Interview with Alexander Sennebogen
Not only has there been a lot of construction activity at SENNEBOGEN in recent years, but there are also many more new construction and renovation projects on the agenda for the future. We talk to Alexander Sennebogen, who is responsible for plant development and is a third-generation member of the family, about his entry into the company, current projects and goals.
You have officially been working for Plant Development at the company since 2023, but as a member of the family you were already involved before that. How were you introduced to your current role and how did you get started?
Just like my cousins, there was never any pressure for me to join the company. Nevertheless, I developed a connection to the company as a pupil through internships and vacation work and when you finally decide to join, the family is of course all the happier. Even as a child, I enjoyed playing strategy games and thinking about how to make processes more efficient.
The field of production and logistics was an obvious choice for me. Through my studies and work in other companies, I was able to gain extensive experience - from working as a fitter to factory and material flow planning, in various sectors of mechanical and plant engineering.
In 2023, I joined SENNEBOGEN as the person responsible for plant development and started redesigning the pre-assembly for the large machines. In addition to such projects, I am currently going through a trainee program lasting almost two years. I am working in various departments and getting to know the processes there, but above all the people. This is not only particularly valuable on a personal level, but also important in order to know later on how certain processes really work and who the relevant contacts are.
What exactly is plant development?
Generally speaking, plant development means everything that concerns a conversion or new construction at a location, i.e. new machines, buildings and fundamental investments in infrastructure and other things.
At SENNEBOGEN, we like to invest anti-cyclically. This means that we invest precisely when the market is weakening in order to prepare ourselves for the coming upturn. We currently have various major projects underway. For example, we are modernizing the incoming goods department in Wackersdorf. In the first phase, the intralogistics hall has been completely enclosed and fitted with underfloor heating. A new truck lane has also been built. We are now gradually upgrading the entire site, which is more than 30 years old and has been used by many thousands of machines.
In the second phase, we are also integrating a small parts rack, a pick-by-light rack, similar to the one in Straubing. Plant 2 in Straubing has also been undergoing modernization since July. The plan is to move the entire incoming goods area to the north side. This will create new storage space and allow an additional exit via the neighboring property so that the trucks no longer have to turn. The space freed up allows us to redesign the intralogistics. Staging areas can be used, but above all the safety factor in production will increase, as there will be significantly fewer encounters between forklifts, ants, trucks etc.
You've already hinted at this, but now let's take it a little further: How has SENNEBOGEN changed in recent years and what are the plans for the future?
One of the biggest challenges, but also opportunities, is globalization. The different requirements of customers, who configure the machines according to country regulations, area of application and personal preferences, are challenging. This complexity is not only a challenge for technology, but also for procurement and production. Expertise in dealing with the variants must be available everywhere. This requires a high level of basic qualification and a great deal of experience on the part of the employees, because without this it is not possible.
Not only is the machine portfolio growing, but the machines themselves are also getting bigger and the handling of the parts is becoming increasingly challenging - both in the factory and during transportation. Accordingly, the sites are constantly being expanded, with larger and/or additional halls. In terms of shipping, for example, we want to make greater use of the more climate-friendly waterway. Due to the dependence on external influences, shipping the machines is not so easy and will not always work, but the recently approved heavy-duty terminal in the port of Straubing will at least make loading much easier.
"In general, we are working flat out to achieve climate neutrality at all our sites by 2030. We are investing heavily in this area, using wood chip heating, intelligent LED lighting and PV systems. We are also pursuing the goal of using less diesel and instead relying on battery storage, electric forklifts, electric cars and the electric tugger train."
One current project, for example, is to find an alternative solution for heating the assembly halls. We also want to determine the product carbon footprint and the company carbon footprint. In other words, how much CO2 our sites and machines produce in total. This will not only allow us to make better comparisons, but also to counteract emissions in concrete terms. We are also driving forward the digitalization of our products and the company itself, through projects aimed at remotely controlling the machines or introducing the new ERP system: the largest internal project in the company's history. As you can see, there are many plans for the further development of the company. The list could go on and on.
You often represent SENNEBOGEN to the outside world, which SENNEBOGEN attributes are important for you to convey?
SENNEBOGEN is and remains an approachable family business, and we as a family want to give it a face. We think long-term, in generations and in partnerships. This means that when we acquire a new customer, we want to accompany them over a long period of time: From project planning, through the purchase, to after-sales support. We don't want them to have long contact channels, we want to be close to the customer and tangible.
What also sets us apart is still special machine construction. We want to respond individually and hands-on to our customers' tasks and generate the best solution. Our customers should feel that they are important to us, that we will do our best for them, and that their purchase will ultimately make them part of the SENNEBOGEN family. For me, the same applies to our employees and suppliers. They also become part of the family through their commitment.
On a personal note: what inspires you in your private life?
That can easily be broken down into two things for me: sport and nature. I'm very keen on sports and have been playing soccer and inline field hockey for many years. In general, I feel like I've tried everything that has to do with sport. I also enjoy being outdoors or in nature, whether at home in the forest or when traveling. I like to travel to countries that aren't your typical vacation destinations, such as Namibia, Malta, Lapland or the Baltic States - incredibly beautiful cities and landscapes that I can only recommend.