Schütz and BASF celebrate groundbreaking for new IBC production site

v. l. n. r.: Veit Enders (Member of the Board SCHÜTZ), Prof. Dr. Klaus Blettner (Mayor of Ludwigshafen), Helmut Winterling (President of European Cluster Locations at BASF), Udo Schütz (Founder of SCHÜTZ Group), Uwe Lohr (Senior Vice President Global Indirect Procurement at BASF), Roland Straßburger (CEO SCHÜTZ), Matthias Dohrn (President Global Procurement at BASF). (Photo: Schütz)

Schütz officially begins construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant and logistics center for Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen. With the traditional groundbreaking ceremony on September 14, 2026, the project with an investment of over 40 million euros has now been launched. The initiative strengthens local, strategic supply security, promotes energy efficiency as well as active circular economy, and sustainably reduces CO2 emissions through a significant decrease in truck transports. The commissioning is planned for summer 2027.

On an area of approximately 20,000 square meters, a new Schütz production and logistics site is being developed adjacent to the BASF main plant in Ludwigshafen. In the presence of Ludwigshafen's Mayor Prof. Dr. Klaus Blettner, representatives of both companies marked the start of construction at a ceremonial event, which not only secures the supply security of BASF's main plant but also that of other industrial customers in the Rhine-Neckar region. The new Schütz facility includes state-of-the-art manufacturing areas for the production of IBCs, an adjacent packaging warehouse, as well as office and social spaces. In various expansion stages, Schütz will initially create 60 and later up to 100 new jobs at the site.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a strong signal for the Ludwigshafen industrial location. Schütz's investment shows that our site has a future and that companies see long-term prospects here. When production, logistics, and industrial value creation are connected through short distances and close partnerships, it enhances competitiveness and the future of our industry,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Klaus Blettner, Mayor of Ludwigshafen.

Proximity as a strategic advantage

The new Schütz production and logistics center is specifically designed to supply the BASF main plant with industrial packaging reliably and long-term. From order processing, through production planning, to supplying the numerous unloading points within BASF – all process steps are digitally and fully automatically controlled through the highly modern IT infrastructure. At the same time, the direct delivery connection from the Schütz plant to the neighboring BASF site ensures short delivery routes and logistics processes, high supply efficiency, and an annual saving of around 1.5 million truck kilometers.

“The strength of our integrated Ludwigshafen site lies in the close networking of production, infrastructure, and logistics. With the new facility from Schütz, this principle is being consistently further developed,” says Helmut Winterling, President of European Sites, BASF SE. “At the same time, the tightly integrated logistics processes increase the responsiveness of our value chains and create the conditions for long-term efficient supply to our production facilities.”

The partnership between Schütz and BASF dates back to the 1960s. Roland Straßburger, CEO of the Schütz Group, emphasizes: “This project with BASF is a clear win-win investment – benefiting our customers, the environment, and Schütz. The new site in Ludwigshafen is not only another chapter in this long-standing success story but also a forward-looking signal for highly efficient logistics and active circular economy.”

Sustainability firmly integrated

Schütz places great importance on climate protection and a responsible approach to energy and resources in the new construction. The concept deeply integrates into the production architecture: from the plant technology with state-of-the-art welding systems, through every individual process step, to logistics, the entire plant is designed for energy efficiency. A significant contribution is made by the company's own systems and machinery, which Schütz develops and manufactures itself at its global competence center in Selters according to the latest technical standards. The comprehensive technical know-how and the powerful in-house machinery and equipment manufacturing create the prerequisites for efficiency to be considered from the ground up in all processes. A portion of the electricity needed on-site for the new plant is also generated by a photovoltaic system – in line with the company's overall sustainability program.

The site’s concept is rounded off by integration into Schütz’s proven circular system, which provides for the reuse, reprocessing, and recycling of used packaging. This aligns the new plant with the global growth and investment initiatives of the packaging specialist, combining the latest production standards, ecological responsibility, and economic efficiency.