Bühler Heidenreichstein
In rural Lower Austria, about fifteen kilometers from the border with the Czech Republic, lies the Bühler plant in Heidenreichstein. The site with its more than 200 employees joined Bühler in 2018 as part of the Haas acquisition and offers a wide range of services from large-scale mechanical engineering to digitized precision engineering. Mosaic Online got to know the colleagues in Heidenreichstein and was able to convince itself of a very familiar atmosphere coupled with incredible expertise – from which many business units can also benefit directly.
Lukas Hofstetter, March 31, 2022
The plant in Heidenreichstein looks back on almost 150 years of history. From its foundation as a leather goods factory by the Eisert brothers in 1881, to its rise to become the largest producer of lighters in Europe by the end of the 1970s, to its acquisition by HAAS in 1990 and its integration into the Bühler Group in 2018, the site has successfully held its own in the market time and again.
“Heidenreichstein has asserted itself as an innovative location over all these years. One of the main reasons is the motivated people here in the area, who not only have an exceptional work ethic and enormously high-quality standards, but also attach great importance to good teamwork,” says Bruno Kittner, Managing Director at Bühler Heidenreichstein. The fact that 29% of the employees have been with the company for more than 25 years underscores its status as an attractive place to work.
The great product diversity at the site certainly also contributes to its attractiveness as an employer. “Our expertise is spread across two main pillars: fully digitalized automation solutions and the production of mechanical engineering components,” he says. “Our automation solutions are not only in great demand in the automotive industry – over the decades, we have also been able to establish ourselves in other industries where automation solutions are in demand that are tailored precisely to the needs of our customers,” Bruno Kittner explains.
In the production hall, Gerhard Oppel’s team inspects a part with precision measuring instruments for a prosthetic leg. For decades, his team has been producing elements accurate to the micrometer for prosthesis manufacturer Otto Bock, for example for leg prostheses. “Parts for medical technology are the best examples of our transformation over the past 15-20 years, away from mass production and toward precision engineering. Otto Bock relies on precision engineering and quality work from Heidenreichstein,” he says.
But Heidenreichstein offers more; much more. “For decades, we have been a supplier of components for the rail industry and public transport, such as hydromechanical track brakes, switch drives and vehicle components, to name just a few,” explains Managing Director Bruno Kittner. “Our customers include mainline railroad companies such as Deutsche Bahn, the Austrian Federal Railways or even the Swiss Federal Railways, but also local public transport companies such as Wiener Linien – the next time our colleagues in Austria, Germany or Switzerland use the train when traveling, they will also be using railroad technology from Heidenreichstein,” he says with a smile on his face.
Those who treat themselves to a tasty waffle during their train ride are also treating themselves to a piece of Heidenreichstein at the same time. The Wafer business unit has been counting on galvanizing solutions from the galvanic team for decades. “We galvanize the baking plates for the wafer ovens and thus contribute to the highest possible process reliability,” adds Bruno Kittner. An in-house competence from which other business units such as Value Nutrition or Milling Solutions could also benefit.
Crucial to the further development of this expertise is the next generation of employees. One of the 16 apprentices was Karin Haider, who just completed her apprenticeship and looks back on the challenging past three and a half years with much gratitude. “We have fantastic trainers who take a lot of time to develop the next generation. We all start from scratch and learn everything from the ground up in the apprentice workshop in the first two years; from milling to grinding, drilling, and much more,” she says.
What do all the production steps have in common? “Our work demands the highest level of precision. This is how we learn to take responsibility at a young age and sharpen our eyes for the highest quality,” she says. In their third year, the apprentices then work fully integrated in production.
Karin Haider knows that an apprenticeship can also cause stress and uncertainty among young people. She is the first contact person in the Youth Confidence Council – an in-house institution for apprentices similar to the workers council. “I have an open ear for all colleagues, and I am happy to help them with problems. We always organize leisure activities such as going out to eat or swimming together, which strengthens our team spirit,” she explains.
With so much passion and innovative strength, the question arises as to how other business units at Bühler can also benefit from the expertise in Heidenreichstein. “We want to share our expertise in contract manufacturing, automation, and galvanizing with our Bühler colleagues. Our team is highly motivated and is looking forward to working out solutions together on how we can handle more work steps in-house at Bühler and thus contribute to making our Group even more successful,” explains Bruno Kittner.
Gerhard Oppel is also looking forward to a lively exchange with other business units. “The Bühler portfolio is really fascinating. Recently, a delegation from Heidenreichstein was in Uzwil to discuss a possible collaboration and to exploit more internal synergies. Our doors are always open to anyone at Bühler for a visit – together we can still achieve a lot.”
The same applies to apprentices. “Sharing experiences with other sites is incredibly important, especially for young people. It not only broadens professional horizons, but also shapes a cosmopolitan personality. I would be very happy if we could intensify the exchange with other locations such as Uzwil, Beilngries and so on,” says Karin Haider.
Are you interested in learning more about the wide range of competencies at Bühler Heidenreichstein? Dipl. Ing. Bruno Kittner is looking forward to hearing from you: karin.scheidl@bühlergroup.com.
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
