After the start in Dietach

Ochsner is already looking for its next location

Production is now being ramped up at the newly opened plant in Dietach.(Bild: www.ochsner.com)

Despite the energy turnaround, the heat pump market is no "gmahte Wiesn" for Ochsner either: the manufacturer, which has its headquarters in Haag in Lower Austria, is experiencing strong headwinds triggered by the slump in demand in Germany. The new plant in Dietach (Upper Austria) was opened on Tuesday.

A red carpet was rolled out, and work was even interrupted at 10 a.m. so that nothing could disrupt the opening, to which Kari Ochsner and Managing Director Marco Schäfer had also invited Governor Thomas Stelzer. The reason: the opening of the new plant in Dietach.

Kari Ochsner (left) with Managing Director Marco Schäfer (right).(Bild: Barbara Kneidinger)

The site where ZKW previously manufactured vehicle headlights is now home to the heat pump manufacturer. "We want to produce here in three shifts - now we are starting with a one-shift operation," says Ochsner about the site, which is expected to employ up to 50 people. The majority of the employees were taken on by ZKW.

We had a test operation in Dietach until the end of March. The ramp-up phase in production has been underway since the beginning of April - currently in one-shift operation.

Marco Schäfer, Geschäftsführer Ochsner Wärmepumpen

"The hype is coming back"
Although many would think that the trend towards renewable energy means that a company like his has no worries, Ochsner emphasizes: "The heat pump business doesn't run itself. We are feeling the slump on the German market, which means strong headwinds." After the best year in the company's history, however, the company is stronger, says the entrepreneur, who is certain: "The hype will come back."

The so-called evaporators, the external parts of the air/water heat pumps, are now manufactured in Dietach. The main plant in Haag concentrates entirely on the heart and control of the heat pumps. Schäfer already has its sights set on the next stage of growth: The company is currently still looking for a location for the production of propane models.