Stoelzle Glass Group announced a major investment in its Heřmanova Huť, Czech Republic, production site, reinforcing its long-term commitment to supplying high-quality pharmaceutical glass packaging across Europe. The project includes a complete rebuild of the site’s amber furnace, together with targeted upgrades to forming, inspection and packaging technologies to increase production capacity, improve energy efficiency and further strengthen supply reliability.
Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026. The furnace rebuild is planned over a 65-day period, with production expected to resume in October 2026. As one of the site’s most significant investments in recent years, the project forms part of Stoelzle’s strategy to modernise its European manufacturing network while supporting customers’ increasing expectations for quality, sustainability and supply security.
The new furnace will feature a complete rebuild, including forehearths and regenerators. The end-port furnace design incorporates an expanded melting area and doubled electrical boosting capacity. Together, these improvements are expected to reduce specific CO2 emissions per tonne of glass melted while increasing production capacity.
In parallel, Stoelzle will modernise key downstream operations through upgrades to glass distribution, forming, inspection and packaging equipment. These investments will further improve manufacturing efficiency, process stability and the consistent high quality required for pharmaceutical packaging.
Leading technology partners for the project include HORN (furnace), Interprojekt (ESP filter), Bucher Emhart Glass (IS machine), MORAVIA GLASS TECHNOLOGY, Heye International and Iris Inspection Machines (cold-end equipment), and B&B (packer).
Maintaining uninterrupted customer supply throughout the rebuild is a key priority. Stoelzle has implemented a comprehensive continuity plan, including increased production ahead of the shutdown and additional support from its Austrian production facilities to ensure continuity of supply while maintaining agreed specifications and delivery schedules.
Hermanova Huť is one of Stoelzle’s key European production sites for amber glass packaging, serving the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries as well as selected food & beverage and mini spirits applications.