Retrofit at Franz Carl Nüdling

Declining orders and rising material prices are putting pressure on companies and making necessary investments difficult. Nevertheless, F. C. Nüdling Betonelemente GmbH + Co. KG was able to completely overhaul its concrete palisade production facilities – thanks to a retrofit with Siemens Financial Services.

Since the 1970s, palisades have become a standard feature in landscaping. They typically serve a dual purpose: they stabilize and secure embankments or small slopes while also serving as edging for flower beds or paths. For F. C. Nüdling Betonelemente GmbH + Co. KG, stone and concrete palisades are a key pillar of its business. As part of the Walls and Support Elements product line, they make a significant contribution to total sales revenue. High-volume production takes place at a specialized facility at the company’s Fambach production site in Thuringia, where the equipment was in urgent need of an upgrade after 20 years of service. The control system had been in use for about 30 years, and procuring replacement parts was becoming increasingly challenging. In addition, the handling system for packaging urgently needed to be replaced with a new robotic system due to significant wear and tear. These are just a few of the factors that prompted FCN to modernize the facility.

Specific and system-level objectives for the modernization

In general, the palisade production process should be brought up to the current state of the art in terms of mechanical, control, and software systems. In doing so, the safety concept and material flow should be optimized.

Enabling investment in a complex environment

Since the industry had already experienced a significant slowdown by that point, F. C. Nüdling Betonelemente was keen to find a quick solution that would preserve its liquidity. Siemens Financial Services was able to meet these requirements with a retrofit proposal. It involved extensive modifications and upgrades that brought the machine up to the latest technical standards. The modernization was financed through a lease-to-own model valued at more than 1.5 million euros with a term of 72 months. As is customary with this model, ownership automatically transfers to the lessee at the end of the contract term.

Retrofit as a sustainable solution

Despite the substantial cost, the retrofit represents a more economical and, at the same time, more sustainable solution compared to a complete new purchase. All in all, the retrofit not only involved a significantly lower investment cost but also enabled faster project implementation and, ultimately, a shorter interruption in production. Consequently, Bernhard Pilz, Managing Director of the Franz Carl Nüdling Group, can draw an entirely positive conclusion:

The FCN Group, headquartered in Fulda, Hesse, specializes in the manufacture of building materials made from natural stone and concrete. The company is known, among other things, for its high-quality paving stones and palisades. These products are used in residential, industrial, and high-rise construction, as well as in road construction and gardening and landscaping.