SAMSON, a leading international supplier of products and systems to control all kinds of media, announced today that it has signed a deal to sell part of its company site in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The sales transaction is part of the corporate strategy of the medium-sized industrial company. To continue its course of profitable growth, SAMSON took the decision back in 2021 to build a new site for its headquarters and largest production site on the opposite side of the river Main in the city of Offenbach. Construction work for the project named 'MainChange', which is the largest investment and innovation venture ever in the 117-year-long history of the company, already commenced in mid-2023.
The sales deal comprises a plot of land bordering on the river Main, which makes up over one third of the entire premises. The buyer is Tennet, a transmission system operator (TSO) headquartered in Bayreuth, Germany. As part of its operations to future-proof the supply of electricity in Germany, Tennet intends to use the land to extend its power grid infrastructure in the Rhine-Main region.
SAMSON has been located in the east end of Frankfurt since 1916. The established structures, the numerous building extensions and the three public roads that dissect the site hinder SAMSON's future development plans.
Dr. Dominic Deller, CFO and member of the SAMSON Executive Board, explained: "The decision to relocate was made after careful consideration and is consistent with our long-term strategy for sustainable growth." The sales proceeds will be reinvested to partly finance the new site in Offenbach am Main. "This investment will support SAMSON's innovative strength, help create jobs and boost the local economy. We are pleased to hand over the plot to Tennet, who – as a big player in the energy transition process – will play a major role in securing the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources for our region."
With the MainChange project, SAMSON wants to send a clear signal to the German business community and prove that competitive manufacturing operations and a scalable factory-in-the-city are achievable in Germany. "We regard the MainChange project to be a lighthouse project for Germany," commented Dr. Deller. The new electronics manufacturing unit is scheduled to be up and running by mid-2025 already. The relocation of the headquarters from Frankfurt to Offenbach is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Some company units, such as the ROLF SANDVOSS INNOVATION CENTER (RSIC), will continue to operate at their current location in Frankfurt.
The notarial deeds for the sale were signed on 8 April 2024. The ownership of land will be transferred gradually as business units at SAMSON are relocated to Offenbach. SAMSON plans to sell the rest of the premises by the end of this year.