Triple celebration for Austrian shredder producer

Recycling machinery manufacturer Lindner has formally opened its new HQ, as well as celebrating its 75^th anniversary and the tenth birthday of its subsidiary Lindner Washtech.

The event at Spittal an der Drau, Austria was attended by long-time business associates and partners who were shown around the company’s state-of-the-art production facilities. Since the company was founded 75 years ago, shredders and system solutions have been planned and manufactured at Spittal.

‘The positive market development, coupled with the increasing demand for Lindner quality products, led to our decision to construct a new plant in 2019 and so to invest around EUR 48.5 million,’ says owner and md Manuel Lindner. ‘This turned out to be an important strategic step.’
The production area has more than doubled in size to 14,000 m2. Further expansion of robotics and automation technology in the welding workshop and machining production is seen as being crucial as more individual components are required.

Sustainability focus

‘Thanks to the new production technologies, we can now manufacture a lot of the machine parts ourselves, which is very convenient for us, especially when supply chains are interrupted,’ adds Lindner. ‘By expanding high-tech automation and robotics, we can also offer our employees a better workplace. Physically strenuous work, which was sometimes necessary when loading machines, is no longer required. The focus has now switched to the expert operation of the production machines.’

The company places great emphasis on sustainability so particular emphasis was put on minimising the carbon footprint when planning and constructing the new building. It has prioritised recycled and carbon-neutral materials and renewable energy. Air source heat pumps and ground water pumps deliver cooling, heating and ventilation, while the building’s own photovoltaic system on the roof provides the necessary energy.
‘Our new facility is completely energy independent and is a benchmark in sustainable construction,’ explains Matthias Egarter, cfo at Lindner. ‘We generate all our electricity using our own 720 kWp photovoltaic system and any excess energy is fed into the grid. On top of this, all the energy for heating and cooling is generated using groundwater wells, making the process entirely CO2 and climate neutral.’

Lindner Washtech

As part of the opening celebrations, the company reflected on 10 years of its plastics recycling subsidiary Lindner Washtech which is now seen as an integral segment of its business.

‘A lot has happened in the market since the company was founded,’ says Harald Hoffmann, md of Lindner Washtech. ‘Before our company was five, the market for plastics recycling was still quite small. Since then, we’ve invested a lot in product development, in some cases together with our customers. This has resulted in several great products and numerous long-standing partnerships.’