KHS Worms builds new logistics hall for 3.5 million euros

KHS GmbH is investing tens of millions in the targeted expansion and conversion of its German sites. The most recent example can be seen at the production headquarters in Worms: a logistics hall measuring around 4,400 square metres with state-of-the-art technical and energy equipment is being built on the Enzinger Straße industrial estate and will go into operation at the beginning of 2025. The system provider is thus setting the course for highly efficient distribution management and simultaneously increasing its productivity in the construction of palletising and packing machines. Key criteria in the concept for the realisation of the project were the attractiveness of the location and the consistent continuation of the company-wide sustainability efforts. For example, the building will have underfloor heating powered by climate-friendly energy.

Local politicians, including Mayor Stephanie Lohr (CDU), SPD Member of Parliament Jens Guth and Head of Urban Development Timo Horst (SPD), therefore had many reasons to attend the ground-breaking ceremony on 4 April. Lohr: "I see this multi-million investment by KHS in the Worms site as a commitment to our city, the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and the Rhine-Main area. I am delighted that a globally active company and one of the leading suppliers in its market feels so at home here and is well positioned for the future." As an employer, training centre and customer, KHS is an important economic factor for the region.

The plant in Worms is one of the five German KHS production sites. The core competencies of the company, founded in 1879 by Lorenz Adalbert Enzinger and part of the KHS Group since 1993, lie in the production of palletising and packing machines for the beverage industry worldwide. KHS Worms currently employs more than 230 people, including 15 trainees, in various professions, for example in engineering disciplines such as mechanics, electronics or administration. As a training company, KHS offers both traditional apprenticeships and dual study programmes. The aim is to offer junior staff long-term career prospects.

New logistics hall to increase efficiency
The new logistics hall is being built in collaboration with the construction company Goldbeck and covers around 4,400 square metres. KHS is investing 3.5 million euros to bring production up to the latest technical and ecological standards. When the hall goes into operation at the beginning of 2025, production will be supplied with large machine parts such as robots, side walls and conveyor belts even more efficiently than before. Site manager Dr Mohamed Astitouh explains: "Functioning processes are essential in order to survive on the global market. If the required parts are available at the right time in assembly, we can achieve short delivery times and increase our productivity. We invest at an early stage in order to be able to fulfil the increasing requirements of our customers in the long term."

Short distances, efficient transport and easy handling of components enable smooth intralogistics processes. The immediate proximity of the assembly and logistics hall, a covered passageway and the spatial connection between incoming goods and quality management mean that the processes are optimally harmonised. Modern shelving systems, cranes in the hall and transport aids round off the modernisation. In future, small parts will be stored in a shelving system that enables fast order picking. Parts with a length of up to four metres will be stored in a fully automated shuttle system, enabling efficient utilisation of the hall height.

New investment as an ecological showcase project
In addition to efficiency, sustainability criteria played a central role in the design of the new building. An air-to-air heat pump and a photovoltaic system provide the energy for the underfloor heating. "The energy self-sufficient logistics hall underlines our company-wide sustainability efforts and the future orientation of the site," says Dr Astitouh. In addition, all surface water will be able to seep away on the site. Extensive planting on the site also emphasises the ecological approach.

KHS implements further construction projects in 2024
The construction of the new logistics hall in Worms, which will be accompanied by a modernisation of the customer and employee areas, is just one of many projects in the investment offensive. All German locations will be successively expanded or modernised. Astitouh: "We are pioneers and one of the leading companies in our sector. This should also be reflected in prestigious premises and a modern production environment."