Hybrid online launch for the 6,9 million euros Wilo Group investment

On the 3rd of December, the Wilo Group, premium producer and pioneer in pumps and pumping system technologies, inaugurated its new headquarters in Romania via a unique, HYBRID event. The Romanian-English launch ceremony included plenty of live interventions, guided video tours, lengthy and insightful presentations from esteemed representatives of the field, as well as relevant personalities for the Romanian-German bilateral relations, such as Mr. Oliver Hermes, President and CEO of the Wilo Group, His Excellency, Mr. Cord Meier-Klodt, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Romania, Mr. Sebastian Metz, General Manager & Board Member of Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with long-lasting Wilo clients and partners and much appreciated Wilo team members.

”I would like to wish you all a warm welcome to the opening of our new Wilo Hub in Romania. I am happy that we chose this virtual format to celebrate another important milestone in our Wilo history together”, stated Mr. Oliver Hermes, President and CEO of the Wilo Group, at the start of the HYBRID event.

The new Wilo Hub, an opportunity and a promise of further developing the Romanian market

One of the essential Wilo goals upon starting this unique and innovative project focused on offering the Wilo employees top-notch working conditions, designed to increase their creativity and loyalty, the concept of team work and development being the engine of success behind the company story. This specific company vision has a direct impact on the Romanian economic market through the job opportunities that Wilo offers to potential local employees, as well the annual 15 million euros business carried out by the company in Romania. The importance of the economic ties facilitated by Wilo’s presence on the Romanian market are also reflected at a bilateral level through the strengthening of the relations between Germany and Romania. A thoroughly explained point of view in the Live intervention of His Excellency, Mr. Cord Meier-Klodt, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Romania: ”I do not think it will come as a surprise for anyone if I tell you that the idea of supporting German businesses in Romania and the promotion of the bilateral economic Romanian-German relations is a central point in my mission here. (…) It is a great pleasure to celebrate together this substantial investment made by a company of German tradition, renowned and appreciated in our country, which now invests here, in Romania, through the new Wilo headquarters in Romania, or, as I like to believe, the new guarantee of smart management water solutions in this region”.

”Today, we are talking about the inauguration of the regional Wilo Hub and I must confess that when I considered this investment, I was impressed due to various aspects. The regional approach, in my point of view, is the strongest element, which needs to be very well highlighted, as this example can be used as a model by other companies which can come and invest in the Romanian market because of the size of the local market, as well as the importance of this country in this South-Eastern European region, which I find extraordinary. I would like to congratulate you for this strategic decision” stated Sebastian Metz, General Manager & Board Member of Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

High standards, multi-layered strategic approach in the region

”Wilo has been present in Romania since 1998. But taking the new geopolitical conditions into consideration it has definitely been the right decision to invest in our new Wilo-hub in the Romanian market. Together with our “region-for-region” approach it will allow us to act even more regionally in favor of our clients”, Mr. Oliver Hermes, President and CEO of the Wilo Group, underlined at the event.

The new hub ”represents Wilo’s commitment towards its clients in fast developing region and, thus, the new building has a strong strategic importance in the embodiment of the Wilo future plans”, said Mr. Marco Middag,Group Vice President Sales Area Europe East, during his intervention at the event.

The smart building on 24, Șoseaua Odăi, Otopeni, will function as a Regional Hub handling the company operations for ten countries. ”From this operating point, we will organize customer trainings, ship our products and assemble booster and firefighting products for markets like Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece and Moldavia”, added Mr. Middag.

Moreover, due to these investments, Romania becomes an important center of logistic and assembly coordination activities on behalf of Wilo in the European region, fully-certified by the Wilo SE Group, and reconfirms its strategic position on the Wilo operations map.

Our clients, the heart of our business policy

”This building will serve our loyal customers by offering the right products, with shorter lead times and with the best support from our pump specialists”, added Mr. Marco Middag, Group Vice President Sales Area Europe East.

