The international ORAFOL Group, a leading manufacturer of high-performance self-adhesive special products and films with offices in Australia, is investing €160 (AUD$239) million to expand production at its headquarters in Oranienburg, Brandenburg, Germany.
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| (LtoR) Architect Hans-Joachim Paap, Orafol CEO Holger Loclair, Construction Foreman Ingo Pfister & Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach, at the cornerstone laying |
The bulk of this investment is in the construction of two new production halls, equipping the halls with production equipment and networking the equipment to a digital production planning system by 2024. In the first construction phase, ORAFOL will establish a completely autonomous production facility that will be used to finish plastics for numerous industries. The building will be constructed in accordance with the latest energy standards and will fulfil the most stringent safety requirements, for example regarding fire protection.
On 28 April 2022, ORAFOL broke ground on the first building in the current investment cycle, with special guest Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Steinbach, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy for the State of Brandenburg.
Dr. Holger Loclair, Chairman & CEO of the Orafol Group: “Orafol has grown rapidly in a highly competitive industry, and it has positioned itself as a global market leader. We continue to invest in ourselves to ensure that we stay competitive, both in Brandenburg and around the world. These new investments in our main European production plant underscore my confidence in Germany and the State of Brandenburg as industrial powerhouses.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Steinbach, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy for the State of Brandenburg added: “Orafol is a family business that has been a successful global player for years, establishing itself as a standard-bearer for products ‘made in Brandenburg’. This latest investment to expand production will strengthen the company’s headquarters in Oranienburg for the long term. It will also provide an economic boost to Oranienburg and the surrounding region. I am confident that this new production facility will begin a new chapter in ORAFOL’s long history of success.”
About the construction project
Orafol is currently building a new production facility at the company’s 250,000 m2 campus in Oranienburg. A new production hall will be built over an area of 15,000 square metres. The ultra-modern and energy-efficient building will house a complete production system for high-quality self-adhesive films. The company is installing a total of five new production lines for laminating and coating, and will be integrating them into the digital production planning system. This will ensure optimal use of energy and raw materials.
Goals of the construction project
With this expansion, Orafol will significantly increase its production capacity for graphic films starting in 2024, and it will be able to manufacture new types of products. In the future, it will produce self-adhesive films that are significantly wider than those currently available on the market. The new technology portfolio will also allow the production of films with innovative functional layers, such as PVC-free surface protection films – an emerging market that will facilitate and accelerate the growth of the Group.
