November 03, 2023 I Operations
Harman Opens New Factory to Accommodate Growth, Reduce Emissions
Harman's new Pecs, Hungary-based factory.
Harman has officially open a new Pecs, Hungary-based manufacturing plant to accommodate growth in production for its Martin lighting brand.
Harman retrofitted the more than 107,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to enable it to heat and cool the facility with geothermal energy by using a water-to-water heat pump. Furthermore, electricity for the entire facility will be sourced by onsite solar PV panels in 2024. The activities to lower the manufacturing environmental impact in Pecs are guided by Harman’s bold target to be carbon neutral by 2040. This includes waste reduction efforts in manufacturing operations, 100% of Harman’s manufacturing electricity to be sourced from renewable energy sources, and an overall reduction of electricity consumption in operations by 15%.
“Over the past six years, the Martin brand put into production more than 20 major LED lighting product SKUs with more new products being announced soon, and it is imperative that we not only create more space to meet demand but do so responsibly and in line with our corporate goals,” said Brian Divine, president of Harman Professional Solutions. “The completion of this project is another proof point to our customers that we produce reliable products in technologically advanced facilities while doing so with reduced impact to our environment.”
Prior to the move, Harman Professional shared factory space with Harman Automotive in Pecs. The growth of the two businesses units led to the decision to retrofit a three-story standalone facility for Harman Professional that includes production, warehouse, technical services, and a new contemporary office environment — all contained in one building.
“This was an ambitious project because we set out to design, renovate and move facilities in eight months while conforming to HARMAN’s high construction and sustainability standards without interruption to production,” said Wolfgang Heitmann, Harman’s vice president of supply chain and operations. “The combined contributions of people throughout company and the 300 Harman employees in the new building led to the success of this project which is a model for future builds that will lead us to achieving our carbon neutrality goals over the next decade. We’re very proud of the example we’re setting for the industry.”
