An event labelled the ‘grand opening ceremony’ officially marked the opening of Zünd’s new 3700sqm facility in Letchworth Garden City, UK this week. Notable attendees included global CEO of the company Oliver Zünd, Nicki Kay, Zünd UK managing director, founder of the company Karl Zünd and Swiss ambassador Markus Leitner.
The company’s event began with the official cutting of the ribbon by Oliver Zünd, who formally opened the building, Acuta House, describing it as a ‘momentous occasion’.
Following the formal opening, guests were welcomed into company’s new UK ‘home,’ gathering to witness the unveiling of the company’s Q-line cutter, the first to be installed in the UK.
As guests waited in anticipation for the curtain-drop to reveal the cutter, Ms Kay expressed gratitude to attendees, also expressing the reason behind the transition to a new headquarters. She said, ‘Moving here was not a snap decision, we did our homework, looked at the map, and chose this spot for its ideal location, great talent pool and the ability to demonstrate all our Zünd cutting systems suited to our very diverse customer base. We are excited about our new home, and we believe it will amplify our capabilities, enhance our collaboration and propel us towards greater successes.
‘Acuta House symbolises our keen vision for the future. From this vantage point we are set to spot new opportunities, ride the waves of change and stay agile in this business world.’
Oliver Zünd added, ‘The decision to invest in a new larger building to create an innovative space for digital cutting systems and to serve as the new home for Zünd UK, underlines the importance of the UK market to Zünd.’
After the speech, the curtain fell, welcoming the Q-line to the UK. The Q22-32D Q-line sat at the heart of Acuta House. The machine is capable of speeds up to 2.8 meters per second ‘twice the speed of our previous cutter,’ stated Tom Scott, Zünd UK sales account manager. Mr Scott added, ‘The cutter is currently only available for the POS and packaging industry, but we are looking to develop it for the textile and composite industries.’
Ambassador Leitner ended the ceremony with closing words, reflecting on his view of the day’s event and Zünd’s new facility, which he said he was very impressed by.
He went on to pay tribute to Swiss SMEs like Zünd who are ‘innovative, creative, agile and responsive’ to the needs of their customers and added that a new free-trade agreement between the UK and Switzerland is currently being negotiated to increase trade and investment both ways. ‘We are big partners. And if Zünd is investing here, it tells me we are on the right track,’ he said.
