September 10, 2026
Back to the Roots: Bentley Celebrates a Topping-Out Ceremony at Its Founding Site
Bentley celebrated the topping-out ceremony for the latest construction phase of its campus together with representatives from the city and region, project partners, and local tradespeople. The new administrative building and production hall are part of the third development phase of the Bentley Campus, which began in August 2025 with the official groundbreaking.
“When we celebrated the groundbreaking a year ago, we talked about the future. Today, we can already see it,” said CEO Sebastian Büchert. “These two buildings represent more than just expansion. They lay the groundwork for Bentley’s next phase of growth and, at the same time, are a clear commitment to Hechingen, our employees, and the values that have guided us since our founding.”
Under the motto “Back to Our Roots,” Sebastian Büchert reflected on the company’s early days. Bentley was founded in 2009 by Lars Sunnanväder and Milisav “Miko” Obradovic in the former Schober building at Lotzenäcker 3 in Hechingen. What began as a small startup has evolved into an internationally successful MedTech company with nearly 600 employees worldwide today. Even as the company continues to expand internationally, development, innovation, and production remain firmly anchored in Hechingen. The location is and will remain the heart of Bentley.
The development of the Bentley Campus reflects this growth. After moving to Lotzenäcker 25 in 2013, the company moved into the first new building on the current campus in 2018. With the expansion of office space in 2024 and the start of construction on the third office building and an additional production hall in 2025, Bentley is consistently investing in its future at the Hechingen site. Particularly symbolic: With the current construction phase, the company is returning to the very place where the Bentley success story began.
The two buildings mark the next step in Bentley’s development. Approximately 2,000 square meters of additional office and meeting space are being created. The campus is complemented by a 3,200-square-meter production hall featuring AutoStore, expanded storage areas, and laboratories. Completion and occupancy of the new buildings are scheduled for October 2027.
Products "Made in Germany"
Despite increasing internationalization, the company’s connection to the region remains a central component of its corporate strategy. With the further expansion of the campus, Bentley is making a long-term investment in the Hechingen location, laying the groundwork for additional growth, and strengthening its role as an employer in the region. In the coming years, the company plans to create additional jobs, particularly in the areas of production and administration.
At the same time, Bentley is clearly committed to Germany as a manufacturing location and to “Made in Germany” quality. While many companies are relocating manufacturing capacity abroad, Bentley is making targeted investments in expanding its production in Hechingen. A visible example of this is the production of the BeBack catheter, the technology which Bentley acquired in 2022. With the relocation of manufacturing to Hechingen, all Bentley products will be manufactured in Germany in the future and will thus be eligible to bear the “Made in Germany” label.
Furthermore, Bentley is already preparing for its next phase of growth. The company expects additional product approvals in the U.S.—the world’s largest MedTech market—starting in 2028. By expanding the campus and production capacity, Bentley is laying the groundwork to meet future demand from its Hechingen facility.
Sebastian Büchert also used the event to thank the city of Hechingen, the relevant authorities, planners, construction partners, and tradespeople for their long-standing and trusting collaboration. “Many of our development milestones would not have been possible without the support of our partners and the city. With this topping-out ceremony, we would like to thank everyone who is walking this path with us.”
The topping-out ceremony marked the achievement of another important milestone on the path to completing the new campus section. By 2027, an environment will be created that connects development, production, and innovation even more closely. In doing so, Bentley is establishing the physical foundation for the company’s next phase of growth and innovation. The goal is to further strengthen collaboration between teams, bring new technologies to market more quickly, and expand the Hechingen location’s position as the heart of the Bentley Group in the long term.
Group CEO