeline:

1965 The land is purchased in Friedrichsgabe (Norderstedt)

1967 Construction start

1973 Expansion of the northern section

1984 Introduction of modular production according to the “Modular System Development” concept

1985 The one hundred thousandth vehicle leaves the production line

1986 The “southern section” construction section is completed

1987 The production and storage area is doubled to 55,000 m2

1994 New dispatch hall is put into operation – 1,800 m2 provide effective space for 300 industrial trucks

1995 “Healthy & Fit” canteen concept

1998 Environmental certification for development and production

2002 Modernisation of replacement parts storage

2003 500,000 forklift trucks produced

2006 Expansion of test and development centre

2008 “Bridge building” between new electronics manufacturing and plant

2010 New powder coating facility

2011 Training workshop

2015 Training Center opened

2017 Plant’s fiftieth anniversary – millionth forklift truck