”With a team of 50 employees, with respect, passion, devotement and integrity, Wilo acts at a national level with great responsibility towards people and the environment, supporting its clients, which are the main objective of our activities”, stated Gabriel Niță, General Director, Wilo Romania.

Beyond the logistic and assembly hub, the Wilo Romania strategy also aims at locally developing new individual pumping stations for water management, as well as, pumping groups fitted in containers, which will be commercialized both in the country and at regional level.

A different type of ribbon-cutting ceremony – a digitalized one!

Considering the global epidemiological context, as well as the sanitary and protection measures implemented in the country and the entire world, Wilo opens new frontiers with an innovative approach of the launching event of its new headquarters in Romania.

”The launch of the new hub marks a cornerstone in our development and strongly reflects the Wilo strategy of strengthening its position as technology leader with a key focus on innovation, sustainability and energy-efficiency. The headquarters on 24, Șoseaua Odăi, Otopeni, an investment of almost 7 million euros brings added value to the Wilo commitment to provide smart, modern and green water management solutions for the Eastern Europe region”, highlighted Gabriel Niță, General Director at Wilo Romania.

”The pandemic situation presents a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to organizing an international event so important and valuable for our partners and team. To keep everyone safe during the inauguration ceremony of the Hub, Wilo chose the digital path, ensuring guaranteed accessibility, social and environmental responsibility and fast, easy and open communication with the company’s partners”, stated Mariana Corlaci, Marketing Manager at Wilo Romania, host of the event.

The HYBRID event included many interactive video tours, presentation tours of the outstanding features of the building, as well as journey videos portraying the exceptional work done by the Wilo team, that handled the details of the project in a short time-frame, maintaining a maximum of efficiency and quality. Mrs. Gina Ana, Operations Manager, offered an operational tour, highlighting the logistic activities and the support that the Romanian team received from Wilo Group for the implementation of the project. Mr. Mihai Cojocaru, Production Manager, shared details about the functionalities of the production area and the assembly line processes, while Mr Bogdan Grosu, Service Manager, explained the importance of digitalization in providing timely and high-quality services for the Wilo clients in a very well structured digital & management tour.

The video presentation of the new Wilo Hub in Romania can be accessed here.

A building from the future: modern, energy-efficient, sustainable

After almost two years since the starting date of the project, the new Wilo headquarters in Romania is fully operational and ready to respond to all demands on the local, regional and European market, while displaying the highest quality standards.

”It has been a real pleasure for me to have followed the construction of this special building with so many functions: from idea, to design, to construction, to finalization and now to habitation”, stated Mr. Marco Middag, Group Vice President Sales Area Europe East.

The modern design of the new building reflects the company values and mission of placing the client at the core of all activities. Likewise, the entire construction has been projected in a special way, in order to offer a pleasant working environment for all Wilo employees. The welcoming and bright reception lounge, the beautiful green spaces, the networking spots, the coffee shop, the presentation, trainings and events areas, as well as the interactive zone, designed as a digitalized showroom for displaying and explaining the Wilo solutions – all create and encourage open communication and are an invitation to discovering the Wilo universe through a better understanding and interaction process with the people, the environment and the products.

”Our goal is to transform the Wilo hub in an example for all projects in our industry. It is especially designed to ensure the best conditions for a wide area of activities: from commercial and daily communication, to creative and efficient demos and trainings, so important in the innovation processes that characterize our Wilo initiatives, products and services”, clarified Mariana Corlaci, Marketing Manager Wilo Romania.

The new headquarters in numbers

6,9 million euros - Total investment

18 months – Duration of construction

A total surface of 11.000 square meters with 6.500 square meters occupied, respectively 5.500 square meters of usable space

1.800 square meters of offices, training rooms, demo spaces, a coffee shop, networking & interaction spaces;

2.000 square meters of storage

350 square meters of service shops

500 square meters for an assembly unit

200 square meters cafeteria

100 square meters locker-room

280 square meters for technical areas and 70 parking places for clients & employees

You can access the entire video hybrid LIVE event here.