More local value creation: Krones expands its Taicang facility

Krones has officially inaugurated the expansion of its production site in Taicang, further strengthening its presence in China. Together, the two facilities in Taicang now form Krones’ largest production site outside Germany. Representatives from the Taicang Municipal Government, customers and partners, suppliers, participating construction enterprises, and Krones staff attended the opening ceremony to witness this important milestone together.

Since entering the Chinese market in the 1970s, Krones has been deeply rooted in local development and customer oriented operations, continuously refining its local service system. To closely align with market demands and boost overall service efficiency, Krones has built sales hubs located in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzhen, as well as a production site in Taicang. This nationwide regional layout enables local consultation, rapid technical support, smooth project execution and timely after sales maintenance. It significantly shortens service response lead time and addresses diverse, custom built production requirements of customers across the country. The expanded Taicang site further strengthens the manufacturing backbone of this national network, enabling close synergy between local production resources and nationwide sales and service capabilities.

The site expansion covers a total gross floor area of approximately 74,000 square metres on a site spanning around 120,000 square metres. Of this, about 59,000 square metres are part of the first construction phase.

“With the expansion in Taicang, we are investing in the long-term development of Krones in China,” says Ralf Goldbrunner, Executive Board Member. “We are systematically expanding our capabilities in manufacturing, engineering and service. This enables us to support our customers in the Chinese market even more comprehensively and flexibly.”

Higher Capacity, Broader Filling Line Portfolio

Krones has operated a production site in Taicang since 2004. The heart of the expansion consists of module assembly, complete machine assembly, machine testing, and automated warehousing and logistics systems produced by System Logistics, a member of the Krones Group. With the expansion, manufacturing, engineering, testing and service activities are now even more closely integrated. This shortens coordination paths, increases flexibility and strengthens collaboration with customers.

An aseptic laboratory further enhances the site's quality assurance capabilities. Among other functions, it can validate sterilisation processes for packaging materials and perform chemical and microbiological analyses. This allows key validation steps for customer projects to be supported locally in China.

Smart factory, quality and sustainability

The expansion follows smart factory principles. An intelligent production layout aligns material, production and information flows, while automated high-bay warehouse systems ensure efficient and flexible supply of manufacturing operations.

The same quality standards applied at all Krones production sites worldwide also apply in Taicang. Comprehensive inspections, from incoming goods through every production stage to final acceptance testing, ensure consistently high product quality and reliability.

Sustainability is also an integral part of the site concept. Rainwater reuse systems help reduce freshwater consumption, while intelligent building management systems support efficient energy use.

About Krones

The technology company Krones, headquartered in Neutraubling, Germany, is a leading international developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art machines and complete lines for the areas of process, filling, and packaging technology. Additional products and services from Krones subsidiaries, such as solutions for digitalization, intralogistics, as well as injection moulding and plastics recycling, complement the product portfolio. Krones employs more than 21,000 people worldwide. Sales in 2025 amounted to EUR 5.66 billion. In addition to the listed Krones AG, the Krones Group includes more than 100 subsidiaries and locations worldwide.