The Kopter Group has commissioned Glarus, Switzerland-based architect Dima & Partner to design, plan and construct a 20,000 sqm building for its pre-assembly activities at Mollis airfield.

The design and planning is set to be completed by this summer, with the construction due to start in autumn. After moving into the new building in 2021, Kopter will have the necessary capacity to ramp up production of its SH09 helicopter.

The facility is intended for manufacturing and pre-assembly and will include the production of dynamic components such as rotor blades, gearboxes and rotor heads. Testing rigs and a central warehouse will also be located at this site. Kopter already owns a 4,200 sqm building at Mollis airfield, which will host the final assembly lines and administrative functions.

CEO Andreas Löwenstein comments: “We are very pleased with the appointment of Dima & Partner, a well-known local partner with national and international standing, to build the new facility, which will allow us to work in the best conditions and to serve our customers worldwide."

Kopter expects to achieve an annual production rate of 50 helicopters in Mollis over the next five years, which will lead to an increase in the number of employees from 100 today to around 400. The site will manufacture up to 150 further prefabricated sets of subassemblies that will be supplied to final assembly facilities planned in the US and Asia.