RUF Maschinenbau celebrates its 20th location anniversary

There are several significant dates that have shaped RUF Maschinenbau. First and foremost is of course the founding of the company 55 years ago and the sale of the very first briquetting press almost 40 years ago. In retrospect, the relocating of “Trial run operation” to the Hausener Str. 101, Zaisertshofen in 1995 was also of a significant importance. As just 9 years later, i.e. 20 years ago, the relocation to the new address was completed. “Thus, we finally laid the foundation for our steady growth”, says Roland Ruf, who currently runs the business together with his brother Wolfgang Ruf.

Both sons of the founder Hans Ruf were already on board the company at the time of the relocation. They still remember well how the steady increase in incoming orders for briquetting machines made the relocation indispensable. “Thanks to the foresight of our father, at the Hausener street we had the required large premises with 8,000 square meters at the time”, explains Wolfgang Ruf. Accordingly, 20 years ago the entrepreneurial family built an office building at the current headquarters and two modern halls for the parts production and assembly. Briquetting machines are still being manufactured here and used all over the world.

Consistent growth rate of 10 percent

At the time of the relocation in 2004, the Zaisertshofen specialist for briquetting machines employed a total of 45 employees. In the same year, a few more were added with the founding of the first foreign company in United Kingdom (Fauld). This was followed by the establishment of branches in the USA (Elyria, Ohio) as well as in Slovenia (Radovljica) and the takeover of C.F. Nielsen (Baelum), a Danish specialist for mechanical briquetting and extruder pressing.

Thanks to numerous innovations, investments and the foresight of the owner family, the RUF Group has been able to achieve an average annual growth rate of about 10 percent over the past 20 years. The number of employees has also increased significantly. Today, a total of 190 persons work for Ruf Maschinenbau GmbH & Co.KG. Only in Germany they are almost 130. Today, there are nine production halls with two integrated administrative areas on a total of 14,000 square meters at the location in the Upper Swabian district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria. These are all equipped with photovoltaic systems, generating a module output of almost 1,700 kWp. Thanks to this and other measures the company has been climate-neutral for several years.

Interview with Roland Ruf

RUF has always been a Zaisertshofen company, i.e. since 1969. Where is exactly its origins?

My parents, Hans and Helga Ruf, founded the company directly next to our house in the Tussenhausener st. Here, my grandparents originally ran a farm and they built this building for their new business idea. This is just about one and half kilometers from the current location, but is located in a residential area that would not have offered room for further growth.

When did you and your brother join the company?

We already spent lots of time in the company as teenagers and took on various small jobs. Then, my brother officially joined the company in 1993. I myself joined once I completed my electrical engineering studies in 2004.

And since when both of you act as managing directors?

It all went very smoothly and well planned. Bit by bit our father gave us more responsibility. Then in 2012 both of use received the first partial handover and four years later, i.e. in 2016, we finally also took over the management.