Tönnies builds housing
Plan for single apartments, 2-person apartments, and houses for several families
Rheda-Wiedenbrück, 28 July 2020 – On Tuesday, the Tönnies Group presented their future housing plan for their employees. Central to the plan is the goal of providing those contract employees who will be hired directly by the company in the future with well-equipped housing that meets a defined standard.
By 01 January 2021, Tönnies will focus on using staff employed directly by the company in the core areas of production. Most employees currently hired on a contract basis already live in rented apartments and houses; around 30 percent live in apartments provided by the contract company. Tönnies is particularly keen on building and providing new housing for this group. “Integration and a strong connection to the town are primarily the result of reasonable living arrangements” says Daniel Nottbrock, Managing Director of Tönnies Holding. “We want to create a long-term relationship between these people and our company. And the key to doing this is well-equipped housing at prices that are appropriate for the town and for the market.”
Student residences in Lemgo (Lippe district) will be the blueprint for future accommodation for the employees. The company presented the corresponding plans at a press conference held on Tuesday. The company now also wants to offer its employees housing that meets the standard of the student residences in Lemgo by building new accommodation in the municipalities in the region.
The overall plan comprises three accommodation levels: single apartments, couples apartments and multi-room units. This plan combines the new construction of apartments with the rental of existing objects, which are also sought on the basis of a fixed standard for size and furnishing. For families with more than two persons, Tönnies would like to offer multi-room apartments in existing buildings. “Accommodation in single or 2-person apartments should give the employees an easier start here. In the long term, we would like to integrate the employees in the region and in the labour market”, emphasises Nottbrock. He hopes that it will soon be possible to implement the first projects in the towns.
The new apartments are for one or two persons. The size of the 2-person apartments is around 27 m2. Depending on the building land, the total rent (incl. heating) for the 2-person apartments is between EUR 400 and 450 per apartment, in other words, EUR 200 to 225 per person. The size of the single apartments is around 16 m2. The total rent (incl. heating) is around EUR 300. Each has its own bathroom and a kitchenette, is fully furnished with electrical appliances.
There are also communal rooms in each house for all tenants, which, depending on the arrangement, are equipped with table football or other leisure facilities, as well as laundry facilities and a cellar. Weekly cleaning of the communal areas and property management services are also included.
So that the new build plans can be implemented quickly, the company has also made contact with the municipalities in the region and has already written directly to 21 mayors. “We have a finished plan and could make a building application within 14 days. We now need building land in the towns and districts for implementation of the project” says Daniel Nottbrock, and adds: “With these new apartments, we are also relieving the local housing market”. The proximity to supermarkets and the workplace are important considerations for the location. This will also enable more effective and more focussed transport to the company.