Hello Robert, hello Andreas! Great to have you with us. Let’s jump right in with the most impor­tant ques­tion: Who exactly is the UMF team?

Robert Rettich: UMF is made up of two parts – an oper­a­tional team and a strategic one. The oper­a­tional side includes our Facility Managers, which consists of jani­tors and indus­trial elec­tri­cians. They’re split into two groups led by Uwe Schelkle and Markus Enderle. Their work covers a wide range of everyday tasks, often behind the scenes, that keep our build­ings running smoothly.

Then there’s the strategic team which I lead. We’re respon­sible for all reno­va­tion and construc­tion projects at the site, for devel­oping the loca­tion, and currently for imple­menting the legally required energy manage­ment system.

Alto­gether, there are thir­teen of us in the UMF team. For larger construc­tion projects, like the new corpo­rate restau­rant, we bring in external experts like archi­tects, tech­nical plan­ners for building systems, struc­tural engi­neers, energy consul­tants, and special­ists in kitchen tech­nology.

What are some of your typical tasks on the oper­a­tional side?

Robert Rettich: It’s a wide range of respon­si­bil­i­ties. By providing build­ings, work­spaces, and the neces­sary infra­struc­ture, we ensure that employees have access to every­thing they encounter in their daily routines and need to carry out their work. That includes ensuring a stable energy supply so that all equip­ment works prop­erly and the heating is reli­able throughout the site.

We also take care of setting up meeting rooms for internal events, keeping work­spaces clean every day, and making sure coffee machines and beverage dispensers are stocked and func­tioning. Many of these tasks happen outside regular working hours and are often carried out in coor­di­na­tion with external service providers.

So, in a way, you’re an essen­tial part of employee satis­fac­tion. Espe­cially when the coffee machine isn’t working!

Robert Rettich: (laughs): Exactly. And when it snows, we make sure the paths are cleared so everyone can get into the building safely. We’re also involved in events. Every table setup and every food cart you see is connected to power and water by our team. Main­taining the green spaces around the site is also part of what we do.

Then we’d like to take this moment to say thank you for every­thing you do! Now let’s talk about the new canteen – or rather, the new corpo­rate restau­rant. Why build a new one, and what’s the goal?

Robert Rettich: Our goal is to offer our colleagues a more attrac­tive dining expe­ri­ence throughout the entire day. Right now, we only have a snack break and lunch service, with nothing in between. But our working hours have changed. It’s no longer just the classic shifts from 6:00 to 15:00 or 17:00. Many people start later and work into the evening. With the new corpo­rate restau­rant, we want to offer more flex­i­bility. One idea is an “All Day Counter” where you can get cereals, coffee, pastries, fruit salads, and similar items throughout the day. It’s also a place where you can meet for a coffee or a slice of cake. That adds to the feel-good atmos­phere and makes the offer more diverse.

That sounds like a completely new expe­ri­ence!

Robert Rettich: It is. Our current cafe­teria is defi­nitely showing its age. The kitchen area is far too small, and the layout makes it diffi­cult for our catering partner to work effi­ciently. At the moment, we use a “cook and chill” system. Main meals are pre-cooked at Gastromenü in Ulm, chilled, deliv­ered to us, and then reheated in the cafe­teria.

In the new corpo­rate restau­rant, we’ll keep the current menu struc­ture – two stan­dard meals plus a special – but the way the food is prepared and presented will change signif­i­cantly. Instead of ‘cook and chill’, we’re switching to fresh cooking. That means dishes like stir-fried noodles or vegeta­bles will be prepared on the spot and served imme­di­ately. This gives our catering partner much more flex­i­bility in how they combine main dishes and sides.

Andreas Gantert: One of the high­lights will be the ‘action counter’. Colleagues will be able to watch as, for example, pizza dough is rolled out, topped, and baked right in front of them. It’s a kind of open kitchen concept that adds a whole new atmos­phere to the corpo­rate restau­rant.

That sounds fantastic! How is the construc­tion progressing, and what does it mean for everyone here at the site?

Andreas Gantert: We’ve already completed several prepara­tory steps for the new building. It’s not just about creating a new restau­rant; thep­ro­ject also includes the reno­va­tion of Building A2 and a broader reor­ga­ni­za­tion of our infra­struc­ture.

One major mile­stone was the infra­struc­ture project that preceded the construc­tion and is now nearing comple­tion. It tackled two key areas. First, we’re restruc­turing the site’s energy supply. Currently, the trans­former station “D6 alt” isn’t connected to the one in Building B. That means we can only use the solar power gener­ated on the parking deck in Build­ings B and D6, but not across the rest of Site 1.

