igus Inc. | Frank Blase | Cologne | Germany | President

The igus manufacturing plant can shrink or expand at a moment's notice. Its flexible design keeps it up to speed.

If the awe-inspiring cathedrals that mark the skyline of Cologne, Germany, are a symbol of the city's centuries-old history, the spires towering over the igus Inc. manufacturing plant here represent a view of the future. For one thing, they are Tweety Bird yellow, a color not typically associated with a factory that makes polymer bearings and power-supply chains. But these pylons represent more than an unconventional exterior design. They are an indication of the way work takes place inside. As igus president Frank Blase says, "There's something different going on here."

What's different is the plant's þexible design and how that enables igus to operate þexibly as well. Workers buzz around the enormous space -about the size of three football Þelds - on shiny scooters. Little on the plant þoor is welded down, so machines and modular furniture can be rearranged at a moment's notice. And other features are aimed at convertibility on the þy, such as exposed overhead electrical wiring that allows for easy access. With minimal disruption to the 24/7 production þow, igus can expand, shrink, or relocate entire departments.

"The beauty of the building is that it allows us to see where the business is growing and to react," says Blase, 41.

And igus, which makes more than 28,000 different products used in everything from assembly lines to movable stages for Broadway productions, has to be able to react quickly. Ninety percent of igus' energy-chain orders require custom speciÞcations, for example. The company is in a state of almost constant innovation, developing up to 2,500 new products and model variations a year.