The new production building in Roding.

Crown Equipment has opened a new facility in Roding, Germany.

With a production hall and office premises covering nearly 12,000 sqm (129,000 sqft.), Roding is a key production facility in Crown's global manufacturing network.

While Crown will continue to operate an existing plant nearby, the new facility will enable the forklift manufacturer to significantly expand its European production capacity.

Last year, Crown opened its new European headquarters in Feldkirchen and a new parts centre in Pliening - both are near Munich. The new Roding plant is Crown's third major investment in Germany to support the company's ongoing growth in Europe.

Roding mayor Franz Reichold, speaking at last month's opening ceremony, praised the manufacturer's commitment to the region. "Crown was prepared to invest in the company and stay loyal to the town of Roding. On behalf of the townspeople, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks."

District councillor Franz Löffler said: "Today, a major part of the world economy has settled in our district. All of us - town, district and local inhabitants - are delighted."

Ken Dufford, Crown vice president, Europe, said the Roding facility was a milestone in the history of Crown in Europe. "Not only is the building a triumph of architectural design, embodying state-of-the-art production technology and functionality, it also conveys a powerful sense of high-tech potential, demonstrating that Crown has plans extending far into the future."

Dufford says thanks to the new building, Crown is well prepared for future market growth and ideally situated to continue expanding in the European market.

Crown has been manufacturing in the Bavarian town since 1986. What started as a production site for hand pallet trucks and single components is today a major facility producing large numbers of forklift models for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and other global markets, from pallet trucks and low-level order pickers to reach trucks with lift heights of up to 13 m (43 ft.).

The prize-winning ESR 5200 Series reach trucks and the popular GPC 3000 Series order pickers are manufactured in Roding. Together with Crown's QuickPick Remote order-picking technology, the GPC 3000 trucks won an international forklift truck of the year award last May.

Crown says its vertical integration concept is unique in the industry; most components in Crown products are developed and manufactured in-house.

Crown director of manufacturing Mads Andreasen says: "This allows us to maintain tight control of product quality and sustainability, while enabling us to respond flexibly to specific customer requirements.

"The modular design of our lift trucks means spare parts are readily available because identical components are used across multiple series and models. Producing these shared components in-house positions Crown to meet the high-quality/competitive price challenge."

Crown Equipment Corporation's global headquarters is in New Bremen, Ohio, USA. It has regional headquarters in Australia, China, Germany and Singapore. Its employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and its service and distribution networkhas more than 500 retail locations in more than 80 countries.