PlanB Consulting News

Mulk Holdings invests in Serbia

2011-12-30T12:26:00.002+01:00

Mulk Holdings The Diversified Multi National Group has acquired a large 10 Acre Asset in Serbia and announced an investment of 20 million USD toward the establishment of a new production facility in Europe. This strategic move is in line with the company’s continued expansion program of establishing manufacturing plants close to demand markets. The Facility Situated in the Nemanjina Street, Banatski Karlovac, Serbia, 60km from Belgrade (capital of Serbia) will have a state-of-the art production facility with a 3,000 square meters office and showroom space and 10,000 square meters of production Area which will be build in several phases. The facility will be equipped with a fully automated three coat coating line and a High Speed Double Extruder Composite Panel production Line. The New Factory will have a capacity of 3 million m2 of Fire rated Metal Composite Panels and 10,000 tons of Color coated coils.

Sterecycle heads for expansion after £5.1m equity injection from four investors

2011-12-21T12:32:00.002+01:00

Waste treatment and renewable power company Sterecycle has raised £5.1m in equity finance from four investors.

The investment will fund the next expansion phase of Sterecycle’s Rotherham plant, which will increase capacity from 100,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 175,000 tpa by the third quarter of 2012.

Erbe Elektromedizin kauft ehemaliges Abbott-Werk

2011-12-19T12:38:00.001+01:00

Die Tübinger Medizintechnik-Firma Erbe hat das erst kürzlich geschlossene Abbott-Werk in Rangendingen gekauft. Dort sollen künftig OP-Instrumente hergestellt werden. Zugleich wird der Tübinger Hauptsitz kräftig erweitert – für insgesamt 36 Millionen Euro.

Safran Plans $100 Million Advanced Manufacturing Plant in NH

2011-12-19T12:27:00.001+01:00

The City of Rochester, NH has entered into a development agreement with Safran USA to construct a 275,000 square foot advanced manufacturing facility on a 50 acre site in the Granite State Business Park. Safran USA is working in relationship with Albany Engineered Composites in the research, development and production of next-generation composite aircraft components. The companies will be co-located in the Rochester based manufacturing facility, with a combined direct investment in building and equipment of at least $100 million.

ContiTech Investing €6.2 Million in Expansion of Factory in Brazil

2011-12-12T18:28:00.002+01:00

2,800-square-meter enlargement of ContiTech drive belt plant in Ponta Grossa / Construction to begin in February / Completion of first phase in September 2012

ContiTech will invest 15 million reais (6.2 million euros) in the doubling of production capacity at the plant in Ponta Grossa, Brazil. This will provide more space for the manufacture of timing belts for cars and multiple V-ribbed belts used to drive hydraulic power steering and air conditioning units, water pumps and generators. "With the investment we intend to not only up capacities for spare parts but likewise cover the Brazilian auto industry's growing demand," said Konrad Müller, head of the ContiTech Power Transmission Group business unit, at today's formal signing ceremony for the expansion. Ponta Grossa mayor, Pedro Wosgrau Filho, was on hand for the event.

The project involves a 2,800-square-meter expansion of the present ContiTech plant. The investment is to be effected in two phases. The first phase comprises the expansion the current physical plant by September 2012. It is expected to up timing belt production by 50 percent and V-ribbed production by 15 percent.

In the second phase, new machines will be installed that will make possible a twofold increase in timing belt production and a 25-percent boost in V-ribbed belt production. The related work is to get underway in February 2012. Completion of the second phase is set for 2014. The expansion is to create a further 40 jobs.

Clariant expands

2011-12-08T12:26:00.000+01:00

Clariant has announced the next stage in its on-going capacity expansion program for Exolit® OP non-halogenated flame retardants, with the addition of a third production unit at its site in Hürth-Knapsack, near Cologne, Germany. Integration of a third production facility, which is set to come on-stream in 2013, will result in an overall tripling of capacity since growth plans were first communicated during K 2010.
Clariant created extra capacity in mid-2011 through a Phase One debottlenecking at its existing full-scale commercial plant at Hürth-Knapsack. The plant has been producing Exolit OP since 2004. The on-target completion of a second industrial-scale unit at the site (Phase Two) by mid-2012 will double effective capacity. The start of the new third production facility in 2013 will then triple the baseline capacity of the original plant.

