In July, Saertex (Saerbeck / Germany; www.saertex.com) extended its production of unidirectional, bidirectional and multi-axial non-crimp fabrics at its Portuguese plant in Lanheses. With the construction of a further 2,300 m² of production area and the installation of additional machinery, the company's production capacity for glass, carbon and aramid fibre has grown by 50%. Through the expansion, Saertex has also created ten new jobs.

For the expansion project at the company headquarters in Saerbeck, the first groundbreaking event took place at the beginning of July. When the project is completed, the production area will increase by 10,000 m² to a good 50,000 m². The new hall is scheduled for completion in 2017. The plant engineering will be distributed over two levels for better automation of the production processes, which means that the ceiling will have to be able to carry loads of up to two metric tons per square metre. The family company, which claims to be the world market leader in the production of multi-axial non-crimp fabrics with sales of EUR 320m, is also preparing itself for a generation change.

As of 1 July, CEO Bruno Lammers brought his two sons, Klaus and Simon Lammers, into the management team. He intends to devote himself more to innovation and development in future. Klaus Lammers is responsible for marketing and technology, while Simon Lammers heads the fields of human resources, finance and purchasing as well as the subsidiary company, Saertex multiCom. At the same time, the Saertex management board was strengthened by Waldemar Knodel and by Andreas Temmen at Saertex multiCom.