After bankruptcy

Construction site worth millions: future still unclear

Work on the construction site in Pinsdorf has been suspended since the beginning of the year. The site is monitored by video cameras.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Windhager had planned to invest around 100 million euros in Pinsdorf to build a heat pump plant in Upper Austria. Due to insolvency, work has been at a standstill since the beginning of the year. The fate of the site, including the building shell, is still unclear.

It has been clear since the end of February that BWT is the new owner of heating manufacturer Windhager. At the WEBUILD energy-saving trade fair in Wels, a joint presentation by the two brands therefore attracted visitors.

But what will happen to the mega construction site in Pinsdorf, where Windhager originally wanted to build a heat pump plant? Since the beginning of the year, when Windhager's financial turbulence became known, work directly next to the B145 federal highway has been suspended. Whether and when it will be resumed is currently not foreseeable.

42 million euros in creditor claims recognized
"The liquidation proceedings are underway, but the sale is still being finalized," says Aliki Bellou from Kreditschutzverband 1870 in Salzburg, where the audit meeting of Windhager Logistik GmbH, which is behind the plant, also took place on Wednesday. The cash flow analysis by insolvency administrator Johannes Hirtzberger revealed that 42 million euros in creditor claims have been recognized to date.

BWT boss has expressed an interest
It remains to be seen how much money they will still see. According to an expert opinion from January, the construction site is worth just under 48 million euros. However, it is possible that the site could be sold for considerably less. In any case, BWT boss Andreas Weißenbacher has publicly expressed his interest.

Other companies have come forward
The fact that around 90 jobs were to be lost at Windhager despite the rescue by BWT caused a lot of anger. "However, many companies have contacted us looking for employees," says Daniel Mühlberger from the Pro-Ge trade union.