NSG Group Announces Expansion of Float Glass Business in Russia

2011-12-08T12:09:00.002+01:00

December 6, 2011

The NSG Group has announced plans to expand its float glass business in Russia.

The first part of the expansion project relates to the merger of Pilkington Glass LLC’s float glass business in Ramenskoye, near Moskow, with the STiS Group of Companies, a manufacturer of insulating glass units with operations across Russia.

Concurrently, the Russian Corp. of Nanotechnologies (RUSNANO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) also will invest in the merged business, according to NSG. These funds will finance the construction of a new float line at the site of the NSG Group’s current float line in Ramenskoye. The new investment from EBRD and RUSNANO also will enable the installation of new coating facilities in Ramenskoye, capable of manufacturing low-E products for Russia.

Kapsch Group expandiert in Rumänien

2011-12-08T12:06:00.001+01:00

Größere Niederlassung und klare Wachstumspläne

Wien - Mit der Eröffnung einer neuen, größeren Niederlassung setzt die Kapsch Group ein Signal für die Expansion in Rumänien. Kapsch plant neben weiteren Investitionen auch eine Aufstockung der Mitarbeiterzahl vor Ort. Bis 2015 rechnet Kapsch mit Einnahmen von mehr als 15 Millionen Euro in Rumänien.

Weidenhammer: Neues Werk in England eröffnet

2011-11-24T12:51:00.002+01:00

Neues Produktionsgebäude in Bradford
Die Weidenhammer Packaging Group (WPG), ein führender Anbieter von Kombidosen, Kombitrommeln und Kunststoffbehältern, hat Mitte November ihr neuestes Werk im englischen Bradford nahe Leeds/Manchester mit einer feierlichen Eröffnungsfeier eingeweiht. Nachdem im Juli die Bauarbeiten an dem neuen, rund 11.000 Quadratmeter großen Werk abgeschlossen wurden, laufe die Kombidosenproduktion dort mittlerweile auf Hochtouren. Über 10 Millionen Britische Pfund (rund 11,5 Millionen Euro) investierte die WPG in die Erweiterung ihrer englischen Tochtergesellschaft Weidenhammer UK. "Das neue Werk schafft jede Menge Raum für Wachstum, ist infrastrukturell hervorragend angebunden und erfüllt höchste Standards in der Produktion", erklärt Paul Barber, General Manager von Weidenhammer UK. "Wir alle sind mit dem neuen Gebäude und den Arbeitsbedingungen vor Ort sehr glücklich." Anfang 2012 will die WPG zudem in Bradford eine eigene Produktion für hochwertige Kunststoffverpackungen im In-Mould Labelling Verfahren starten.

First Solar expands German PV manufacturing, puts Vietnam factory on hold

2011-11-07T18:38:00.001+01:00

First Solar PV manufacturing facility in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. First Solar has doubled its German PV module capacity.
On November 3rd, 2011, First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) opened a new factory expansion in Germany, doubling its German production capacity to nearly 500 MW, and announced that it will delay commissioning of a newly constructed production facility in Vietnam.
On the same day, First Solar announced that it has been contracted by NRG Energy Inc. (Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.) to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for NRG's 66 MW-AC Alpine Solar project in Lancaster, California.

AGRANA erweitert ihre Präsenz in Südafrika und startet Produktion von Fruchtzubereitungen in Johannesburg

2011-11-07T18:30:00.001+01:00

Betriebseröffnung

Wien - AGRANA hat ihren neuen Produktionsstandort in Johannesburg
Ende Oktober in Betrieb genommen. Damit erweitert der Zucker- Stärke- und
Fruchtkonzern seine Präsenz in Südafrika um ein zweites Werk und produziert
nunmehr an drei afrikanischen Standorten - nämlich in Kairo, Kapstadt und
Johannesburg - Fruchtzubereitungen für die Molkerei-, Backwaren- und
Eiscremeindustrie.

AGRANA wird die Produktion in Johannesburg mit jährlich rund 4.000 Tonnen
Fruchtzubereitungen und Sirupen starten. Versorgt wird damit vorerst primär der
lokale Markt, allerdings mit der Perspektive, zukünftig auch angrenzende Länder
zu beliefern.

