September 12, 2017 | 15:00
Companies: #alphacool #aquatuning
It's been 15 years since Aquatuning was founded, and now it's one of the market leaders as far as resellers of water-cooling and modding hardware in Europe go. As a result, Aquatuning has just expanded, and we're visiting the brand new HQ. At 7,000 square meters, it certainly isn't small and is a far cry from the small garage in which it started. Alphacool, meanwhile, is a brand that most water-cooling fans will already know, and it too has grown alongside Aquatuning to become the preferred choice of many, not only for modders or end-users, but for industrial users too. Alphacool is also used as an OEM for some very well known brands, so it's always interesting to take a look around and seeing what's going on.
So, let's take a look around the shiny new building and see what this new building has to offer.
One of the main reasons for the move to a new HQ is that Aquatuning has a lot of products and brands that are shipped directly from its warehouse. There are over 150 tonnes of stock, most of which is modding and water-cooling supplies. Although Alphacool is the preferred brand, there are other brands available such as Monsoon, Swiftech, and Aquacomputer. Storage is always a problem once a business starts to expand, and Aquatuning addressed this issue with this huge warehouse.
Automated cranes take workers to the location where the product is stored, and you can simply take one and then pass it to the dispatch team. This saves a lot of time, as each product has a code, and the picker is told exactly where it is.
Aquatuning also creates its own purified water. This is done through reverse osmosis and saves having to outsource. Little things like this save money and also help ensure a consistent quality.
In fact, if Aquatuning can do it itself, it does. It often creates its own desks or equipment to help it run more efficiently. There is a nice little workshop with tools so that if you need anything making, you can do it - this is definitely a company with modding at its heart!
Certain products such as pumps come into Aquatuning in large boxes and are then repackaged on site to improve space efficiency and reduce costs.
The Aquatuning team is constantly growing to meet demand, and this can be seen in the offices. At the last HQ, space was limited and there weren't many opportunities for expansion, but now the opposite is true. It seems multiple monitors are a must (we agree), as most tables have three or four.
Aquatuning and Alphacool are very proud of the products they've created, and this is clear as you walk through the building. There are multiple areas where products are on display, both physically and in artwork.
Personally, I love to see things like this, even if it's just for the simple reason that it allows me to geek out while waiting for a meeting or having lunch. It may seem an obvious thing to do, but some companies just don't bother.
Aquatuning and Alphacool try to ensure that their staff are as happy as they can be, offering free healthy snacks and drinks, for example. They also have a nice recreational area where staff can unwind in between work. This is something that is shared at bit-tech, and we do have some things to keep our minds and hands busy when in the office but nothing quite so large as the gaming room Aquatuning has!
Now, although I am a huge fan of water-cooling and modding, this is where Aquatuning/Alphacool excels in my eyes and has become a personal favourite company. I have never seen a company so family orientated; if you have children, that's no problem, as they have created a play room for them! It was really heartwarming to see all the staff and their children talking and playing with each other like one big family.
Day one was all about touring the offices and talking about things to come in the future, but day two was all about the family fun day. Let's check out what happened!
October 14 2021 | 15:04
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