Development and growth are an important part of any company's success. No growing company can do without investing in new projects, including the construction of new buildings. That's why we've taken the plunge and begun a new building project for the umpteenth time. Building a new facility is always a challenging process that requires careful planning, coordination, and excellent project management. We had to deal with several challenges such as landscaping, dealing with building permits, and organizing the delivery of materials and equipment.
The official groundbreaking for us was September 1 last year, and since then we have been on a rollercoaster ride
We have been working on the concept of the project for more than two years. We have used all the experience from our current operational needs, but we have also taken into account the outlook for the future as well. The concept not only honors the principles of lean manufacturing and readiness for autonomous logistics, but also integrates current sustainable technologies. We plan to heat the new facility with heat pumps and recuperate the heat with air conditioning, produce energy from solar power, use rainwater harvesting, and in the future we will not disappoint supporters of electric vehicles. During the summer of 2022, we prepared the site for construction. The tender for the contractor was launched in September and the site was handed over on December 5, with the aim of taking over the finished works at the end of May this year.
Are we going to stick to schedule?
Thanks to thorough design preparation, the choice of modular system technology, and the professionalism of the contractor, the construction has been on schedule so far. The Austrian construction and engineering company started the production of the building at the beginning of January this year, and 70 trucks of module parts started to move from Austria to Chrášt'any at the end of March in line with the precise schedule. In the meantime, all utilities, parking areas, and reinforced concrete components were built. The construction is going on during full operation and the company's premises were not prepared for such an increase in traffic. Thanks to our wonderful neighbor, Scania, tractor-trailers were able to drive through their premises and the basic "unpacking" of precisely marked parts was carried out on the premises of Scania. Then a 60 metre crane took over the work and the technicians built the skeleton of the building under the supervision of an Austrian engineer. This was the most crucial organizational operation of the entire construction. Given the proximity of the flight corridors, the work of the tall crane was also coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority. But it was worth it. It should ideally take 5 days to put the whole puzzle together. It's already not windy or raining in the hall, and if we only run into a three-day delay because of the weather, we won't be upset.
And what does the new hall bring to you and us?
It is primarily a space for new technologies. We will gain enough space for the storage of raw materials, which will speed up their availability for production. More space will let us order more types of material and the range will be more varied. The larger space will also allow for shorter dispatch times, as the expansion means that the labels produced will no longer have to wait to be picked up in external warehouses. The whole area will get 40 new parking spaces, which will make everyday life more pleasant not only for our employees, but also for visitors to the area. And there's plenty more to come, but we'll save that for next time.
