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Wacker Neuson digs in


Having opened a massive new factory in Austria, Wacker Neuson has extra production capacity to help it gain more of the UK compact plant market. Nick Johnson attended the official opening, and was able to evaluate some new machines.


Whilst some other construction plant manufacturers are clearly still in ‘retrenchment mode’, Wacker Neuson has been adding new and improved facilities and more production capacity. Last year it opened a new head office and central research and development facility in Munich, and now it has officially opened a massive compact plant factory at Horsching, near Linz Airport in Austria.


Representing an investment of €65m, the factory is now busy


Wacker Neuson and Caterpillar compact excavators in one of the new test areas.


assembling a wide range of compact tracked and wheeled excavators, wheeled site dumpers and both skid steer and compact tracked loaders. The excavators are the latest in the line that began when Neuson mini excavators were first produced in Upper Austria


in 1984. And the wheeled dumpers and skid steers can respectively be traced back to UK-made Lifton and Belle designs.


Wacker Neuson’s former compact plant factory at Leonding, near Linz, had a maximum annual production capacity of around 6,000 units. This facility could not be expanded and so, in 2008, the company boldly bought a 170,000m2


greenfield site at Horsching, six miles away, to build a bigger, more productive complex.


Surprise deal with Caterpillar Soon afterwards the world was plunged into economic crisis and the ambitious project was put on hold. However, in 2010 it was resurrected and, as detailed planning commenced, Wacker Neuson signed a surprise deal with Caterpillar for the production of badge engineered compact excavators weighing up to 3 tonne. In order to quickly gain extra compact excavator production capability, Wacker Neuson insisted on an extremely tight factory construction period of


only eleven months. This challenge was met and the new 55,000m2 facility was ready for occupation on schedule during April this year, with the grand official opening held in early autumn. Guests were able to view the six new assembly lines where the company now produces not only its own compact plant products, but also the subtly different Caterpillar liveried micro and small mini excavators. Four lines are for compact excavators - the longest measuring 98m - and the other two are for wheeled dumpers and skid steer/compact tracked loaders. All fabrication is out-sourced and, at present, the assembly facility operates on a single shift, five days a week.


Following the move to Horsching, the head count at Wacker Neuson’s compact plant factory has been increased to 550 by appointing 200 additional production staff and apprentices. This year the company will make around 10,000 machines in Upper Austria and its new factory has a maximum annual production capacity of 15,000 units.


Of particular note at the factory are a new cab finishing bay, greatly enhanced inspection and operational testing facilities and a modern 5,000m2


water-based paint and powder coatings. Purpose-built training workshops and a testing ground are also provided.


At the opening, Wacker Neuson CEO Cem Peksaglam said, “With this new production facility, we will be able to strengthen and expand our market position. The


optimised production processes and highly modern assembly facilities have enabled us to make further improvements to our product quality, whilst allowing greater production flexibility to increase our competitiveness.”


sandblasting and painting area, with the ability to apply both


The cabs on the new ET minis incorporate several improvements.


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