ECOB Launches Expansion of a Mega Coating Facility in Salem, Oregon

2011-11-03T18:36:00.002+01:00

Eco Building Products Expands Manufacturing Capabilities Into Salem, Oregon

Eco Building™ Products, Inc., (OTCBB: ECOB) announced today the company has signed a five year lease to set up a mega coating facility in Salem, Oregon USA. This facility strategically located in the heart of the timber producing corridor is approximately 30,000 square feet located on a railway spur. The company plans to occupy a portion of the facility to start by deploying two coating lines with the provisions to expand up to 8 coating lines.

Salem, Oregon is a very strategic location allowing ECOB the ability to purchase timber products from various lumber mills in the local corridor from Northern Washington State to Southern Oregon. ECOB plans to produce full unit quantities of protected lumber products for shipment destined to all our wholesale lumber positions in various markets across the USA. The Salem location will allow the company the ability to strategically manage supply chain minimizing the impact of freight costs. The company plans to have the facility producing production products by the end of November 2011.

"After a lot of due diligence we found an ideal location and relationship to allow ECOB the ability to continue execution of our original plan, getting protected lumber to all markets at a cost effective price making it harder and harder for anyone to consider using unprotected lumber. We will have the ability to purchase direct from the largest lumber mills in the world that are growing trees in our backyard, apply our coatings and supply our entire USA infrastructure without adding freight costs. This facility provides ECOB with rail car access and plenty of room for expansion," stated Steve Conboy, President and CEO of Eco Building Products

"This is a significant move towards total supply chain management reducing the overall impact of coating costs," added Steve Conboy.

About Eco Building Products, Inc.

Eco Building Products, Inc. is a manufacturer of proprietary wood products treated with an eco-friendly proprietary chemistry that protects against fire, mold/mycotoxins, fungus, rot-decay, wood ingesting insects and termites with ECOB WoodSurfaceFilm™ and FRC™ technology (Fire Retardant Coating). Eco Building products, "ECO Red Shield™" & "ECO Blue Shield™" utilizing patent pending technology is the ultimate in wood protection, preservation, and fire safety to building components constructed of wood; from joists, beams and paneling, to floors and ceilings.

E2V Technologies PLC : e2v aerospace and defense announces United States expansion plans

2011-11-03T18:34:00.002+01:00

e2v aerospace and defense announces United States expansion plans

e2v aerospace and defense, inc. (e2v A&D) today announced a planned expansion into new facilities to accommodate growth and add extensive new capabilities in the United States. The move will enable e2v A&D to offer increased support to all e2v global lines, including RF power, microwave, imaging, and hi-rel semiconductors for all aerospace and defense applications throughout North America and Canada.

By providing US presence for all e2v products and services, e2v A&D can support the needs of US military and aerospace primes and sub-contractors. Currently, e2v A&D offers and supports products and services from various e2v domestic and global facilities, and handles all export/customs issues associated with shipment and delivery. Additionally, as a separate US manufacturer with all necessary US Government operating approvals in place, e2v A&D complies with all US domestic laws and regulations and can fully participate with US aerospace and defense companies without the restrictions placed on foreign entities.

"Our plans for growth at e2v aerospace and defense necessitate us to significantly increase the physical footprint of our facility here in California", said Bob Tavares, President, e2v aerospace and defense. "The decision to purchase this new facility exemplifies our long-term commitment to the U.S. mil/aero marketplace. The move to the new location will allow us to extensively expand our U.S. operations as we increase our product and service offerings for the aerospace and defense industry."

The new facility is located at 765 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035. It is expected that the move will be completed in early to mid-2012.

Oxea Chemicals to Construct Chemical Plant in China

2011-11-01T18:29:00.002+01:00

Oxea has declared that it will be constructing a chemical plant for the manufacture of oxo derivatives in China by the year 2012. The plant will be functional by the year 2013.
The new plant will be catering to the increasing demand for oxo derivatives in Asia and China, which will be used in construction, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and the automotive industry.

