KNAPP campus opens in Dobl

After 12 months of construction, the opening of the KNAPP campus in Dobl was celebrated today. The new six-storey building complex showcases a state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly design with high-grade infrastructure, offering personnel a comfortable and innovative working environment. Almost 5 million euros were invested in the site.

The successful development of the industry logistics division within the KNAPP group and the convenient location of the site were the deciding factors for building the campus in the Dobl Business Park. “For us, Styria is an extremely important business location. The Dobl site wasn’t the only site we invested in – KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH in Leoben also recently underwent an expansion and a new six-storey office building will be built at the KNAPP headquarters in Hart bei Graz by the mid-2019. The KNAPP group employs over 2,200 people in Styria,” explains Bernhard Rottenbücher, member of KNAPP AG’s Managing Board.

The campus will be the development centre for innovative technologies for industry and logistics. The two subsidiaries currently based in Dobl, KNAPP Industry Solutions GmbH and ivii GmbH, will be joined by redPILOT, a start-up within the group. Together they will develop customized solutions for use in the industrial field with flexible shuttles, intelligent image processing and assistance systems, as well as a cloud software solution to optimize warehouse operation for the long term. “The successes of focussing strategically on innovative production solutions speak for the investment,” believes Wolfgang Skrabitz, Managing Director of KNAPP Industry Solutions, who also thanks the owner family for their trust and support. “Together with ivii and redPILOT, we were able to win over renowned companies such as VW, Porsche and Pankl with our expertise. We also supply the KNAPP AG customer network,” adds Skrabitz.

150 new office work stations
The considerable number of incoming orders brings with it a greater need for qualified personnel. There are currently 75 employees at the Dobl site. The opening of the campus has created an additional 150 office work stations. “The excellent strategic location in Dobl with good transport links is opening up new areas for us. A number of our current employees come from Carinthia and bring with them excellent skills,” explains Bernhard Rottenbücher.

“In the technical field in particular, we are constantly on the lookout for qualified personnel. With the new building complex, we can now offer a more attractive working environment and long-term career prospects, as well as a multitude of social benefits and further training opportunities,” adds Wolfgang Skrabitz. For Birgit Sükar, member of the Managing Board of ivii and KNAPP Industry Solutions, the campus provides the opportunity to grow together.

Opening ceremony with honoured guests and partners
“Our employees will feel at ease at the new campus and will be able to utilize synergies,” says Bernhard Rottenbücher, who is truly pleased with the new building. A new bright and pleasant office space spanning 1,231 m2 was built to create a comfortable working environment that promotes open communication, including a modern common room complete with kitchen and catering area. Furthermore, the existing production hall was expanded by around 600 m². The new building complex distinguishes itself with its environmentally friendly construction and minimal energy consumption. A photovoltaic system with a 17 kW power output is at the heart of the energy management plan.

Numerous honoured guests, partners such as the general planners Thomas Eichholzer from EF Eichholzer-Frick, Herbert Ruhri and Reinhard Schützenhofer from Hallenbau Planungs- und Ausführungs GmbH, and representatives of the press received a warm welcome at the opening ceremony. The KNAPP family, represented by the supervisory board members Hofrat Herbert Knapp and Professor Günter Knapp, the Deputy Mayor of Dobl-Zwaring Ernst Gödl, as well as Christian Grabner, CFO of KNAPP AG, member of the KNAPP AG Managing Board Bernhard Rottenbücher, member of the ivii and KNAPP Industry Solutions Managing Board Birgit Sükar, together with the Managing Director of KNAPP Industry Solutions Wolfgang Skrabitz and the Managing Director of redPILOT GmbH Siegfried Zwing, cut the symbolic ribbon held up between two Open Shuttles, officially opening the campus. The guests then toured the modern building and were presented with the ivii.smartdesk and the Open Shuttles, as well as other innovative products from the portfolio of the companies based at the campus.

KNAPP campus in Dobl:

Investment volume: 5 million euros
Floors: 6 floors
Building height: 23 m
Office area: ~ 1,230 m²
Total area: ~ 2,500 m²
Hall extension: ~ 600 m²
New office work stations: 150
Total number of work stations at the site: up to 300
Energy management: photovoltaic system – 17 kW power output

Photo credit: © KNAPP AG, Bernd Niederwieser

Picture captions:

1_The new KNAPP campus in Dobl shines in all its glory.

2_A ribbon held between two Open Shuttles is cut to mark the official opening of the campus – left to right: Deputy Mayor of Dobl-Zwaring Ernst Gödl, Managing Director of KNAPP Industry Solutions Wolfgang Skrabitz, CFO of KNAPP AG Christian Grabner, supervisory board members Hofrat Herbert Knapp, member of the ivii Managing Board Birgit Sükar, supervisory board member Professor Günter KNAPP, member of the KNAPP AG Managing Board Bernhard Rottenbücher and Managing Director of redPILOT GmbH Siegfried Zwing.

About KNAPP Industry Solutions
KNAPP Industry Solutions is the specialist within the KNAPP group for tailor-made solutions for industry, manufacturing and distribution logistics. With its scalable shuttle solutions such as the Open Shuttle and the OSR ShuttleTM, the company has technologies at its disposal that open up new possibilities with regard to flexibility and availability in the industrial sector.

About ivii GmbH
ivii develops intelligent image processing and assistance systems that merge software and hardware components in an innovative way. ivii manufactures solutions that can be used in any sector for any scope of application. Together with ivii, KNAPP AG is widening its focus on Industry 4.0.

About redPILOT GmbH
redPILOT makes long-term optimized use of complex logistics applications a reality. Flexibility and speed of adjustment are key to modern logistics. A specially developed cloud software solution for warehouse operation helps redPILOT get the very best out of logistics systems around the clock – ecologically, socially and economically.

About the KNAPP Group
KNAPP AG, headquartered in Hart bei Graz, is a leading global provider of all-in-one intralogistics solutions and automated storage systems, and has specialized in the key sectors healthcare, fashion, retail, food retail and industry. With more than 35 sites and an export rate of 98 %, KNAPP serves customers around the world. KNAPP invests around 30 million euros in research and development. KNAPP has repeatedly put its stamp on the intralogistics sector thanks to its eye for trends and new market requirements combined with its innovative solutions. With over 3,300 employees, the company generated a turnover of 632 million euros in the past business year.