Groundbreaking marks the start of construction at Eberspaecher site in Hermsdorf

Esslingen / Hermsdorf (Thuringia), 2 March 2018 – This Friday, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place to mark the start of construction work on the new development building and production plant of Eberspaecher catem Hermsdorf GmbH & Co. KG. The products from Thuringia act as the core technology for heating comfort in electric and hybrid vehicles worldwide.

Managing Partner of the Eberspaecher Group, Martin Peters, expressed his gratitude “for the positive cooperation with the relevant licensing authorities regarding all aspects of the new building”. He also sees in Hermsdorf a site “whose profound history in technical ceramics, represents an excellent platform for future automotive products”. Mayor Gerd Pillau was pleased about the development: "We are showing that our city is also attractive to the automotive industry with its future technologies. Eberspaecher's production profile fits in with the existing ceramic and microelectronics companies in Hermsdorf."

Warmth for the mobility of tomorrow
A production plant for PTC ceramics is due to be completed by the fall on a site covering approximately three hectares in the Hermsdorf Ost I industrial estate, directly adjacent to the A4 freeway exit. The ceramics are key components of electrical heaters used e.g. in electric and hybrid vehicles. “We are deliberately investing in the mobility of tomorrow. Heating comfort in the latest vehicles based on expertise from Thuringia,” said Dr. Joerg Schernikau, COO Climate Control Systems, emphasizing the importance of the division for which he is responsible within the Group of Companies. In this production hall extending over some 10,000 square meters, the company plans to meet the rapidly increasing demand: “Armed with latest-generation production facilities and modified, ultra-modern process technologies, we will realize the projected and significantly higher volume,” said Schernikau, highlighting the refinement of the production technologies used. To help drive the development of future products, a 2,800-square-meter development and administration building is also being constructed.

From Hermsdorf to streets worldwide
The ceramics are manufactured in comprehensive production steps ranging from raw material to granulates, sintered products and all the way to the printed and separated plates. From Hermsdorf, the PTC ceramics are delivered to Eberspaecher plants in the Suedpfalz region in Germany, as well as in Poland and China. There, they are installed as central components in air and water heaters for automotive applications. Eberspaecher then supplies the finished low-voltage and high-voltage electrical heaters to production lines at virtually every global automobile manufacturer.

New jobs and expansion possibilities
Since the July 2016 takeover by Eberspaecher of the production plant of Paul Rauschert Steinbach GmbH in Hermsdorf, approximately 80 employees are active at the site. They plan to put the new plant into operation in November 2018. In view of the anticipated growth of forward-looking technology, the company plans up to 150 further jobs, especially in production-related areas of the ceramic industry as well as in the fields of mechatronics and material sciences. The site offers sufficient space for future expansion.

Background:
Eberspaecher catem Hermsdorf GmbH & Co. KG is a subsidiary of the Eberspaecher Group. Since 2010, the Eberspaecher product portfolio includes high-voltage PTC heaters. More than 800,000 hybrid and electric vehicles already use this technology from the world market leader. The high-performance PTC elements (Positive Temperature Coefficient) deliver a high heat output from low surface temperatures of the heating elements. They are also extremely reliable and inherently safe.



Media Contact:
Anja Kaufer
Head of Public Relations
Eberspächer Group
Phone: +49 711 939-0250
press[at]eberspaecher.com


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About Eberspaecher:
The Eberspaecher Group is one of the world´s leading system developers and suppliers of exhaust technology, vehicle heaters and bus air conditioning systems. Eberspaecher is also a professional innovation partner for the automotive industry in air conditioning of special-purpose vehicles and in automotive electronics. Customers include almost all European and North American, and increasingly more Asian manufacturers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In 2016, the internationally positioned group, with more than 9,000 employees, posted sales of over 4.3 billion Euros.