Fronius opens new Production and Logistics Center in Austria

Powered by the in-house 38,000 square foot photovoltaic system can provide up to 75% of the facility's power requirements and provides a great working model to showcase Fronius inverters. The system can produce 603kWp (kilowatts, peak), which is enough to power 160 private households. In addition to the PV system, a biomass thermal station with a 1500 kW capacity provides the energy for 80% of the center's required heat. "Power sources such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal can simply not be reckoned with over the long term. We can rely on sun light for the foreseeable future. As summer peaks, we are working especially hard on storing the collected solar energy for the winter months," said Klaus Fronius".

Providing an open, bright, and welcoming atmosphere, the new center has won employees over with beautiful atriums, open islands of communication, and well-lit work areas. Disabled persons can move freely around the center without obstructions, and all have noticed the feeling of open air and space. "As a family enterprise, the well being of our employees is especially close to our hearts. Providing a healthy work environment is the responsibility of our company," said Brigitte Strauß, who, with her brother Klaus Fronius, took over management of the company in 1980. In addition to well designed work areas, the center includes an in-house day care and well-appointed fitness rooms.

Gathering all production and logistics operations into one, central location in Sattledt has helped to improve efficiency for all three Fronius business units - battery charging systems, welding technology, and solar electronics. The heart of the new facility is an ingenious internal kanban logistics system that combines with optimized production procedures to create an exceedingly efficient process from the Research and Development stage onward. "The increase in order volumes over the last six months would not have been possible with existing production facilities," says Project Manager Herbert Mühlböck. "The decision to relocate and reorganize the entire production department into one location was made at exactly the right time."

The Sattledt facility joins Fronius' current production facilities in Austria, the Czech Republic, and the Ukraine, along with ten sales subsidiaries in Europe and North America.

About Fronius

Fronius, a world market leader in high frequency welding technology and photovoltaic inverter manufacturing, is headquartered in Wels, Austria. The US subsidiary, Fronius USA LLC, has its headquarters in Brighton, Michigan. Founded in 1945, Fronius has over 60 years of experience in developing innovative power conversion technologies and employs over 1800 people globally.
More than 250,000 Fronius solar inverters have been installed worldwide.