A member of the executive Board at Oxea explained that China is one of the regions that has shown a high demand for oxo derivatives. He added that the new plant will initially focus on producing esters, phthalate-free plasticizers and others. The new plant will be located along the Yangtze River within the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park. The Park already has a steady base of big chemical companies and provides sophisticated infrastructure for setting up of new plants. Apart from being used in the above areas, oxo derivatives can be used in the agrochemical industry and coatings as well. Some of the derivatives are carboxylic acids used as flavours, polymer stabilizers etc; polyols used in high solids coatings, cosmetics and as lubricants; higher-aldehydes used in lacquers, floatation chemicals and amines, which are used in agrochemicals, rubber chemicals and pharmaceuticals; speciality esters, which are used in coalescing agents, lubricants and plasticizers.

Source: http://www.oxea-chemicals.com/

Principal Global Investors Opens Dubai Office

2011-11-01T15:32:00.002+01:00

Principal Global Investors, LLC, a leading global asset manager and a member of the Principal Financial Group(R) PFG -3.41% , today announces its expansion into the Middle East with the appointment of Wassim Nasrallah as managing director, head of Middle East. Nasrallah will be based in Dubai, at a newly established office location for Principal Global Investors.

The move allows Principal Global Investors to serve institutional investors, pension plan sponsors and sovereign wealth fund clients in the Middle East, with a primary focus on the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Nasrallah will be responsible for overseeing the firm's business development and marketing efforts in this region.

Saxo Bank Expands Into Belgium

2011-11-01T15:30:00.001+01:00

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investing, has announced the opening of its branch in Brussels in order to provide Belgian investors with access to international financial markets. Géraud Missonnier has been appointed Director of Saxo Bank Belgium.

The opening of the new office in Brussels is a strategic move by Saxo Bank in order to meet the growing demands of Belgian investors and strengthen its position as a major player in online brokerage, both in Europe and internationally.

Spectrum Group International Launches Spectrum Group France SAS in Paris

2011-11-01T10:58:00.001+01:00

Prominent U.S. Numismatist Kerry Pieropan Will Lead the New Venture with Support from Acclaimed World Numismatic Expert Ron Gillio

IRVINE, Calif., Oct 31, 2011 Spectrum Group International, Inc. ("SGI") (SPGZ.pk), a Fortune 500 company, is the largest global trading and collectibles network in the world and is adding yet another international location with the launch of Spectrum Group France SAS in Paris. Just weeks ago, Spectrum Group announced the opening of subsidiary A-Mark Precious Metals' new office in Vienna, Austria.

The addition of the Paris office is part of a major expansion by SGI in Europe, which has included opening offices in Austria and the Netherlands to augment existing offices in Germany and Switzerland. As part of that expansion plan, the office in Paris, France, will initially be focused on numismatic buying and selling by appointment, with the plan to develop it into a full service collectibles operation within the next year to include the presence of additional SGI companies. The office will be operational by November 15, 2011.

IT Outsourcing

2011-10-26T10:06:00.002+02:00

Zum 31. Oktober 2011 wird PlanB Consulting die Zusammenarbeit mit dem indischen IT Outsourcing Unternehmen Gateway Technolabs beenden. Nach mehr als einem Jahr intensiver und durchaus erfolgreicher Zusammenarbeit ist absehbar, dass beide Unternehmen grundsätzlich unterschiedliche strategische Vorstellungen über die zukünftige Gestaltung der Zusammenarbeit haben. Wir haben uns daher entschlossen, diesen Ansatz zur Diversifizierung unseres Leistungsprofiles nicht weiter zu verfolgen.

Hannover Messe 2011

2011-04-26T15:17:00.004+02:00

Das PlanB Leistungsportfolio umfasst auch die Planung und Organisation von Terminen zwischen Wirtschaftsförderungskunden und Unternehmen mit Standortprojekten.

Zu den entsprechenden Aktivitäten anläßlich der Hannover-Messe 2011 schreibt ein Kunde:

"Durch die PlanB Consulting GmbH wurden für die ersten beiden Tage der Hannovermesse 10 Termine fest vereinbart und weitere neun Termine ohne feste Uhrzeit geplant. ... Ich konnte insgesamt 18 Gespräche führen. Dieses Ergebnis bewerte ich als äußerst positiv.... Bis auf eine Ausnahme fanden die Gespräche mit den angegebenen Ansprechpartnern statt. Von den 18 geführten Gesprächen habe ich neun als (für unseren Standort) interessant eingestuft.... Zusammenfassend ist festzustellen, dass die Vorbereitung sehr gelungen war."

