Progress from Mönchaltorf: Construction site, teamwork and sustainable innovations

From hard hats to biodiversity and signage: an update from Mönchaltorf

At the Mönchaltorf site of LAEMMLE Produkte AG, something is taking shape over the coming months that will play an important role for the entire LAEMMLE Group: a future centre of excellence for water- and alcohol-based chemicals for the Amstutz, Polyston, Fiesta and Allerno brands. At the same time, numerous smaller and larger projects are underway to further develop the site both visually and functionally. An overview – including a few anecdotes from day-to-day project life.

New building signage – visible, modular and without light pollution

The new signage on the building has been fitted over the past few days and enhances brand recognition within the LAEMMLE Group. It has been deliberately designed to be modular (brand panels), so that individual areas can be flexibly adapted in future – an advantage in a group with multiple brands, product ranges and service offerings.

One detail you wouldn’t guess from the lettering: the brand alignment was, to put it mildly, challenging. (Internal note: “Coordinating the colours and font sizes took us longer than many a project management meeting.”)

Incidentally, a potential eye-catcher had been planned: 3D-printed products that could have been attached to the building. Sounds great – but it wasn’t feasible in practice (costs / stability / weather resistance).

Another deliberate choice: no additional lighting. The site completely dispenses with it to reduce light pollution and avoid disturbing regional biodiversity. A rare statement in industry – but one that rings true in Mönchaltorf.

A heartfelt thank you goes to GRAFITEC AG and all the teams involved for their reliable cooperation and professional execution. Steps like these demonstrate the contribution that precise collaboration makes towards a coherent and reliable overall result.

The story of the entrance sign – or: Why a single sign requires a tonne of concrete

Separate planning permission was required for the driveway signage – plus a foundation of around 1,000 kg of concrete, to remain stable in wind and weather.

And that’s not all: a line-of-sight assessment was also required, so that traffic could see past the sign and not drive into it. (Welcome to Swiss building law.)

Winter construction site: heat recovery system in PostBus size

A larger project is running in parallel: the heat recovery system on the roof is being replaced as part of the explosion-proof refurbishment and is roughly the size of a PostBus. The project required three months of preparation – including a detailed site installation plan, to properly coordinate all work steps, trades and safety requirements with one another. The system is currently being retrofitted for explosion protection; further information and images on this will follow in a separate article.

The work is taking place in January and is being accompanied by a well-coordinated team of 11 specialists and five external companies. Coordination is challenging, but thanks to clear planning it is proceeding in a structured and focused manner.
But only thanks to three months of preparation, detailed installation plans and coordination that felt like a Tetris end level.

The reality on every construction site: Small stories included

This is also part of it:
A damaged lift door, caused by a pallet truck (“Ameise”).
This usually happens to everyone – only very few talk about it.

And one more little detail: the chimney sweep gave the team their very own lucky coin – apparently, a bit of luck between planning permission, concrete foundation and installation plans never hurts.

And because good work needs good conditions:
All the tradespeople involved had warm break rooms, a coffee machine, water and a microwave at their disposal. A detail that is often forgotten – but in times of a shortage of skilled workers worth its weight in gold and greatly appreciated by the teams.