Wacker Neuson Reichertshofen: Bound to Progress

Much of Wacker Neuson's construction equipment comes from Reichertshofen (Upper Bavaria, Pfaffenhofen District) and, with some of these products, Wacker Neuson is the international market leader. The location belongs to the international Wacker Neuson Group.

Manufacturing to the very highest quality standards

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The Reichertshofen location has existed for more than 50 years. The plant was opened in 1964 to meet the steadily increasing demand for innovative, high quality construction equipment. Equipment for concrete compaction such as internal and external vibrators and frequency converters, battery-powered rammers and reversible vibratory plates for soil compaction, demolition breakers, floor and gasoline cut-off saws and two-cycle engines and spare parts are manufactured for professional end users on the 102,000 square meter company premises — a total of 200,000 products per year. The greatest care is taken here in developing each piece of construction equipment. "All our products meet the highest quality standards. Quality assurance is a priority for Wacker Neuson. Because what we want is to exceed our customers' expectations," explains Helmut Bauer, managing director of technology for Wacker Neuson in Reichertshofen. Since the beginning of 2015, energy and environmental management systems are being introduced. Until the end of the year, an external certification is planned (ISO 50001 und ISO 14001).

This is where innovations arise that are changing the industry

The innovative construction equipment manufactured in Reichertshofen is trendsetting. Recent examples include the AS30e and AS50e battery-powered rammers, which work completely emission-free and are thus suitable for all applications, especially in confined spaces or in trench applications. The WM80 engine, with which the low-emission two-cycle rammer and gasoline demolition breakers from Wacker Neuson are equipped, is also environment-friendly and produces emissions well below the prescribed exhaust gas thresholds. Both the WM80 engines and the battery-powered rammer carry the Wacker Neuson ECO seal, which identifies ecological and economical products. The AS50e battery-powered rammer impressed the jury at the bi GaLaBau Awards so that it was awarded a gold medal. At the European Rental Award 2015, the battery-powered rammers particularly convinced the specialist jury with its sustainable operation, which is why they were selected as winners in the category "Sustainable Rental Product of the Year".

"The battery-powered rammer is a real market novelty and the product of close co-operation with our customers," says Alexander Greschner, managing director of sales at Wacker Neuson Reichertshofen. "We implemented the requirements that companies and end users brought to us. In this way, we supply authentic customer benefits and give new impetus in the field of alternative drive technologies."

Another genuine market novelty from Reichertshofen are the vibratory plates with substantially reduced hand-arm vibrations. By implementing a new damper concept for the center pole of the reversible vibratory plates, Wacker Neuson has managed to significantly reduce hand-arm vibrations, creating healthier work conditions and providing the operator with greater comfort. The world's most powerful vibratory plate, the remote-controlled DPU130, also comes from Wacker Neuson out of Reichertshofen: It achieves the productivity of a 7-ton roller, yet is more economical due to its lower acquisition and operational costs. Its new type of design was distinguished twice with innovation awards.

The Wacker Neuson Academy

Wacker Neuson is a successful, international company that has thrilled customers across the globe with its offerings. This is only possible thanks to highly motivated, committed and qualified employees. Lifelong learning is required in rapidly changing surroundings. Recognizing this, Wacker Neuson built its own training center in Reichertshofen in 2008. In line with the motto "as much theory as needed, as much practical experience as possible" employees, distributors and customers from across Europe and beyond take part in training sessions. In addition to special product and application-related training from specialized experts, professional topics such as cargo securing, operator safety and environmental protection, soft skills, languages and EDP/IT are also included in the training program, which is made up of theoretical and practical units. A modern building was built in Reichertshofen for this purpose, which houses several seminar rooms, a large auditorium and the heart of the academy, a 2,200-square-foot demonstration hall. Training participants can put Wacker Neuson construction and compact equipment through its paces here.

Skilled manpower development is a real concern for Wacker Neuson

Wacker Neuson is proud to be a major employer in the district of Pfaffenhofen and is always on the lookout for technically trained personnel to increase its performance efficiency in international competition. A special focus is therefore placed on fostering the up-and-coming generation of skilled workers: Wacker Neuson Reichertshofen maintains its own training center in which to see to their training. Currently, 38 young people are completing their training here. Wacker Neuson has deep roots in Reichertshofen, is a popular employer and regularly recruits technically trained personnel and trainees from the region. In order to inspire girls to consider technical occupations requiring training, the site regularly participates in "Girls' Day". In April of this year, 22 female students used the opportunity to learn more about Wacker Neuson and the professions that are instructed here. Wacker Neuson provides, among other things, training as agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics engineer, industrial mechanics or cutting machine operators.

Local Involvement

The close ties between Wacker Neuson and the region can be illustrated through several examples. Anniversaries for 40 or even 50 years of service are honored on a regular basis. Wacker Neuson meets its social responsibilities in various ways: Many employees are involved in the volunteer fire department and, when emergencies arise during working hours, they are released from the company to participate in necessary missions in disaster control. During the floods in 2013, Wacker Neuson also provided the volunteer fire departments in Reichertshofen and vicinity with machinery and equipment.