Robert Rettich: That’s why we’ve inte­grated a new trans­former station into the corpo­rate restau­rant, which will replace “D6 alt.” This will allow us to distribute every kilo­watt hour of elec­tricity we produce across the entire site, cover our own energy needs, and increase our level of energy inde­pen­dence. It also opens the door to install addi­tional solar panels on our rooftops.

The second part of the project involved rebuilding the entire IT network. The new infra­struc­ture is not only more modern but also signif­i­cantly more robust. It’s completely redun­dant, which means it offers much greater protec­tion against outages.

So now the real construc­tion work can begin?

Robert Rettich: Exactly. With these prepa­ra­tions in place, we’re ready to start the reno­va­tion. The demo­li­tion corpo­rate is sched­uled to arrive next week (calendar week 34), and visible demo­li­tion work will begin in week 37. After that, we’ll move straight into the struc­tural construc­tion phase.

However, a project of this scale defi­nitely has some disrup­tions, right?

Robert Rettich: Defi­nitely. As soon as the demo­li­tion exca­vator starts, we’ll notice the impact. There will be noise, dust, and tempo­rary changes to walking routes and internal move­ment across the site. Unfor­tu­nately, that’s unavoid­able. Our goal is to keep the incon­ve­nience for everyone as minimal as possible.

Andreas Gantert: For example, the meeting rooms from Building A1 will be relo­cated to the Kekeisen building during the construc­tion phase. The main logis­tics route between Build­ings B and C1 will also be affected by construc­tion traffic. To manage foot traffic, we’re reor­ga­nizing access to the build­ings. There will be sepa­rate entrances for Build­ings B and C, one for Building A, and another for the D build­ings. We’ll also set up a central loca­tion where plans and updates will be posted, so everyone can stay informed. It’s a great way to keep commu­ni­ca­tion around the project trans­parent and acces­sible.

Robert Rettich: That’s right. And with the construc­tion of the new corpo­rate restau­rant, the current cafe­teria will need to be disman­tled. We’re committed to contin­uing to offer lunch service, but there may be a short period, maybe a week or two, when we’ll need to switch to packed snack bags.

So, what happens next, exactly?

Robert Rettich: The reno­va­tion will take place in two phases. First, the new corpo­rate restau­rant will be built. Once it’s up and running and the test phase is success­fully completed, we’ll begin disman­tling the old canteen. From that point on, a lunch service will be provided in the new corpo­rate restau­rant.

We’re not just building a modern kitchen; we’re also creating new spaces for people to spend time. The furni­ture will be varied, ranging from tradi­tional tables to lounge chairs, so everyone can find a spot that suits them, whether they’re looking for a quiet break alone or a place to meet with others. The lighting will also change. Warm light will help create a relaxing atmos­phere that invites people to unwind.

Andreas Gantert: Another new feature is that the space previ­ously used as the casino will no longer be sepa­rate. It will be inte­grated into the corpo­rate restau­rant, adding nearly a hundred extra seats. That gives us more flex­i­bility, espe­cially during peak times, and elim­i­nates the need for reser­va­tions. Guests will be seated right along­side employees.

To wrap things up — what’s your personal high­light in this major project?

Robert Rettich: For me, it’s the fact that Site 1 is being clearly strength­ened, espe­cially from a sustain­ability perspec­tive. With this new building, we’re making a conscious effort to work with the space and struc­tures we already have. What we’re creating isn’t just meant to last ten years, it’s designed for the next thirty, forty, even fifty years. It’s built for future gener­a­tions, both in terms of size and quality. For me, it’s a strong commit­ment to the Laupheim site.

Andreas Gantert: I’m excited for the project to finally start. You can really feel how much passion has gone into it. The new atmos­phere we’re creating will be some­thing special.

And what would you like to share with your colleagues as the project moves forward?

Andreas Gantert: A sense of antic­i­pa­tion for what’s to come!

Robert Rettich: And a bit of patience and under­standing for the disrup­tions along the way. We’re doing our best to keep the impact as low as possible. In the end, we’ll have a corpo­rate restau­rant and reno­vated build­ings that truly enhance the campus.

A big thank you to Robert, Andreas, and the entire UMF team! There’s a lot to look forward to. And to all our readers, we’ll keep you posted, because there’s also a brand-new concept for the outdoor area. More on that soon!

Project mile­stones: