Ground-breaking ceremony for over 100 jobs in Jena-Nord

Sustainable new commercial center being built on slaughterhouse site for HILLOS GmbH

A new commercial center is now under construction in Jena-Nord. On the former slaughterhouse site in Löbstedter Straße, W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH is constructing a three-storey administration and production building with approx. 6,500 square meters of floor space on a plot of over 10,000 square meters. The client is GWZ Jena GmbH & Co. KG, a sister company of W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH. The tenant will be the Jena-based company HILLOS GmbH. The new site is due to be occupied at the end of 2024.

W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH has been building commercial properties for over 20 years. To this end, sister companies with various real estate services have been and are being established around W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH.

"Today, W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH is a leader and innovator in realizing sustainably used properties. We identify the development and utilization potential of properties on which long-term jobs are ultimately created",

said Managing Director of GWZ Jena GmbH & Co. KG Wilfried Schardt on site.

In addition to a production hall, the concept for the new commercial property in Jena includes open office zones, a cafeteria and social rooms. These new premises will be used by Jena-based HILLOS GmbH, which is moving in with around 120 workstations. The measurement technology company was founded in 2003 as a joint venture between Hilti AG and JENOPTIK Optical Systems GmbH.

"Since the beginning of this year, HILLOS GmbH has been fully owned by the Hilti Group. In order to further expand the production area and focus on the construction of complex devices and scanners, we need a larger production site with state-of-the-art and lean manufacturing processes."

said HILLOS Managing Director Philipp Makrutzki on site.

The Jena Economic Development Corporation (JenaWirtschaft) had supported this process from the outset. Authorized signatory Markus Henkenmeier is delighted with the company's current milestone. Commercial space in particular is now a rare commodity in Jena, which is why the company is delighted that W.S. Gewerbebau GmbH has taken the step of developing such a project on a brownfield site in the north of Jena and thus revitalizing an area.

"Successful companies such as HILLOS GmbH carry the good reputation of our city of light as a location for innovation all over the world. We appreciate and thank HILLOS for its long-term commitment to Jena and are delighted that the HILLOS team is continuing to help shape the economic growth and diversity of the Jena technology region."

summarizes Markus Henkenmeier.

In future, the Löbstedter Straße building will use solar power and the latest heat pump technologies to generate its own energy. According to Managing Director Schardt, the new building will be heated without fossil energy sources, but with waste heat from the production process, among other things.

This sustainability aspect is also appreciated by the Mayor of Jena, Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, who gave a welcoming speech at the ground-breaking ceremony:

"With our own photovoltaic system and the implementation of the latest energy standards, exemplary commercial premises are being created here. It is imperative that economic strength and environmental standards are considered together - HILLOS GmbH and GWZ Jena GmbH & Co. KG show how this can be optimally achieved."