In the current weather conditions, outdoor events carry a certain risk. The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the new Torqeedo headquarters on the site of the special airport in Oberpfaffenhofen took place on Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by threatening clouds. There was just enough time for short speeches. Construction has been going on for a long time anyway, and the new halls are already growing upwards.
Oberpfaffenhofen - Torqeedo is the world's leading supplier of marine electric motors. Dr. Christoph Ballin and Dr. Friedrich Böbel founded Torqeedo in 2005 in a boat shed in Starnberg. The reason at that time was the restriction on the approval of internal combustion engines on Lake Starnberg - Ballin himself had not received a license for his motorboat. So the idea for the electric boat engine was born. From then on, the two former Gardena managers developed high-tech motors with lithium batteries and higher efficiency. In 2012 Torqeedo moved to Gilching on Friedrichshafener Strasse. Deutz, a diesel and gas engine specialist from Cologne, took over Torqeedo in September 2017 and has been running the company as a subsidiary ever since. Torqeedo had already developed rapidly beforehand, at the locations in Gilching,Illinois (USA) and Bangkok (Thailand) have more than 200 employees. The turnover is estimated at up to 40 million euros (Handelsblatt), officially it was 25 million euros in 2016.
The space on Friedrichshafener Strasse was correspondingly scarce. Now, a few meters from the airport runway, a huge new building is being built with 3720 square meters of office space, 4800 square meters of storage, production, and research and development space. "We are very happy to be able to tackle the idea of a new headquarters here," said Dr. Ralf Plieninger, Torqeedo managing director since 2012. The rooms enabled direct contact and exchange between the various departments. “On the production side, we are consolidating our three current production sites into one, so we are looking forward to increased capacity utilization, as the staff can switch between the production lines. And we have room for growth with still standardized processes. "
Because of course the utilization should continue to increase. As a subsidiary of Deutz AG, the future will be about the further development of electric ship propulsion systems, and diesel is also coming under increasing pressure in inland shipping. That hasn't quite reached politics yet, one could hear between the lines. Michael Wellenzohn from Deutz AG wished accordingly that “politics would put performance in line with automobility in terms of subsidies”.
There weren't any promises in this regard when the foundation stone was laid. Kerstin Schreyer, Bavarian State Minister for Housing, Building and Transport, congratulated everyone involved on the successful symbiosis at the location. She supports the middle class, "we have to give a boost here, we live from it". Her colleagues on site - in addition to District Administrator Stefan Frey, Wessling's mayor Michael Sturm and Gilching's deputy mayor Martin Fink - she assured political support. CSU member of the Bundestag Michael Kießling joined this.
Prof. Christian Juckenack spoke on behalf of the Air Tech Campus Oberpfaffenhofen about the challenge of the commercial situation on the airport site. “We are aware of the special situation. The areas need gentle development. ”With Torqeedo, the cooperation between companies such as Dornier and air taxi builder Lilium is continuing. The proximity to the German Aerospace Center (DLR) also plays a key role. Dr. Michael Rummel, Torqeedo Managing Director since 2019: "We are very happy to continue to be part of the Air Tech Campus." His company benefits from the proximity to future-oriented companies. And he promised that Torqeedo will continue to campaign for "Made in Germany" in the future: "Maintaining and expanding the current location is the best possible result."
District Administrator Frey was also completely satisfied. "I am delighted that we have such a great company at this location." With the district office, the companies have a partner "who tries to make something possible for you quickly," he promised. The bureaucratic requirements are immense, "but I know what has priority and companies like this one".
In the meantime the dark rain clouds had approached dangerously and finally opened their locks. Schreyer and Frey had to move on to the groundbreaking for a cycle path in Krailling (read also local page 4), the rest of the company escaped in shuttle buses or stayed under the pavilions fluttering in the wind. Torqeedo did not want to provide any information on the investment costs of the new location. There are also no sketches for the appearance of the building after completion. One thing is certain: it should be occupied next spring.