Business is going well and Securiton is recruiting more and more employees – and therefore needs more and more space. After 10 years, space is at a premium at head office in Zollikofen. And because the ladies uniforms at Securitas also need more room, office pavilion 1 is now being erected at impressive speed.
When we moved into the Securiton building at Alpenstrasse 20 in Zollikofen in 1965 – which also houses the head office of Securitas – it seemed as if there was enough space for a long time. We even thought about subletting at the start. Over the years, however, the need for space grew more and more, and the existing rooms have been fully utilised for some time now.
The production area at Securiton has undergone a transformation in recent years, with series becoming larger thanks to increased turnover and the increasingly consistent use of modular production. In assembly in particular, this means a significant increase in the space required in order to ensure that larger quantities can be handled smoothly.
In this situation, we had to consider how the necessary space could be made available within a reasonable deadline. After examining various options, the decision was made to build a prefabricated office pavilion behind the main building. After a number of obstacles had been overcome when applying for the building permit, construction work could begin on 11 February 1974. Thanks to meticulous planning by general contractor Frutiger Söhne AG in Thun and good organisation on the construction site, the attractive building can be moved into as early as 1 May.
What sort of space does the new pavilion offer? Once commercial management has moved into the new building, the Securiton engineering office can then be relocated from the second to the third floor. This in turn enables the assembly department – which is also located on the second floor – to carry out the long-needed expansion of around 50%. At the same time, the Securitas warehouse where the new ladies uniforms are to be stored can also be expanded. New offices are also available for Securiton management and Corporate Accounting.
The pavilion brings us some welcome added space. We are convinced that the departments relocated there will feel at home in the modern, bright rooms.
However, as the name suggests, Pavilion 1 is not the last extension in Zollikofen and will be followed by others over the coming decades.