Vision 2025 takes shape

The family-run company FN Neuhofer is currently investing heavily in the Zell am Moos location in Austria. Over an area covering a total of 14 550 m², new production halls and a multi-storey office building including a representative showroom are being developed. The start of the construction work, which was originally planned for this year, was able to be moved forward to 23 November 2020. The first machines were already purchased and are currently still in the existing halls. The completion of the office building is now planned for the year 2022, says chief executive officer Franz Neuhofer, the first production halls could probably even be put into operation as early as October this year and the exhibition in November 2021.
As part of Vision 2025, two assembly hall bays with an additional production area of 8 800 m² are being developed, as well as a new solid wood hall, which covers 1 050 m² and a three-storey office building with an overall space of 2 750 m², a canteen with 380 m² and a representative showroom of 685 m². The company is planning rack structures for the showroom "like the ones in DIY stores". An event area and a presentation space for a chronological display of the 370 year-old company and family history is also planned. Social rooms and engineering rooms are expected to cover 885 m².

But a lot was already invested in the year 2020 too, reports Franz Neuhofer. For example in a new plastic extraction system with a production capacity of 26.4 million plastic skirting boards per year, which is intended to enable complete in-house production. In addition, the new technology is intended to guarantee an "ecological round trip" in which waste is processed into new raw boards. The company has also purchased a Weinig Powermat 2400. The fully automated high-performance system has a maximum feed rate of 100 metres per minute. According to FN Neuhofer, this enables the production of an additional 20 million running metres of solid wood skirting boards a year. In addition, the company now owns a new aluminium and plastic packing line. The Industry 4.0 robot packing system is expected to enable faster production and an automatic quality scan. The skirting board experts have also planned a new paint system which promises lower paint…