NEW LOCATION FOR

ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Banner on course for expansion with a second business unit

10 million euros invested in a new location in Thalheim near Wels, Austria
Energy storage solutions for critical infrastructure
Focus on technological openness for customer solutions

Leonding, 11 April 2022. Parallel to its Automotive business unit, which traditionally is a major source of sales revenues, Banner is looking for sizeable expansion in Energy Solutions, its second important business segment. As part of this strategy, the Austrian battery specialist is also opening up to new technologies and amongst other products is offering energy storage solutions for critical infrastructure. Against this background, to date ten million euros have been invested in a new Energy Solutions facility in Thalheim near Wels, Austria.

The Banner Group’s new Energy Solutions production centre in Thalheim near Wels became operative in June 2021 and now it is to be opened officially. Some ten million euros have been spent on the new location, which was already an industrial site. Banner deliberately chose this option in preference to ground sealing and the use of undeveloped land. Moreover, in future the premises will be warmed with district heating rather than oil and possess a new lighting system with LEDs throughout. As Andreas Bawart, Banner’s Commercial CEO, states, “These measures are in line with our environmental and sustainability efforts, which we are intensifying at all of our locations.”

A wide range of applications for Energy Solutions

In Thalheim, the production of industrial batteries is being increased significantly. In fact, as a premium supplier of high-performance energy storage solutions and powerful power storage units for mobile and stationary purposes, with its second business unit Banner is truly breaking new ground. The range of possible applications extends from electric forklifts, lifting platforms, self-propelled transport systems, golf carts, safety and emergency power batteries for hospitals or power plants, signalling systems and renewable energies, to electric wheelchairs and the camping, marine and caravanning areas.

Important support for blackout scenarios

As Josef Berger, who heads the business unit, explains, “At Energy Solutions, we develop tailor-made solutions for our customers. The best example in this respect is provided by our energy storage solutions for critical infrastructure, which are employed in hospitals and hydropower plants to counteract blackouts caused by sudden and prolonged power or infrastructure failures. Our safety and emergency power batteries thus offer support and thereby underline our role as an important partner with regard to the availability of the energy reserves needed in such serious situations.”

New growth opportunities and a targeted doubling of sales

Initially, the Thalheim near Wels location has a workforce of 25, but Banner intends to steadily upscale the business unit during the next ten years. This is a plan that the mayor of Thalheim, Andreas Stockinger, clearly welcomes, “I am particularly pleased that with Banner another leading company has settled in the Thalheim district and envisages the further expansion of its new business unit. Many prestigious firms are already located in Thalheim and we offer ideal conditions for additional growth. Accordingly, I wish Banner every success with its enlargement plans.”

Apart from the already well-developed markets in Austria and Switzerland, Energy Solutions main focus will be on Germany and France. Josef Berger, “Our analyses have shown that the traction, semi-traction and standby product areas all offer excellent growth opportunities. What is more, demand in the energy storage solutions market is currently very high and production in Thalheim is already running at full speed. Consequently, the target for our new location is a doubling of future sales.”

Photo: Josef Berger, Andreas Bawart, Thomas Bawart and Mayor Andreas Stockinger at the official opening of the new location

Energy Solutions is open to new technologies

Banner intends to immediately establish itself internationally as a leading provider of energy storage solutions. Therefore, as Josef Berger underlines, the new Energy Solutions business unit has a clear strategy, “In order to achieve this positioning, in future we will adopt an even broader approach and be ready to integrate new technologies. For example, as long as they deliver the promised customer benefits, we have an open mind with regard to the use of lithium technologies in our business area.” The focus is on energy storage solutions that are designed to meet specific customer needs and in this regard, Josef Berger sees individual partner support as offering special potential, “Therefore, in order to develop tailor-made solutions, we will listen even more closely to what in the current economic situation our clients require in terms of intralogistics solutions and process management.”

Captions:

Photo 1: Josef Berger, Andreas Bawart, Thomas Bawart and Mayor Andreas Stockinger at the official opening of the new location

Photo 2: The Energy Solutions product range offers major growth potential

Photo 3: The new Energy Solutions Business Unit premises in Thalheim

Additional photographic material is available from the downloadcenter under https://www.bannerbatterien.com/Downloadcenter