South Central IN testimonial about PlanB / IEDC staff

2011-04-21T15:39:00.001+02:00

The South Central Indiana Economic Development Region contacted PlanB Consulting/IEDC Europe, to request assistance with arranging meetings for our group that would be attending the Hannover Industrial Fair beginning April 4th 2011. Since the initial call was made in late January, they gave us information about hotels, travel arrangements and simple advice about matters that we never would have known because only one of our members had ever attended the fair. We were way behind with our planning but Mariya and Michael helped us to catch up with our preparation.
During the weeks of preparation, Mariya became our primary contact for planning the marketing mission. We were given weekly updates as to meetings that were scheduled and we had almost daily communication to assist us with planning everything from background on companies we would be meeting to the proper attire for the meetings at the show.
Mariya attended most of the meetings she arranged and offered advice to the teams participating in those meetings that she could not attend. Her knowledge, energy and professionalism made a great representation for Indiana.
Seven South Central Indiana members attended and with more than 25 meetings pre-arranged and some added “cold calling” recommended by Mariya at the show, every one of the meetings were quality introductions to companies and several of the contacts have already led to “live projects” in which South Central Indiana is clearly a competitor.
I have attended dozens of trade shows and have been associated with professionals that arranged meetings in the past but I have never experienced the consistent quality results that we had this year in Hannover.
South Central Indiana is planning to attend the Hannover show again next year and we may even discuss an additional trip to Europe later this year because we are certain we can call on PlanB Consulting / our IEDC staff in Europe to make our marketing mission successful.

Darrell Voelker
Director
Harrison County Economic Development Corp.
www.hcedcindiana.org

Professionelle Bildbearbeitung: schnell und zu günstigen Konditionen

2011-03-22T13:21:00.002+01:00

Ob Freisteller, Maskierungspfade, Bildretuschen, Vektorisierungen, Farbkorrekturen oder Bildmontagen: die Teams von PlanB Consulting GmbH und Gateway TechnoLabs Pvt. Ltd. stellen sich jeder Herausforderung und unterbreiten Ihnen schnell und unverbindlich ein detailliertes Angebot.

Kontakt über: info@planb-consulting.de

Cabot Corp. investiert in Fertigungskapazitäten

2011-03-18T17:26:00.002+01:00

Cabot Corp., the world's No. 1 producer of carbon black, plans to invest more than US$ 180 million between now and 2013 to expand manufacturing capacity in some of the fastest growing regions of the world. Cabot is expanding capacity at plants in China, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina, as well as adding capacity at three facilities in Europe.

ITB Berlin

2011-03-14T21:05:00.003+01:00

Anlässlich von ca. 30 Gesprächsterminen auf der ITB (Internationale Tourismus Börse) Berlin wurde
eine starke Nachfrage nach Offshore-Lösungen zur Entwicklung von IT-Anwendungen in der Tourismus-Industrie registriert. Knappe Ressourcen, kurze Lieferzeiten und hoher Kostendruck machen Offshoring auch für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen interessant. Das PlanB-GTL-Angebot aus Global Sourcing und lokalem On-Site-Team zur direkten Unterstützung des deutschen Kunden bietet hier nachhaltige Vorteile und trägt zur Risikominimierung bei.

CeBit 2011

2011-03-02T08:00:00.001+01:00

PlanB und GTL stellen innovatives Konzept des Offshoring vor.

