Two years after breaking ground, Endress+Hauser has celebrated the opening of a new building in Sandton, Johannesburg. Modern offices, training facilities and an auditorium provide an ideal sales and marketing environment for the company.

In the presence of CEO Klaus Endress and numerous guests of honour from government and industry, the new Endress+Hauser South Africa headquarters was officially opened on 3 October 2013. The new building, situated on the existing site, houses more than just spacious offices and meeting rooms for the 80 or so employees in Sandton. Of the 1 500 m² of total floor space in the new building, 600 is dedicated to maintaining customer contact. A spacious reception area, training rooms and a 100-seat auditorium are designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and to further strengthen customer relationships.

In addition to offices and conference rooms, the two-storey open-plan building offers employees social interaction zones and a cafeteria with a covered patio. A direct link to the existing building ensures smooth operation. This original building, which opened in 1987, has been converted into an expanded logistics and service centre, including warehouse, staging area, workshops and a flow calibration centre. In total, the two buildings in Sandton boast 3 700 m² of floor space.

Room for further growth

“This new facility relieves space shortages and provides an ideal environment for working with our customers, ”says Rob MacKenzie, MD of Endress+Hauser South Africa. “We now have the right conditions for further growth in the subequatorial African market.” Endress+Hauser invested R43 millionin the expansion and a high value was placed on an energy-efficient design. The environmentallyfriendly building features a sophisticated air-conditioning system, solar panelsand motion-sensitive lighting.

South Africa is an important gateway to the African continent for Endress+Hauser. The measurement and automation technology specialist established a subsidiary on the southern tip of Africa in 1984. “We are one of today’s leading providers of process control technology,” explains MacKenzie, who oversees around 120 Endress+Hauser employees in South Africa. In order to optimally manage its customers, the company maintainsoffices in four cities around the country, in addition to its headquarters in Sandton. The expanded headquarters also supports sales partners in around a dozen African countries south of the equator. The first Endress+Hauser factory on the African continent is also close by: With 25 employees located in Benoni near Johannesburg, Endress+Hauser Pyrotemp produces temperature sensors for the local primaries, metals and petrochemical industries.