The investment location of Saxony-Anhalt in December 2013
The company will invest approximately $85 million to install one new aluminum automotive sheet finishing line at its Nachterstedt, Germany facility. This expansion will create up to 120 new jobs at the plant and increase the company's aluminum automotive sheet capacity in Europe to almost 350,000 metric tons. The expansion will also enhance the developing automotive closed-loop model between the company's recycling operations in Latchford, UK, and what will be the world's largest aluminum recycling center, a $250 million project at Nachterstedt expected to be commissioned in late 2014. The Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany is providing support for this investment. Read more.
Call centre service provider Sitel opened new service centre in Magdeburg
The call centre provider Sitel will open a new office in Magdeburg in January 2014. The company will grow with existing customers and new customers at the site, whose customer contacts will be handled from there in the future. With the opening of the eighth office in Germany, Sitel now continues its growth course for 2013/2014. Magdeburg is the company’s fourth location in Saxony-Anhalt. The international call centre service provider already operates offices in Dessau and Wittenberg, and has had positive experiences in the region in recent years. For this reason, the decision for Saxony-Anhalt was made easily.
Christian Steinebach, Managing Director for Germany, Eastern Europe and the Netherlands at Sitel, confirmed: “The employee recruitment to the already established sites in Saxony-Anhalt was extremely positive. Furthermore, we also observed a low employee turnover and high employee loyalty at these locations. Through the excellent cooperation with politics and business, we feel well connected in Saxony-Anhalt. We believe that these are perfect conditions for a call centre facility in Magdeburg. That is why we are now taking the opportunity to extend our success story here.” Ingo Liendgens, Managing Director of Human Resources at Sitel, adds: “As of now, interested parties can apply for skilled jobs in the service sector at Sitel. The service is highly personalised and the staff experience the appropriate appreciation with us.” Read more.
Cryogenic cooling of MECOTEC GmbH a further foothold in the Solar Valley in Saxony-Anhalt
“With MECOTEC GmbH, we have succeeded in establishing another highly specialised company in Saxony-Anhalt. This brings us closer to our goal of further developing Solar Valley as an attractive industry park for companies in various new industries”, said Dr Tamara Zieschang, the Minister of Sciences and Economic Affairs, at the official opening of the new production facility of MECOTEC GmbH in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. “Cryogenic cooling for medical and industrial applications, and innovative, combined energy solutions located here on Sonnenallee include modern equipped hall systems waiting for new users as well as a competence environment that continually proves its lead in the energy solutions of tomorrow both in the commercial and the scientific fields.” Read more.
DHL air freight hub in Leipzig: the success story continues
Investment of 150 million euros in new buildings and sorting technology. Extension acts as additional sound barrier. Up to 400 additional jobs. The European air freight hub of DHL continues to grow. DHL will invest a total of 150 million euros in new buildings and sorting plants at the facility in Schkeuditz over the next five years. The processing capacity thereby increases by more than 50 per cent to 150,000 express deliveries per hour. Up to 400 new jobs will be created by the expansion. 3,500 people currently work at the hub in Leipzig. Overall, DHL has invested approximately 510 million euros since its launch in 2008. Read more.
Taking energy storage into consideration to the success of the energy transition
Germany has been biding their time to expand the power network. According to the Federal Network Agency, not a single new kilometre was built this year for the current project under the Power Grid Expansion Act (EnLag). Although Saxony-Anhalt is one of the few states with low expansion delay in the area of power highways, Dr Tamara Zieschang, the Minister of Sciences and Economic Affairs, regards the lame network expansion as a basic problem of the energy transition. Read more.