Schirm GmbH invests EUR 20 million in new production plants and warehousing capacities for chemical products

The basis for future growth

Duisburg/Schönebeck, 04 June 2013 – Schirm, one of the leading production services providers for the chemical industry in Europe, is expanding its production and warehousing capacities at its corporate headquarters in Schönebeck in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The one hundred percent subsidiary of LEHNKERING GmbH is investing more than EUR 20 million during the next two years. A fungicide centre with EC and SC formulation plants and a dangerous goods warehouse will be built at the site by mid-2015. A third section of the multi-purpose synthesis plant is due to be commissioned in the autumn of 2015.
“These investments will enable Schirm to take account of the increasing demand for high-quality outsourced production services. Our customers particularly appreciate our full-service approach. Among other things, we handle the synthesis of organic compounds for agricultural and fine chemical applications and direct refinement within one company,” says Dr. Bernd Müller, CEO of the Schirm Group. “Schirm has special strategic importance within the LEHNKERING Group. The fact that LEHNKERING provides both logistics and production services is an important distinguishing characteristic when competing with our rivals. The investments in the plant complex will form a major basis for future growth at the Schönebeck site,” says Uwe Willhaus, CEO of LEHNKERING GmbH.
Schirm operates plants at four business sites in Germany and also has a business site in the USA in the shape of Schirm USA, Inc. The Schirm companies are assigned to the Chemical Manufacturing division within the LEHNKERING Group.
High-quality plant protection products and fine chemicals are due to be produced at the fungicide centre with its formulation plants for liquid products and the expanded multi-purpose synthesis plant at Schönebeck in future; this will be handled on behalf of well-known chemical corporations for global use. The combination of an EC and an SC plant and the direct links with highly automated filling lines will provide customers with cost benefits. The investment programme also includes the construction of a warehouse for dangerous goods, which will not only cover Schirm’s in-house requirements, but also offer warehousing space for outside customers.
“We’re constructing the warehouse for dangerous goods together with the LEHNKERING Distribution Logistics division. As a result, we’re reinforcing our market position in the LEHNKERING Group as the leading provider of warehouse logistics services for chemical products in the long term,” says Dr. Müller, who is also COO of the LEHNKERING Group.
Schirm GmbH is a neutral full-service production services provider and it caters for the complete value-added chain ranging from sourcing and synthesising raw materials and active substances, processing them in multiple stages and even packaging and distributing the goods. Schirm does not sell any own products in the market place, but its development department plays a significant role in developing and improving new products and processes on behalf of its customers. In addition to its headquarters in Schönebeck, Schirm has centres of expertise at Baar-Ebenhausen near Ingolstadt, at Lübeck and at Wolfenbüttel in conjunction with the LEHNKERING Distribution Logistics division. It has also provided production services at Ennis/Texas in the USA since 2000.

LEHNKERING GmbH
The LEHNKERING Group is one of the leading logistics and production services providers for the chemical industry in Europe; it has annual turnover of approx. EUR 400 million and more than 2,000 employees. As a neutral partner, LEHNKERING supports its customers along the complete value added chain and offers comprehensive logistics and production solutions from one source: ranging from transport, warehousing and distribution to extensive value added services, manufacturing and packaging goods. LEHNKERING has been an independent division within the IMPERIAL Group since 2011.

IMPERIAL Logistics International B.V. & Co. KG
As a 100 percent subsidiary of the South African company, IMPERIAL Holdings Ltd, IMPERIAL Logistics International B.V. & Co. KG is responsible for coordinating and managing all the international logistics business of IMPERIAL Holdings outside Africa. Five leading logistics companies, IMPERIAL Shipping Group, LEHNKERING, Panopa, neska and Brouwer and their subsidiaries and holdings, are all affiliated members of the Group and provide a complete and varied range of services for global logistics business within the network. The IMPERIAL Logistics International corporate group has approx. 7,000 employees and generates annual turnover of EUR 1.6 billion at 155 business locations around the world.

Media contact LEHNKERING GmbH

Nadine Groß
- Press department -
Schifferstrasse 26
47059 Duisburg
Germany

T: +49 30 30 87 29 93
F: +49 30 30 87 29 95
E-Mail: presse@LEHNKERING.com

www.LEHNKERING.com

This release was published on openPR.