Groundbreaking ceremony of the new administration building

Ground breaking

A new era begins for BURG with the construction of the new administration building in the "Volmarsteiner Straße" industrial park: For more than 47 years, the employees from production and administration of the German sites have now been working at one location again. On Friday, April 16, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new administration building of the family-run, traditional company took place with, among others, Hagen's Lord Mayor Erik O. Schulz. The Lord Mayor's opening speech was themed "Home". "I am delighted that the traditional company BURG and its employees are finding a home in Hagen. This is a strong commitment to our region," said Schulz. Just over seven years ago, in December 2013, the production building in Hagen-Vorhalle was built and manufacturing moved from the Volmarstein industrial park "Am Nielande" to Hagen-Vorhalle. With sufficient space, the site was designed for the expansion that is now pending. With the handover of the keys in March, the previous administration building in Wetter-Volmarstein changed hands. The company, now in its fourth generation, became famous for its padlocks: the first hand-made BURG lock was sold as early as 1890, over 130 years ago.

Flexible working environment

Now the new construction of the administration building is on the agenda. Planned is a one-story building, functional, bright, with large windows and open designed rooms. An area of 700m² is planned, which is designed for 30 workplaces and an extension. Key suggestions and ideas came from the team. "It was important to us that the team be able to help shape the planning process right from the start," says Jörg Mohncke, the managing director responsible for the new building. As part of a planning team, employees were able to contribute their thoughts to "Working World 2030." After all, it is "their" working environment that is being designed. The new building has project areas that enable the various teams to work in an agile manner. These are supplemented by quiet areas for employees who need a concentrated and quiet working environment. The fact that the employees plan themselves is no coincidence. The culture of the medium-sized company is characterized by transparency, short communication channels and cooperation at eye level. For many people, their own workplace is a kind of second home. Numerous employees have been with BURG for many years. "Our team shows a unique loyalty. We have employees whose great-grandparents have worked at BURG. As a small medium-sized company, challenging times have always been part of our history. Especially in these times, our employees have not let us down," says Achim Lüling, Managing Director.

Culture

There have been ups and downs in the company's history. Two world wars, financial crises, economic crises and the strategic reorientation in the 1970s and 1980s presented the company with a great challenge. The past year in particular was marked by the economic fluctuations of the Corona era, but also by several strokes of fate among the workforce. "These experiences took a lot out of all of us" says Jörg Mohncke. But in this increasingly fragile world, it is faith in Jesus Christ that gives direction and hope to everyday life, and this has an impact on the culture.

Flexible working environment

The building is designed to enable agile and flexible working at the same time. "It is particularly important to us that we create a working environment that shows our customers what the office landscape of the future can look like," says Lüling. A flexible work environment is increasingly important, especially in the Corona era, he said. At the medium-sized company, they know what they're talking about, because even their own administrative employees have often been working from home since the pandemic began. The risk of infection means that more employees worldwide are only temporarily on site, in the company. Flexible workplace concepts are gaining in importance. Less office space is used by a larger number of employees on a rotating basis. In addition to notebooks, writing materials, folders, flipcharts or tools, employees' personal items, such as drinks and food, should also be immediately available when needed. In modern office environments, employee lockers are therefore becoming increasingly important. As a manufacturer of intelligently networked locking systems, it is therefore important for BURG that its own office landscape takes this demand for flexibility into account.

Sustainability

Sustainable use of resources was crucial in the planning, he said. The company has been heating with waste heat from the zinc die casting foundry since 2014. This concept would reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent. The new administration building should also be significantly more energy efficient than the previous one. "In line with our vision, it is important to us that we promote that which serves life, growth and the unfolding of creation," says Jörg Mohncke. More and more employees are coming from Volmarstein, Herdecke, Hagen or even Iserlohn by bicycle or e-bike - after all, the plant is not far from the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path. The new building will be equipped with bicycle charging stations, naturally with their own locking systems.

Experts from the region

The company is particularly grateful for its junior staff, who bring fresh energy and good ideas. BURG's philosophy is to train skilled workers in its own company, to build them up and to retain them in the long term. The company trains business people for e-commerce and industry, as well as in technical professions such as mold mechanic and mechatronics technician. It also offers attractive development opportunities. Quite a few employees started their careers with an internship or a working student job. "Flat hierarchies, flexible working hours and an appreciative team culture make us attractive as an employer in the region. We are grateful for that" says Achim Lüling.

The groundbreaking ceremony has been held. The first excavator is already on the greenfield site. The implementation period is ambitious. The new administration building is scheduled for completion in the fall of this year.