Stade sits on the Lower Elbe, around 45 kilometres west of Hamburg. For the aviation industry, the town is a production location of its own weight. The Airbus plant in Stade builds vertical tail planes from carbon fibre reinforced plastic and the upper wing covers of the A350. Hexcel produces composite materials for aviation at the same location. The CFK Nord research centre and the Fraunhofer facility for composite technology are based here as well.
ARTS Experts runs a branch office in this environment. We spoke with Ralf Kimmel, Holger Müller and Angelika Pocelujko about their work, their focus areas and the reasons why specialists stay in the region.
The people behind the branch
Please introduce yourselves and your role at ARTS Experts in Stade.
"We are part of the ARTS team in Stade and support our clients in filling demanding positions, primarily in aviation. We are the point of contact for companies and applicants alike and make sure that the right people and the right projects come together. What makes the work interesting is the close cooperation with our clients and the range of tasks that comes with it."
The focus of the branch
Stade is known as a high technology and aviation location. What characterises the ARTS branch here, and where do you set your priorities?
"We work close to our clients, we know the industry well and we know what matters in complex projects. Our focus areas are technical and industrial roles, production and project management. Regional proximity combined with technical understanding allows us to match companies and specialists precisely."
The industrial roles cover mechanical and structural assembly, surface and composites work, quality inspection and logistics. On the project side, the requests are mostly production planning, industrialisation support and project management for programme ramp ups.
Team and working culture
Describe the working atmosphere and the team in three words.
"Openness, appreciation, cohesion."
Do you have questions for the team?
Current work
Which topics or projects is your team working on at the moment?
"We are supporting several aviation projects with qualified specialists in engineering, production, technical and industrial roles, and project management. At the same time we work every day on attracting new talent into the industry. The combination of technically demanding projects and the range of people we work with keeps the job varied."
Recruiting in the region has become more competitive over the past years. Composites production, structural assembly and quality inspection all require qualifications that take time to build, and the candidate pool is limited. The branch therefore works with long term candidate contact rather than reactive sourcing per vacancy.
Working and living in Stade
Why is Stade a good place to work and to live?
"Stade combines both. There are career opportunities in a technically advanced industry, and the town offers a high quality of life. The historic old town with its timber framed houses, the maritime setting at the harbour and the proximity to the Elbe provide plenty of options outside work. Hamburg is a short trip away for anyone who wants the city. That combination is what makes Stade attractive for many people."
Quick questions
Coffee or Franzbrötchen, the local cinnamon pastry, in the morning?
"Both, ideally. If we have to choose: coffee."
An evening at the Schwinge or a night out in Hamburg?
"Relaxed at the Schwinge during the week, Hamburg at the weekend."
Planned to the last detail or agile and spontaneous?
"Good planning matters, and daily practice shows that flexibility matters just as much. So: a mix of both."
Quick questions
Coffee or Franzbrötchen, the local cinnamon pastry, in the morning?
Both, ideally. If we have to choose: coffee.
An evening at the Schwinge or a night out in Hamburg?
"Relaxed at the Schwinge during the week, Hamburg at the weekend."
Planned to the last detail or agile and spontaneous?
"Good planning matters, and daily practice shows that flexibility matters just as much. So: a mix of both."
Get in touch
Companies in the Stade region looking for qualified specialists in production, technical and industrial roles or project management can reach the branch directly. Candidates find our current openings in the ARTS job portal. Contact our team in Stade directly:
ARTS Experts GmbH at Stade
Große Schmiedestraße 14, 21682 Stade, Germany
Ralf Kimmel, Holger Müller, Angelika Pocelujko
Frequently asked questions about ARTS in Stade
ARTS fills positions at Airbus in Stade, mainly in technical and industrial roles.
The focus areas are component manufacturing and surface work (CNC machine operators, painters, maintenance electronics and mechatronics technicians, composites process mechanics), structural assembly (equipment mechanics, aircraft mechanics, production staff and process mechanics) and procurement and supply chain operations (warehouse logistics specialists, supply chain managers).
Engineering and commercial roles are part of the portfolio as well, for example tooling and jig designers or HR officers.
All positions in Stade are advertised as Temp to Perm. Candidates start through ARTS, with the transition into a permanent contract with the client built into the model.
The Airbus plant in Stade is the group's centre of competence for carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). It produces the vertical tail planes for the entire Airbus fleet, from the A320 and A330 families including the NEO versions through to the A380. Production runs on a largely automated line of around 450 metres.
For the A350, Stade also manufactures the upper wing covers and the upper and lower fuselage shells of section 18/19. At around 32 metres, the upper wing cover is the largest CFRP component in the Airbus production network.
The site further produces landing flaps for the A320 family, spoilers for the A330, vertical tail planes and upper and lower wing covers for the A400M military transport aircraft, the CFRP fuselage shell for the Eurofighter and pressure bulkheads for the A330 and A380 families.
A research and supplier network for composite materials has grown around the plant in Stade Ottenbeck. It includes the CFK NORD research centre, Fraunhofer IFAM, the CFK Valley association founded in Stade in 2004 and today run as the CU Nord cluster within Composites United, the materials producer Hexcel and the PFH Hansecampus.
Yes, ARTS also places career changers in Stade for positions at Airbus. Motivated applicants with a completed craft or technical qualification, or with relevant work experience, have good chances of getting in. Current openings such as production staff, composites process mechanic and warehouse logistics specialist or transport worker show this in practice.
ARTS Group works in Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates, and on projects worldwide. The headquarters are in Dresden, with further offices in Blagnac near Toulouse and in Dubai (DAFZA, Dubai International Airport).
In Germany, our specialists work at around 30 project locations, mostly directly on client sites. The largest include Hamburg and Hamburg Finkenwerder, Donauwörth, Manching, Bremen, Munich, Ulm, Augsburg, Immenstaad, Nordenham, Varel and Stade.
In France we operate around the Toulouse aerospace cluster. From Dubai we coordinate projects across the Middle East as well as our global Aviation Asset Management services.
All project locations at a glance: Project Locations