Until production on 10,000 square meters is a reality, it is necessary to bridge the gap and handle a number of large projects on the current 6,000 square meters. Plant manager Christian Schlief has also resorted to an unusual solution - he has cut a hole in the façade of the production hall. "It's the only way I can get the many orders, including almost 40-meter-long storage and retrieval machines, produced at the same time," says the graduate engineer. Over the past five years, the company has seen a clear trend towards higher storage and retrieval machines, which approach the rack storage locations and automatically store and retrieve hundreds of pallets per hour. "40 meters is nothing unusual, but is now standard," adds Christian Schlief.

The coronavirus pandemic has made one thing clear: Westfalia is operating in an industry of the future. "Prices for logistics services and transportation are going through the roof," says Andreas Gartemann, Managing Partner of Westfalia, outlining the market situation. According to the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), the sea freight price for 20-foot standard containers rose by 127 percent between April and November 2020, while the World Container Index (WCI) recorded an increase of up to 198 percent for 40-foot containers. "In addition, just-in-time availability of products can no longer be taken for granted," adds Gartemann. Storage space is becoming increasingly scarce and consequently more expensive. This plays into the hands of the Borgholzhausen-based company, as Westfalia relies on particularly compact and therefore efficient storage systems.

Planning security until 2022
It is therefore hardly surprising that the company can currently look back on well-filled order books that keep it busy and provide planning security well into 2022. However, the sometimes ambitious scheduling requirements of customers and sudden changes to deadlines are a challenge. "After all, we are not alone on the construction site and often have to react flexibly to changes in deadlines on site. We therefore need more buffer capacity in the plant to be able to deal with such changes in the project business," says Plant Manager Christian Schlief. Yet another reason not to put the expansion plans on hold in 2020, a year characterized by uncertainty due to the coronavirus, but to actually accelerate them.

Following the purchase of seven hectares in 2019, the shareholders of the Westfalia Group, Andreas Gartemann and Siegbert Wortmann, acquired another two hectares last year directly on the A33 slip road towards Osnabrück for future expansion options. Siegbert Wortmann, founder and CEO of the IT company Wortmann AG from Hüllhorst, acquired a majority stake in the Westfalia Group in 2010 and, together with Andreas Gartemann and Matthias Upmeyer, subsequently led the long-established company back to its former economic strength.

New company location at Teuto 1
On January 1, 2023, the intralogistics specialist will relocate completely from Industriestrasse to the Borgholzhausen/ Versmold Intermunicipal Industrial Estate (IBV). Originally, two construction phases were planned, with only production initially being relocated to the new site at Am Teuto 1. This plan was fundamentally reconsidered due to the pandemic, among other things, so that a new administration and office building will also be built at IBV at the same time.
"Corona has shown us all how the world of work will change. Mobile working or working from home will certainly remain to a certain extent. However, we are also seeing a strong desire among our employees for personal contact. Telephone, messenger services or video telephony are not a complete replacement after all," says Andreas Gartemann, explaining the reasons for merging the construction phases. The passionate volleyball coach also draws a sporting comparison for the Westfalia team: "Our project business is like a decathlon that combines many different disciplines. A spatial separation would simply not have been ideal for the close integration of the departments and our claim to the perfect logistics project for our customers."

Energy-saving building complex
Offices and administration will be increased from around 3,000 to 5,000 square meters at the new site, while production and storage will be increased from around 6,000 to 10,000 square meters. The processes in the plant will be significantly optimized with the new building. In future, Westfalia will not only have twice the test capacity available with a two-lane test stand, but also the buffer zones for finished SRMs that are necessary due to the unpredictability of the project business. The planned building complex measuring approximately 140 by 66 meters will be built using energy-saving construction methods. Heating will be provided by an environmentally friendly air heat pump. The roofs of the building and the partially covered parking spaces will be equipped with photovoltaic systems.

50th anniversary
The Westfalia Group has two reasons to celebrate at the beginning of the year. "In addition to the imminent start of construction, we are celebrating our 50th company anniversary on February 18. We are delighted to continue to make a clear commitment to the Borgholzhausen site with the new building," says Gartemann. "Thanks to the Wortmann Group and the support of the towns of Versmold and Borgholzhausen, we can continue to grow successfully and continuously throughout Europe with our current workforce of almost 250 employees in a central economic location. With an annual turnover of more than 40 million euros, we have been very stable throughout the difficult 2020 financial year for many companies."