New production line for Feiter Betonsteinwerk commissioned at Xanten plant

“As early as on March 7, 2023, the first paving block was manufactured on our new production line in Xanten – far ahead of the originally scheduled commissioning date in early June,” Managing Director Matthias Feiter happily welcomed his guests, Richard Trappe, Managing Director of HS Anlagentechnik, and Silvio Schade, BFT International editor-in-chief, to the Xanten plant at the end of June. “For this major effort, I would like to say a big thank you to all parties involved in the project.”

But first things first: In 1961, Rudolf Feiter Sr. added the sale of sand and gravel to his farming business after he discovered large deposits under his arable land. Using his entrepreneurial mindset and inventiveness, he went on to implement the production of basement blocks for housing construction in 1964. In order to use the available raw materials even more efficiently, Rudolf Feiter Sr. began producing paving blocks with the active support of his wife, Käthe. Yet he was hardly able to manage the generated demand on his own, which is why the four sons Hermann-Josef, Rudolf Jr., Leonhard and Ludwig Feiter joined the business in the period from 1973 to 1981.

Successfully shaping corporate succession

Since the business ran out of space at the Heinsberg site in the mid-1980s, the family decided to build a new concrete block plant with two production lines at the Linnich site. At the same time, a new gravel pit was set up in the same location for extracting and processing the raw materials directly on-site. The Heinsberg site continued operations as a gravel pit for raw material extraction. At the same time, the four sons took over management and ensured steady and successful development from then on. In 1992, continuous growth led to the commissioning of another production line. In 1998, the concrete plant in Xanten was taken over and continued operations.

To meet the challenges of corporate succession in today’s world and to manage the resulting opportunities and changes in a long-term, structured manner, the company was split into two separate legal entities, Feiter Verwaltungs GmbH and Feiter Betonsteinwerk GmbH, in 2018. In the latter, Alexander, Joachim and Matthias Feiter, representing a new family generation, assumed management responsibility between 2004 and 2013 to oversee the entire operating business with the active support of the previous generation, with the aim of attracting and retaining customers by displaying a down-to-earth attitude combined with creativity and close ties to customers. Today, the company employs about 35 people at the Linnich plant and 13 people at the Xanten plant.

Only ten months construction time until commissioning

As mentioned above, production in the new facility was launched three months ahead of schedule. Matthias Feiter particularly praised the excellent interaction of all parties involved in the project: “This includes not only the Haarup mixers, the Hess RH2000-4MVA block-making machine, the large-chamber system from HS Anlagentechnik and the air recirculation system from CDS, but also suppliers such as Assyx for the production boards, VHV for the double belt conveyor and flat feeder, or Bikotronic for the control system – everything went exceedingly smoothly. Special thanks are thus also due to UBO Engineering for the overall project coordination. Other suppliers include Spenner for the cement, Rhein-Chemotechnik for the concrete chemicals and Harold Scholz for the Grapados 6 granule metering system and the pigments.”

Danish manufacturer Haarup supplied three units at once: a 330-liter mixer for the face concrete, a 2,000-liter mixer for the core concrete and a 1,000-liter mixer for the so-called pick-up concrete.

HS large-chamber system and CDS air recirculation system

Richard Trappe from HS Anlagentechnik was also full of praise: “We are pleased about the trust Feiter put in us for this fairly sizeable contract – after all, we are talking about a large-chamber system providing a capacity of 5,940 boards, which extends over 15 aisles and includes 11 stacks and 36 levels each measuring 200 mm. The smooth cooperation made it possible to complete the installation process very quickly.”

This large-chamber system including a HS buffer rack for 2,700 boards was designed as a free-standing outdoor version complete with roof and wall, but without additional anchoring. The setup was complemented by the tried-and-tested HS “Snap-In” system with continuous board guide and the ZM310 custom zinc plating finish, which, according to the manufacturer, is significantly superior to conventional batch galvanizing.

A constant temperature and humidity is ensured by the CDS recirculation system. With three powerful high-performance fans, effective circulation is guaranteed within the large-chamber system. In addition, a sensor-controlled exhaust fan ensures that humidity is limited (e.g. to 90% RH). Other advantages include faster curing, lower susceptibility of the concrete products to white bloom, and no condensation.

Wide range of products

“Not least thanks to the new production facility, we are now in a position to offer our public and private customers a wide range of products,” Matthias Feiter continues. Besides quarry stone and ceramic products, the range primarily includes standard concrete paving blocks, design pavers, eco-pavers, sidewalk slabs, Clubline wall blocks, and design elements such as planter blocks, drainage systems, block steps, palisades, shuttering blocks, curbstones, U- and L-shaped blocks, hollow blocks, and shear walls.

“Quite clearly, the business is poised to grow further, which is also reflected by the increased demand for skilled workers. For example, we are currently looking for a warehouse specialist, an agricultural machinery fitter, a sand/gravel processing mechanic, a plant operator/industrial mechanic and a forklift operator/order picker for the Linnich plant, as well as for a plant electronics technician for the Xanten site,” concludes the managing director.