GfA moves into new building complex
One of the last big steps was the attachment of the GfA logo on the northern side of the Building. Since then, the area of 5,400 square meters is occupied by Sales, Product Management, Design, Service, Prototyping and General Administration departments. The company management occupies the central part of the office building. About 80 of the total of 230 employees are now working on the other side of the street. The two operating units are connected by a roofed pedestrian bridge.
Optimal working conditions
A welcoming and prestigious foyer is the gateway to the new GfA world of work. The split-level office building with staggered arrangement of the floors offers bright rooms and short distances. The concept of the building is based on the one hand on the latest ergonomics principles and on the other on the individual requirements of customers and employees. Examples of practical implementation of this are the construction of a large number of meeting rooms and rooms for concentrated individual work. The concept promotes communication and decision-making at all levels. It has a modern infrastructure which ideally facilitates the work.
Space for Innovation – Research and Development
Technical progress is ever more rapid. GfA's goal is to translate new developments into innovative and marketable products. The construction plans were therefore aimed at the creation of optimal conditions for research and development from the very beginning. The result is a new R&D hall with an area of 2,100 square meters. A large workshop, electronic test laboratories and flexible and scalable spaces have now been created for the testing of drives and door control components. The simulation of real operating conditions is possible. The goal is to use new developments immediately with the highest reliability in the different places and doors all over the world. The modern equipment includes, for example, climatic chambers, torque test stands for all drive sizes or a test field with different types of doors. Among other things, it can be used to perform various stress and aging tests.
The R&D hall is directly connected to the Construction and, thanks to short ways, also allows a good cooperation between designers and test engineers. The proximity to Sales, Service and Product Management is also a great advantage. This allows a networked product development taking into account all customer requirements as well as deployment of competencies from the various branches in the company.
After Sales and Technical Communication
After Sales also benefits from the improved working conditions, the modern equipment and above all the short ways to the neighbouring departments. For example, colleagues from the Product Management work directly next to the Technical Support. Latest issues of customers and users are now discussed directly and easily, and after evaluation and analysis, they are included in the list of topics of technical communication. For example, the descriptions in the assembly instructions or the GfA+ App can be improved in this way if certain issues are discussed more explicitly. And again, all customers benefit from this.
Trainings
Product training is an essential part of GfA service activities. They have been taking place since December 2018 in the new building. The rooms are brighter and were equipped with larger screens. Modern projectors are used. A separate room has been provided for the practical part of the training. Two groups can work in a favourable atmosphere on the special training modules. They learn about the efficient handling of GfA products.
Extended Assembly Capacities
Due to increased drive unit volumes and the start of production of the new sectional door ELEKTROMATEN SE 8.60 FI, the production capacities have also been extended. A newly built hall with 1,240 square meters houses three new assembly lines. This will give us the possibility to quickly and flexibly respond to global demand in the future.
Decision with the environment in mind
The new company headquarters are a passive house. This means that a heating energy saving of more than 75 per cent compared to a conventional new building is achieved. Objectives are the responsible use of scarce resources and an adequate contribution to climate protection. A solar system with 720 square meters will also cover about 1/4 of the overall energy requirements of GfA. The underground car park is equipped with several e-charging stations. The hybrid vehicle pool is charged here. Two parking spaces with a 22 kilowatt charging station in front of the office building are also available to customers.
Conclusion
With the completion of the new building complex, GfA is well positioned for the future challenges. At the same time, this investment is a commitment to the Düsseldorf company location. The attractive working environment with short ways and bright rooms promotes concentrated work and facilitates internal communication in the interests of the customer. Thus, optimal foundations have been created to continue developing innovative and reliable products bearing the well-known GfA logo.
