Thinking Long-Term – Acting Ecologically

New Construction 04

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Sale

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ELPRO is a globally operating company based in Switzerland with subsidiaries in the USA, England, Denmark, Holland, and also Germany. For more than 25 years, the company has been developing and manufacturing data loggers and monitoring systems for temperature, humidity, pressure, and other technical parameters. ELPRO Germany, located in Schorndorf, Baden-Württemberg, can look back on an equally long tradition and has grown significantly over the years, steadily expanding its customer base. To meet the demands of the future, the company moved at the end of November into a new building constructed to passive house standards – only two kilometers from the previous location. Reinraum online spoke with Peter Leeb, Sales Manager of ELPRO Messtechnik GmbH.

Mr. Leeb, why did you choose Schorndorf as your location again?

The location in Schorndorf has existed since the founding of Elpro-Buchs AG more than 25 years ago; it is mainly due to historical reasons. The initial ideas for modern data logger technology were developed simultaneously in Buchs/SG and Schorndorf. Additionally, the connection to rail, airport, and highway is quite good, and the capital city of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, is right in front of our door.
Most of our employees also live within five to ten kilometers. They are highly trained and have been working at ELPRO for many years. This is very important for us and our customers. Another advantage is that the region offers a very high potential of qualified workforce and a diverse social and cultural environment. However, for several years now, we have also had sales staff in Munich, Berlin, and Cologne, working from their home offices. We want and need to be close to our customers. Only then can we serve them personally and gain new market segments.

Where are your customers primarily located, and which target groups do you serve?

We serve our customers throughout Germany. Of course, there are regional focuses, such as along the Rhine. Many large pharmaceutical companies are located there, along with their suppliers, such as pharmaceutical logistics companies. There are also increasingly many regions across the country that are strong in biotechnology. Here, the physical parameters we specialize in are decisive for quality. But also quality-oriented manufacturers in the food and technical industries use our products for quality assurance. The monitoring systems and data loggers are used in cleanrooms, laboratories, production areas, but also frequently in storage areas to record the room climate and alert in case of deviations.

Why was the move necessary?

The old building was significantly too small. We have been steadily growing personnel-wise in recent years. With the new premises, we can further optimize operational processes, for example in technology or calibration laboratories, in the warehouse with incoming and outgoing goods, at repair workstations, and in work preparations for external installations. In the sales area, there are now new workstations and a large conference room that can be used for events, training sessions, and lectures. Since we will continue to grow in the future, the new location is ideal for us: it offers enough space for expansion and room for new ideas.

And why did you decide on a building in passive house standard?

We think long-term: if we are building anew, it should be oriented positively for the future. With our systems and components, we record climate conditions, which is a good bridge to ecological thinking and action. That suits us.

What are the special features of the passive house?

We will hardly need any energy for heating. Cooling in summer will also be managed via the intelligent passive house system and will require very little energy. The house has an automatic ventilation system and creates a pleasant climate. We want our employees to feel comfortable. This has always been an important point of our corporate ideology.

In addition to your products, you also offer numerous services. What is ELPRO particularly strong in?

We deliver qualified complete solutions. The customer gets everything from a single source. The data loggers and monitoring systems, i.e., hardware and software, are supplied, installed, commissioned, and GMP-compliant qualified by our highly trained staff. Additionally, we train the users, document the necessary and correct measurement points through mappings, and develop the perfect maintenance concept for our customers. We often advise and plan systems for our clients. We draw on more than 25 years of experience. Our goal is customer satisfaction.