Mit Glocal (global+local) Sourcing Kosten senken und Leistung steigern

Das klassische Offshoring, die Auslagerung kompletter IT-Entwicklungsprojekte an einen Standort mit niedrigen Lohnkosten, hat sich in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten für multinationale Konzerne ausgezahlt. Mittelständische Unternehmen haben sich angesichts erwarteter Effektivitätsverluste im interkulturellen, kommunikativen und prozessualen Bereich bisher jedoch weitgehend zurückgehalten. Dagegen setzen der der global operierende Technologiedienstleister Gateway TechnoLabs Pvt. Ltd. und das Berliner Beratungsunternehmen PlanB Consulting GmbH ihr innovatives IT-Sourcing-Konzept GLOCAL SOURCING. Was ist GLOCAL SOURCING? Mit Entwicklungszentren in Indien, China, den Niederlanden, Rumänien, Südafrika und den USA sowie mit Niederlassungen in zahlreichen weiteren europäischen Ländern können PlanB und Gateway ihren Kunden im deutschsprachigen Raum ein maßgeschneidertes Lösungskonzept anbieten, das die offensichtlichen Vorteile der Zusammenarbeit mit einem weltweit operierenden IT-Solution Provider und seinen hochqualifizierten Offshore-Teams mit der Sicherheit eines lokal ansässigen und verantwortlichen Vertragspartners verbindet.

Nach Abschluss einer strategischen Partnerschaft Mitte letzten Jahres präsentieren PlanB und Gateway auf der diesjährigen CeBIT erstmals gemeinsam ihr umfassendes Dienstleistungsportfolio, das von der IT-Lösungsberatung über die Software-Produktentwicklung bis zu QA-Services und Remote Infrastructure Management reicht. Mit diesem Leistungskatalog wenden sich die mehr als 1.000 IT-Spezialisten von PlanB und Gateway vor allem an den Mittelstand. Denn für die mittelständischen Unternehmen ist entscheidend, dass vom Lösungsanbieter bei Bedarf die komplette Wertschöpfungskette abgedeckt werden kann, dass diese hochwertige Leistung innerhalb der Projekte jedoch in einer ökonomisch optimalen Verteilung erbracht wird. Das kann nur durch eine individuelle Zusammenstellung von globalen und lokalen Teams erreicht werden, die auf Basis standardisierter Entwicklungsprozesse reibungslos zusammenarbeiten. Die erforderliche enge Abstimmung mit dem Kunden wiederum wird durch das lokale Projekt-, Qualitäts- und Anforderungsmanagement realisiert, das zentraler Bestandteil des Lösungskonzeptes ist.

Gateway TechnoLabs Pvt. Ltd. hat seine Zentrale in Ahmedabad in Indien und ist seit über 10 Jahren vor allem in Europa erfolgreich im IT-Lösungsgeschäft unterwegs. Den strategischen Schwerpunkt hat Gateway von Beginn an darauf gesetzt, nicht durch Kostenführerschaft zu überzeugen, sondern durch Kompetenz und Expertise auf der einen sowie durch Qualität und Verlässlichkeit auf der anderen Seite. Dies kommt dem Unternehmen heute, wo die Anforderungen an die Wertschöpfungsqualität in Offshoring-Projekten deutlich gestiegen sind, sehr entgegen. Für Michael Krüger, Geschäftsführer der PlanB Consulting GmbH, war dies der entscheidende Grund, Mitte 2010 die langfristig angelegte strategische Partnerschaft mit Gateway TechnoLabs einzugehen: „Mit Gateway haben wir endlich einen Partner gefunden, der es uns als Anbieter von intelligenten Business-Lösungen und Projektmanagement-Services ermöglicht, unseren Kunden vor Ort umfassendes, stets aktuelles und vor allem exzellentes IT-Know-how nahezu beliebig skalierbar anbieten zu können.“

Seine technologischen Schwerpunkte hat Gateway in .NET – Gateway unterhält mehrere Microsoft und MS Dynamics Competence Center – sowie in den Bereichen Java Enterprise, Open Source und vor allem Mobile Application und Game Development. Diese Expertise wurde bisher in hunderten von erfolgreichen Projekten in den verschiedensten Branchen und Industrien umgesetzt. Obwohl Gateway sich nie als ein Branchen-Experte gesehen hat, konnte sich das Unternehmen in den vergangenen 5 Jahren vor allem im Bereich Publishing und Print Media etablieren. Weltweit nutzen führende Verlagshäuser und Unternehmen der Druck- und Medienbranche die Workflow-Produkte von Gateway und deren BPO- und Cross-Media-Dienstleistungen.