29 October 2008 - Cologne/Bergkirchen - Germany's most modern bakery is to be erected in the town of Bergkirchen in rural Dachau district. The official ground-breaking ceremony today, 28 October, marks the beginning of the planned ten-month period of construction for the new Glocken Bakery facilities. This production subsidiary of Cologne-based REWE Group is investing around 80 million euros into this approximately 27,000-square-metre bakery (on a property of 40,000 square metres). Some 400 new jobs will be created at the site.
Starting in 2009, the facilities in Bergkirchen will supply around 1,100 REWE and Penny stores with packaged and unpackaged baked goods. The mass-production operations will consume some 36,000 tonnes of flour per year. The new site of the Glocken Bakery will set new standards for state-of-the-art production technologies as well as for environmental protection. Energy consumption at the plant will be 40 per cent lower thanks to a future-oriented energy concept, the use of remote heat from the power plant in Geiselbullach and heat recapture technology.
"I am very pleased for two reasons. For one, we are building a new production site and adding 400 new jobs to expand our role as a key employer in Bavaria. For another, we are today laying the cornerstone to increase the uniqueness of our REWE and Penny stores to further distinguish them from the competition. After all, breads and baked goods are amongst the calling cards of our stores", said Manfred Esser, Management Board Member in charge of Strategic Purchasing for REWE Group, speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony in Bergkirchen. REWE Group's actions are also a clear expression of the fact that the company aims to continue to grow in Germany - unlike several competitors. This multi-million-euro investment and the expansion of the warehouse facilities in Buttenheim make Bavaria into a focal point of the company's activities. "Without the recognition of the importance of modern economic development promotion demonstrated here, however, this move would not have been possible", said the Management Board Member of REWE Group in thanking the political leaders.
"A district councillor is of course quite pleased to witness the creation of 400 new jobs in his district. But," added District Councillor Hansjörg Christmann, "it is also important to me that we welcome the Glocken Bakery and all of its employees here and help them enjoy life in our region."
"The town of Bergkirchen welcomes the Glocken Bakery to the new commercial estate GADA A8. With its 400 new jobs and appealing training opportunities, Glocken Bakery will become a key employer and vocational training company in the Bergkirchen area - even for the whole broader region. We look forward to the constructive collaboration", said Simon Landmann, 1st Mayor of Bergkirchen.
"With a total turnover of 145 million euros, Glocken Bakery is amongst the most important German producers of baked goods. By locating in Bergkirchen, we are now taking on a new dimension. Some 36,000 tonnes of flour will be processed annually here alone. We will bake fresh product here every day. The addition of Bergkirchen will increase our production overall by 70 per cent. Glocken Bakery makes a significant contribution within REWE Group to supplying our REWE, toom and Penny stores with high-quality breads and baked goods and to raising the competitiveness of these outlets in this image-making product segment", said Guido Siebenmorgen, Managing Director of Production Plants for REWE Group. Despite the price increases induced by raw materials, Germans consumed nearly 86 kilos of baked goods per capita over the past year. "Mixed rye breads accounted for the largest market share at around 20 per cent, followed by bread made for toasting", Siebenmorgen added.