Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating launches operations at its new manufacturing plant in Cheb. It will produce car seats for premium German vehicles
Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating has officially opened its new manufacturing plant in Park Cheb South. The production, warehouse and office premises, with a total area of 27,676 m², were created through the extensive conversion of a former logistics building, which the developer Panattoni adapted to the needs of automotive manufacturing. In the new, modern plant, Grammer will produce high-quality car seats for the German carmaker BMW. The project’s investor and the property owner is the qualified investors fund Accolade Industrial Fund, part of the Accolade Funds platform.
Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating is an international company focused on the development, manufacture and supply of automotive seats and complete seating systems for carmakers worldwide. It was established as a joint venture between the German company GRAMMER AG and the Chinese Jifeng Group. As a result, it combines GRAMMER’s many years of experience in automotive interiors with the dynamic growth and manufacturing base of the Jifeng Group. Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating operates through production plants and development centres in Europe, China and Southeast Asia. In the Czech Republic, the company is now expanding its European presence.
“Our investment in Cheb exceeds CZK 1 billion. At the new plant, we will produce car seats for the new, fully electric iX1 model from the German carmaker BMW. Seat testing and measurement will also take place here, and the operation will include a development centre for seat covers,” says Andrej Abrešek, Plant Director of Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating in Cheb.
In Cheb, Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating has gained full-fledged production facilities that meet the automotive industry’s high demands for quality, operational reliability and efficient logistics. By converting an existing building from logistics to production use, the project also shows that modern industrial properties can respond to tenants’ new needs without the need to build a new facility.
“Our portfolio is created for the real needs of the European economy, and those needs change over time. When Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating was looking for premises for its new production, we were able to offer facilities that could be flexibly adapted to its requirements. For us as an investor, it is also confirmation of how important a role high-quality management of industrial properties plays in maintaining their long-term value. A well-prepared and well-managed project holds its own on the market even when a tenant changes its plans. A change of tenants is a natural part of the life cycle of industrial parks, and I am pleased that in Cheb we are now welcoming another excellent partner,” says Milan Kratina, Chairman of the Board of Accolade Industrial Fund.
The rapid adaptation of the building was precisely what was essential to the project’s success. “The conversion was completed in a short time and required precise coordination of construction works with the technical requirements of the future production. The ability to quickly adapt an existing building to an entirely new operation is a major advantage of modern industrial parks. Grammer Jifeng Automotive Seating can thus start production in high-quality premises without waiting for a new building to be constructed,” says Pavel Sovička, Managing Director of Panattoni for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Even after the conversion, the building maintains an exceptionally high sustainability standard. Upon its original completion, it achieved BREEAM New Construction certification at the Outstanding level with a score of 90.68%, and at the time it ranked among the most sustainable industrial buildings in the world. The building features a photovoltaic power plant, external shading and a system that uses rainwater to flush toilets.
Park Cheb South was developed on a brownfield site on the grounds of a former engineering works. Of the total planned area of 99,025 m², 87,160 m² across three buildings is currently completed. Two of them have achieved BREEAM New Construction certification at the highest level, Outstanding. Grammer has leased a building of 27,676 m² in the park on a long-term basis, which represents roughly one third of the area built to date. Around 30,000 m² of industrial space is still available in the park for future occupiers. This consists of completed halls or space with a valid building permit. During the revitalisation of the entire site, 90% of construction and demolition waste was recycled or reused. Thanks to the expressway link from Cheb, the park has excellent access to the German motorway network. The project thus confirms that the Cheb region is an attractive location for manufacturers connected to the German industry.