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       Over the past fifty years, Swarco has become one of the leading manufacturers of glass microspheres with diameters ranging from 0.1 to 1.8 millimeters. Its production sites are located in the United States, Germany and Austria. The late Manfred Swarovski laid the foundation for Swarco in 1969 when he founded a glass bead factory in Amstetten, Austria. Today, Swarco produces enough road marking material to cover more than a million kilometers of road surface, or 25 times the surface of the Earth.
       Swarco’s newest production facility is now operational. After two years of preparation, the groundbreaking ceremony for the center took place in May 2019 in the Neufs Business Park in Amstetten. Today, three years later, Swarco’s Global Competence Center for Glass Beads officially began operations. 90 employees provide market-leading products for traffic safety and industrial applications in the world’s most modern and sustainable glass bead plant. On June 3, around 250 guests from the worlds of labor, politics, business and the local community gathered for a summer party to celebrate the official opening of the center.
       Swarco CEO Michael Schuch said in his speech that after more than fifty years of successful operation, the original plant on the Industrial Street in Amstetten has reached its capacity. “That’s why we decided to stay true to the Amstetten region and relocate to the new location in Neufert. We have made the largest one-off investment in the company’s history and, with the help of technological innovations and process optimization, have built the most modern and sustainable glass bead plant in the world. Our business partners in 80 countries on all continents will benefit in terms of product quality, product range and service,” said Schuch, who especially thanked all employees for their great efforts in recent months.
       In addition to the innovative production of micro glass beads, the new plant also houses the “Competence Center” of the Road Marking Systems division with a modern laboratory as well as pilot and test facilities. With new technologies and a higher level of automation, Swarco is taking another step towards greater customer satisfaction.
       Peter Tomazic, Vice President of Production and Development at Swarco Road Marking Systems, emphasizes the company’s commitment to sustainability, from planning to construction and operation. “Energy efficiency and pollution reduction are at the core of our production and development work,” says Tomazic. “All electrical processes are powered by Austrian hydropower and other sustainable energy sources. We use waste heat from the production process as energy to heat our buildings. Dust particles from the filter systems are recycled directly at the plant. We also attach great importance to minimizing the environmental footprint of all future Swarco products in the RMS division,” emphasizes Tomazic.
       In addition to the use of green energy and technology, research and development have also become a key focus of the company. “During the construction of the Swarco Global Glass Bead Technology Center and the installation of the machines and equipment, we were able to implement all the results of the developments of recent years. We have successfully automated many process steps and controlled and monitored them more effectively,” explains Peter Tomazic. This not only increases product quality and the availability of machines and equipment, but also improves the supply of products to customers. As the globally connected development department of Swarco Road Marking Systems, the Competence Center constantly strives to optimize products and production processes, make them more sustainable and best prepare for future challenges such as autonomous driving.
       At the opening ceremony, the company demonstrated pragmatic corporate social responsibility and donated money to the Lower Austrian environmental organization Lanius and, more importantly, dedicated time to environmental volunteering. “By building a new plant on green land, we are aware that we are taking something away from nature. So now is the time to give something back to nature. We do this by supporting local initiatives aimed at protecting our precious environment,” added Tomazik.
       The new factory and administration building offers all the amenities to create an attractive working environment. Employees now have access to modern offices and conference rooms, an exhibition hall at the entrance, an elegant restaurant, large information screens throughout the building and even a gym to keep fit.
       Manfred Swarovski would have been proud that his life’s work was carried out in such a brilliant way in Mostviertel, Lower Austria, where the Swarovski story began. During the opening ceremony, Elisabeth Swarovski, member of the Swarovski Supervisory Board and widow of the company’s founder, unveiled a bronze plaque in front of the main building in memory of her husband, an internationally recognized pioneer and advocate of road safety.