“We are building one of the most state-of-the-art crane production plants in the world here in Biberach,” says Werner Seifried, Managing Director for Development and Production of the Liebherr Tower Cranes product segment. “The market is changing, competition is growing and our customers’ requirements are increasing. We’re responding to this with innovation and a clear goal: Liebherr Tower Cranes is to become a sustainable market leader for cutting-edge lifting solutions – together with our employees and partners, who are our greatest strength.”
A historic site for Liebherr tower cranes in transition
Liebherr has been manufacturing cranes in Biberach since 1954 when Hans Liebherr, the company’s founder, laid the foundation for today’s Group of over 150 companies in 1949. The site has seen steady development since then, most recently in the form of a new sales and administration building with a company restaurant. Now it’s time for the next step. The production buildings on Memminger Straße in Biberach are set to undergo major modernisation.
Production hall structures, some of which date back to the early 1980s, will be demolished, renovated or replaced with new builds. This is all part of Liebherr’s sustainable and targeted investment strategy, which makes smart use of existing space. The aim is to create a highly automated production facility capable of manufacturing around 500 top-slewing cranes, over 200 mobile construction cranes and 3,000 tower sections per year. The new production structures are designed to enable Liebherr to respond flexibly and efficiently to changes in the market, while ensuring long-term capacity utilisation at its plants. This is made possible by modular production that is geared towards the next generation of products and will link development, production and quality even more closely in the future. “We are developing a new, future-ready site and doing so while business goes on as usual,” says Werner Seifried. “Change takes courage and that is exactly what we are proving together right now. Our customers can continue relying on the Liebherr quality they are used to while the building work is underway.”
Through these investments, Liebherr is reinforcing its manufacturing base in the region, combining economic strength with social responsibility. Liebherr is resolutely committed to European climate targets and ESG standards. Energy-efficient new builds and resource-saving production processes are key aspects of the plans. The new production space will be used in a concise and efficient way, with a focus on economic, environmental and social sustainability.
The new production set-up will allow Liebherr to create an attractive working environment for its employees, with modern and ergonomic workspaces, new technologies and digital processes. Initial investments have already been made, including an automated welding robot, a linked edge rounding system with intelligent robots, a new metal processing centre and an assistance system for assembly. These machines are already in use and can be seamlessly integrated into the new production environment.
A global network and local roots
Liebherr’s existing international tower crane production sites are also to be strategically integrated: Pamplona (Spain) will focus on the production of bottom-slewing cranes, while Pune (India) will concentrate on top-slewing cranes for price-sensitive markets. Liebherr takes responsibility for all its locations worldwide. This includes allocating production capacities in such a way that they optimally interact and regional strengths are exploited to the full. The Tower Crane Centre will relocate from Bad Waldsee to the Liebherr site in Bad Schussenried, where a new centre for rentals and repairs, as well as a testing area, is set to be built. The space freed up in Bad Waldsee will serve as a base for logistics while the modernisation is underway.
The modernisation on the Biberach site will be carried out in five phases and is due to be completed by 2034. Liebherr will offer employees targeted training opportunities alongside these changes, underscoring that it is not only investing in machinery and infrastructure but also in the people who work for the company. Employees and relevant committees have been involved in the process from the early stages of the project. “We have decades of experience, qualified specialists and reliable partners at our disposal here in Biberach,” emphasises Michael Weißschädel, Managing Director Production of tower cranes at the Biberach site. “Our investments won’t just result in new capacities, but also in a state-of-the-art infrastructure with the highest quality and safety standards.”
Speaking at an employee information event in early November, Dr Dietrich Birk, Managing Director of VDMA Baden-Württemberg, said, “Liebherr’s clear commitment to Baden-Württemberg as a business location sends out a strong message. In times of global upheaval, this investment project is a prime example of how competitiveness, sustainability and regional responsibility can be successfully combined.”
