The management and employees at the Görlitz plant have every reason to be cheerful – less than three months after the foundation stone was laid, the new staff facility at BIRKENSTOCK’s largest plant celebrated its topping out today, Friday. The brief ceremony held at the site in Ebersbach Business Park in Görlitz was attended not only by the employees involved in planning and overseeing the construction project and a delegation that traveled there especially from the company headquarters, but also by representatives of the local businesses involved in the construction work as well as the Mayor of Görlitz Siegfried Deinege and Managing Director of the city’s business development agency Andrea Friederike Behr. The satisfaction with how smoothly the construction project went was written all over everyone’s faces. The building speed is not least the result of the exemplary cooperation between the companies and the public administration. Assuming the weather plays along, the new building can be used for the first time at the beginning of May.

“With this new staff facility, we are sending a clear signal that the workers’ labor conditions at the site matter to us,” says plant manager and host Hilmar Knoll. The new building has entirely wheelchair-accessible floor space of approximately 1,200 square meters. In addition to changing rooms and restrooms for approximately 650 workers, the new wing boasts a sizable break room with an outdoor area. The investment sum totals 3 million euros. Knoll continues: “I’m impressed by the speedy progress made with the construction work. I would especially like to thank the city administration and the authorities, who supportes the project constructively right from the start, and, of course, also the companies involved in the construction work.” The million-euro project was tendered throughout Germany, but it was finally local companies that secured the contract.

For Sean Harris, Chief Administration Officer of the BIRKENSTOCK Group, this serves as an important signal for the region: “As one of the three biggest employers in and around Görlitz – and one which continues to grow – BIRKENSTOCK has become a key stabilizing economic factor here. We are conscious of the responsibility resulting from it. With this new building, we are not only upgrading our production plant, we are also intentionally increasing our footprint within the region.” No other site has benefited more in recent years from the positive development of Germany’s largest footwear manufacturer than the BIRKENSTOCK plant in Görlitz. Only during the recent 18 months, the company has invested a significant double-digit million euro sum in strengthening and expanding the plant. An additional boost is expected to come in the next few months from the expansion of the PU production line, which will be driven by a sales drive in the area of casual shoes.

A bright future, which alsodelights the Mayor of Görlitz, Siegfried Deinege: “In particular at a time of economic change and realignment, it is important that one of the three big players is investing in Görlitz because they believe in the region and the people here. Görlitz is a good choice as a location because, contrary to all the predictions, the city’s population has been growing again since 2015. Investing here means you are investing in the future. The city very much welcomes the fact that the BIRKENSTOCK Group chose to do this. After all, it is no secret that the municipal finances benefit from companies managed wisely and economically. By investing here, BIRKENSTOCK is also investing in the future of our city.”

The Görlitz plant is by far the largest BIRKENSTOCK Group site in the world. As a result of the company’s positive development, there are a lot vacancies to be filled. Skilled workers are needed, such as electricians, technicians, and mechatronics fitters, as well as quality assurance and production staff. Information on employment opportunities can be found on the company’s careers pages at www.birkenstock-group.com.