DERIX expands production:
A new dimension in modular timber construction

The new DERIX timber module production hall in Grevenbroich
The module construction team with Markus Derix (2nd from right) and Markus Steppler (3rd from right).

In order to be able to meet this increasing demand efficiently, the DERIX Group has expanded its production to include a 3,000 m² production hall in Grevenbroich, where excavators for lignite mining used to be built. From now on, the natural raw material wood will be processed here into sustainable wood modules that permanently bind climate-damaging carbon.

The DERIX modular construction team, which has so far successfully realised its projects in the company’s production hall in Niederkrüchten, is enthusiastic about the new possibilities and full of zest for action. No wonder, because the order books for serial construction with wood are well filled – and space is needed for the prefabrication of the modules, which leave the factory fully assembled.

Manuel Dahmen and Jesse Zimmermanns, who manage the DERIX Group’s modular construction division, describe the situation as follows:

“We were increasingly reaching the limits of our space capacity here. This year alone, we are producing three accommodation buildings, a school extension and the large “Poppies” apartment building in Amsterdam, for which more than 100 modules are being produced. Our production facility in Niederkrüchten, where BSH beams and X-LAM elements are manufactured, would have been bursting at the seams. We process more than 3,000 m³ of X-LAM just for these module construction orders, which we naturally obtain from our plants in Niederkrüchten and Westerkappeln. It’s a great advantage that our new plant is only around 40 kilometres away from the Niederkrüchten site,” say Dahmen and Zimmermanns happily.

Core-team modular construction in the new production hall in Grevenbroich
from left: Manuel Dahmen, Jesse Zimmermanns, Matthias Funken

In addition to the logistical advantages for production that the new plant in Grevenbroich offers, the location with its proximity to Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf, Cologne and the Netherlands is very advantageous, as this means that the transport of the room cells can be kept short for many projects.

The ambitious modular construction team has now set up in the new office (a modular construction from the company’s own production, of course) in the production hall and is looking forward to implementing timber modular construction at DERIX on a larger scale. According to the experts, modular timber construction is an extremely exciting alternative to conventional construction, especially for private investors and public building owners. In addition to the high quality of execution and the cost-reducing effects of serial production, this climate-friendly construction method also offers a whole range of advantages when it comes to fulfilling ESG criteria, compliance with which is becoming increasingly relevant.

Martin Fauck, Head of the Building Construction and Construction Supervision Office at Erkelenz City Council, is delighted with the DERIX Modulbau team about the new production hall and the resulting increase in capacity: “We attach great importance to sustainability when constructing, remodelling or extending public buildings. It is also an immense advantage if the building can be assembled quickly and smoothly and regular operations can be resumed quickly. This was particularly important for the two school extensions that we realised with DERIX modules. Since 2016, we have already implemented three timber module construction projects with DERIX – the fourth is currently being realised. It’s great that this sustainable and efficient way of building is now being used more and more frequently. I can recommend it and congratulate the DERIX Group on the new production hall,” says Fauck.

Markus Steppler, Sales Manager at the DERIX Group, is enthusiastic about the history of the hall compared to its current use: “I think it’s great that we now have our own hall for building our modules. In addition to all the advantages that the new location offers us, it is also an impressive example of a successful transformation,” says Steppler. “The products that used to be manufactured here were used to mine coal, which was then thermally utilised and released carbon into the atmosphere. Today, on the other hand, we produce high-quality and durable wood modules here that permanently bind carbon and thus reduce the burden on the atmosphere. It’s impressive that we can directly experience the change from CO2-intensive to climate-friendly management here in our new production hall in Grevenbroich,” enthuses Steppler.

Markus Derix, managing owner of the DERIX Group, takes a look back at the company’s own history: “I am very proud when I look at where we are today with our modular timber construction. Since we launched our X-LAM product in 2011, we have been producing prefabricated wall and ceiling elements made of solid wood with great precision. This laid the foundation for even more comprehensive prefabrication – modular timber construction, which we then introduced in 2015 and have continued to expand. The step of now commissioning our own production hall solely for our modular timber construction demonstrates the potential we see in this construction method. I am very much looking forward to realising this potential together with a highly motivated, innovative team at our new production site,” says Derix.