Jungheinrich officially opens its new plant in the Czech Republic

Jungheinrich formally opened its newest plant for the production of material handling equipment in Chomutov in the Czech Republic today. In future, the company added that it will turn the 37,000-square-metre site located about 85 kilometres northwest of Prague into the center of its reach truck production.

More than 350 new jobs will be created as part of the 60-million-Euro project. Back in June, Jungheinrich started the production of the first truck type, the reach truck ETV 216i, in Chomutov. The plant is the newest of 12 Jungheinrich production sites around the world and is a central component in increasing efficiency and profitability as part of Strategy 2025+, the  company added

Sabine Neuß, Chief Technology Officer at Jungheinrich AG, says: “Our new plant in Chomutov is one of the most state-of-the-art production facilities for forklift trucks in the world and will elevate our production to the next level. We are expanding the capacity within our production network in Europe and ensuring that the steadily growing demand for our material handling equipment can also be met in the future.”

Beginning with the ETV 216i, the company said its entire reach truck production will be gradually relocated to the plant in Chomutov. Since its introduction almost five years ago, the ETV 216i has developed into Jungheinrich’s best-seller, the company added. The forklift features improved ergonomics and a compact design. The ETV 216i is said to be the world’s first forklift with a built-in lithium-ion battery and was developed in Norderstedt.  Following the relocation to Chomutov, Jungheinrich added that it is using the capacities that will free up at the Norderstedt plant to expand its production portfolio to include parts of other order pickers, thus enabling additional growth.

When designing the new plant in Chomutov, Jungheinrich explained that it placed particular attention on efficiency and sustainability. For example, in addition to a fully automated centre for the detailed processing of metal, it features an innovative paintwork line, which simultaneously uses both less energy and material for the high-quality powder coating. Manufacturing and assembly with a digital assistance system for factory employees aim to ensure efficiency and quality.

The energy efficient and CO₂​-optimised plant in Chomutov is not only the newest but also the most sustainable ever built by Jungheinrich, the company noted. In addition to the use of green electricity and the installation of heat pumps, a special thermal insulation in the office area ensures additional energy savings. Jungheinrich was able to reduce its water consumption by means of rainwater harvesting equipment.