German Konplan builds a beverage line development center in Pilsen

Plzeň - The Plzeň-based company Konplan, which designs and constructs lines for beverage manufacturers around the world, is building a development and office facility in the Borská pole industrial and business zone in Plzeň, near the campus of the University of West Bohemia. The number of employees, which it currently has in rented offices in the city center, is expected to double to 300 thanks to this project. The company has a production facility and a parent company in Neutraubling, Germany. It is a significant supplier of beverage lines, for example, for Plzeňský Prazdroj, said Deputy Mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) to ČTK.

Construction of the six-story building on the purchased land began in September and will be completed by next autumn. "They are currently in Avalon (Business Center) and it is no longer sufficient for them," Šindelář stated. According to him, this is a welcome investor in Borská pole, which has already been nearly fully occupied by investors. "It's an innovative company whose products have high added value. The project was introduced by German investors about three years ago," he noted. The building, designed by architect Jiří Zábran, will also be architecturally interesting, according to the deputy.

According to the company's website, Konplan has been part of Krones AG for over ten years, which employs 1,800 people and is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of beverage lines and entire factories for liquid foods. It provides engineering services in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and information technology. The company primarily designs and constructs filling lines and cleaning machines, such as bottle washers. In Neutraubling, machines are assembled and commissioned according to the blueprints from designers in Plzeň.

Among its largest customers are Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Heineken. In the Czech Republic, Konplan employees contribute to lines for the Prazdroj brewery and mineral water manufacturers Mattoni and Poděbradka.

Konplan started in Plzeň in 2007 with five employees; now it has 160 and aims to have 300 by 2020. Due to the growing volume of orders from around the world, it is mainly looking for technicians with language skills. The company has been supporting German language education at the mechanical engineering school in Plzeň for 2.5 years.