„Why wander far afield when good things are so close at hand?“ The Stölting Service Group has been following this credo for more than 100 years and remains traditionally loyal to Gelsenkirchen. But that's not all. Stölting, one of Germany's leading service providers, is building a new head office on the city's largest development site – the former power station grounds of the Graf Bismarck coal mine. In doing so, Stölting is building a bridge from the past to the present. At the laying of the foundation stone, the cleaning, security and personnel experts emphasised the value of Gelsenkirchen as a location with ideal infrastructure. Stölting CEO Hans Mosbacher stated:
„From Gelsenkirchen, we can quickly reach the entire Ruhr area, Münsterland, Rhineland or Sauerland, wherever our customers need us. In addition, many employees live just around the corner. Short distances are extremely important to us. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the new headquarters. Ten years ago, we had four employees working in a 250 square metre space. Now we are building a six-storey Stölting building. A building that feels like home. Of course, you can never feel completely at home where you work. But when you feel somewhat at home, you can work better. That is the idea behind the atmosphere we are creating here. Creating a home for our employees.“
Stölting managers were particularly pleased about the visit of numerous guests, including Mayor Frank Baranowski and North Rhine-Westphalia Construction Minister Michael Groschek. The individual planning ideas for the new site were explained in detail, and they are impressive. In the immediate vicinity of the former Graf Bismarck coal mine, where high-quality coal was mined until 1966 and then shipped all over the world, hundreds of jobs are to be created. Unlike in the past, however, the high recreational value of the new district is now providing further incentives for companies.
Retail and catering outlets will also be located in the new Graf Bismarck quarter. For walkers, cyclists and business people, it is an ideal environment for taking a break in modern architecture at a historically valuable location. Miners once called their colliery, which was considered one of the most modern of its time, a „Paradepütt“ (parade pit). Today, the old colliery site, the area of the former coking plant and the wasteland of the power station represent the economic awakening of the city's future. It is precisely this area that is of particular importance to Gelsenkirchen's mayor. With the start of construction of the Stölting administration building, Frank Baranowski has also set a milestone.
„This location is of paramount importance for the overall development of Gelsenkirchen. For me, it is truly a milestone in urban development. Here, Gelsenkirchen presents itself as a modern city on the old Rhine-Herne Canal waterway. As in other locations, these newly developed industrial wastelands are our calling cards. A location like this demonstrates Gelsenkirchen's potential. We really don't need to hide in our central location in the Ruhr area. On the contrary: we can be proud of our framework conditions and courageous investors who have recognised what is possible here.“
Rounded off with an entertaining stage programme, the laying of the foundation stone even turned into a small town festival at the end. Among the surprise guests were several boats, which were the first to moor in the new marina. The rapper „Der Wolf“ sang his 90s hit „Gibt's doch gar nicht“ (It doesn't exist) and was wrong. Yes, it does exist. The new Gelsenkirchen with its vision of work, living and leisure right on the Rhine-Herne Canal in the Graf Bismarck district has become a reality. Work on the new Stölting administration building and the design of the surrounding area is expected to be completed in about a year.
Download the Word version of the press release here: PRESS RELEASE_Laying of the foundation stone for Graf Bismarck
