Actually, it was already a done deal: The company "Weckerle Cosmetics" wanted to give up its production facility in Peißenberg on Otto-Hahn-Straße and build a completely new factory location in the Achalaich industrial area.
But the corona pandemic ruined the plans - but only for the time being.
Peißenberg
- The plans were well advanced: The company "Weckerle Cosmetics", which produces lipsticks, lip care products and make-up pencils, among other things, wanted to build a brand new company headquarters on a green meadow.
For this purpose, a 13,000 square meter plot of land was acquired in the Polling part of the Achalaich industrial park.
The cosmetics division of the "Weckerle Companies" was to be united in one location.
The production of the cosmetic compound had been set up up to now, as had some administrative areas at the “Weckerle Machines” location in Weilheim's Trifthof.
State-of-the-art cosmetic filling and pouring systems are produced there.
The partial occupancy by “Cosmetics”, however, hindered the entrepreneurial growth of the “Machines” division.
"No woman wears lipstick under the mask": The pandemic caused huge financial losses
At first it was thought of integrating the production of the cosmetic compound at the Peißenberg location.
But the expansion plans on the company premises on Otto-Hahn- and Wilhelm-Röntgen-Straße were “unsatisfactory” from a spatial point of view, as Elena Zhuravleva, “Director Process Excellence” at the company, looks back.
“Weckerle” therefore bought a shop in Achalaich.
"The hall plans had already been drawn up and even the furniture for the interior had already been selected," says Zhuravleva: "Achalaich was the solution - but then there was Corona." Sales in the cosmetics industry fell sharply in the wake of the pandemic.
“No woman wears lipstick under a mask,” explains Zhuravleva: “It was not an easy time for us.
We suffered a lot as a company. "
The new building project had to be put on hold for the time being
The project "New building in Achalaich" was put on hold for financial reasons. However: postponed is not canceled. “The plans are in place. We still have them in mind, ”emphasizes Zhuravleva. She cannot yet give a concrete temporal perspective for the realization: "We are recovering, but it will still take some time before we can realize the plans from the years 2018 and 2019." In any case, "Weckerle Cosmetics" did not sell the property - but “on hold”, as Zhuravleva puts it. A sale to third parties would not even be possible. If “Weckerle Cosmetics” wanted to sell the property, it would revert to the municipality of Polling, which would then put it out to tender again.
The contractual conditions also stipulate that construction in the Polling part of the Achalaich industrial park must be completed no later than five years after the property was acquired.
"Weckerle Cosmetics" is optimistic.
Business seems to have bottomed out.
“Weckerle Cosmetics” is now looking optimistically into the coming year
The company is currently recording more customer inquiries than the 132 employees (administration and production) can handle.
That is why they are looking for additional staff.
“The numbers for next year look very good,” reports Zhuravleva.
The sales, marketing and accounting departments are now also quartered at the Peißenberg location.
The areas were previously in Weilheim.
In the Trifthof there is now enough space for “Weckerle Machines”.
The production of the cosmetic mass has meanwhile been relocated to a “Weckerle” plant in Eislingen.
Bernhard Jepsen