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be top: The added value of good relations
be top: The added value of good relations

Gone are the days of fighting alone. In business, it is almost impossible to manage a fluctuating economic and complex technological environment on your own. Good business relations are now just as important as technical expertise and skillsets. In the new issue of “be top”, Rittal, Eplan, Cideon German Edge Cloud discuss the potential and importance of working in partnership with customers, particularly in times of crisis and rising expectations.

The Görlitz Christian Hospice Service has a variety of ways of supporting dying people and their relatives, ranging from individual discussions to family weekends.
Friedhelm Loh Group donates to charitable organisations

Together making a difference and providing motivation: The employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group, together with owner Professor Friedhelm Loh, raised €200,000 for good causes in their traditional annual charity collection. The funds are being distributed through the Rittal Foundation to twelve charitable organisations near the company’s locations. Furthermore, international aid organisations involved, for example, in hospice work, in helping physically disabled children and active in worldwide crisis areas will also benefit.

Digitalisation enabler: Creating data spaces and connecting them
How data spaces are helping industry forge ahead

Challenges such as the energy crisis, the transition to an All Electric Society and the need to protect our climate all call for radical measures. There is pressure to change everywhere we look, including – and especially – in industry. So, which solutions are making the transformation possible? The latest issue of “be top” – the Friedhelm Loh Group company magazine – showcases the successful steps Rittal, Eplan, Cideon, German Edge Cloud, Stahlo and LKH customers are taking, especially when it comes to processes and process optimisation.

The new Steel Compass provides customers with Scope-3 emissions of the previous year's deliveries and then presents future optimisation variants. Customers plan emission savings and the required budget with Stahlo support.
Stahlo brings digital transparency to the supply chain

From the carbon footprint to the circular economy – for large industrial challenges, steel almost always makes the difference when such energy-intensive material is processed into products. Not only new processes are needed for green steel, but also independent and standardised documentation along the entire supply chain. Stahlo, as an independent steel service centre, presents new possibilities at Blechexpo: the Stahlo Steel Compass for determining emissions and the Digital Material Passport (DMP).

The Friedhelm Loh Group has been awarded the “Best Place to Learn” seal of approval for its in-house training.
The “Best Place to Learn” – shaping the future through first-class training

The Friedhelm Loh Group has been awarded the “Best Place to Learn” seal of approval for its in-house training based on over 70 criteria. Evaluators confirmed the Friedhelm Loh Group provides first-class conditions in terms of induction, training course content, practical experience and professional outlook, showing that young people are ideally prepared for their professional future here.

It is people like Danjaa from India, who are given hope by the aid funds. Thanks to an aid project run by the Debora Foundation, she has received a sewing machine and is now learning how to sew masks and school uniforms at a sewing school.
Powered up and full of opportunities – how manufacturing companies can pick up speed

The energy transition is a mammoth task to perform. However, the opportunities facing manufacturing companies are huge, for instance, accelerated grid expansion and smart energy management. In the new issue of the “be top” magazine, the Friedhelm Loh Group shows how manufacturing companies can bring more speed to the restructuring of energy systems and more transparency to energy management. In interviews, best-practice examples, and reference stories, Rittal, Eplan, Cideon, German Edge Cloud, Stahlo, and LKH report on how they support their customers with expert knowledge and innovations – for example in the digitalisation, standardisation and automation of value creation processes, as well as in green steel and plastics technology.

It is people like Danjaa from India, who are given hope by the aid funds. Thanks to an aid project run by the Debora Foundation, she has received a sewing machine and is now learning how to sew masks and school uniforms at a sewing school.
Standing strong together: 580,000 euros in donations for earthquake victims and social causes

Herborn, 21 March 2022 – Give encouragement, alleviate hardship, and set an example, especially when people have suffered hardship. This is a matter close to the hearts of the employees and senior management of the Friedhelm Loh Group – wherever they live and work, regionally and internationally. After the shocking images emerged from Turkey and Syria, together they therefore very quickly collected 380,000 euros for the earthquake victims in the two countries. The annual employee donations in 2022 had already raised 200,000 euros for charitable causes, which will now be distributed to eleven organisations through the Rittal Foundation.

Stahlo and Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH conclude partnering agreement
Stahlo will secure “Green Steel” from Salzgitter as of 2025

Dillenburg, 21. December 2022 – Starting in 2021, Stahlo has been purchasing CO2-reduced steel from Salzgitter Flachstahl and delivering it to emission-conscious customers. Now, the Steel Service Centre, a member of the Friedhelm Loh Group, has secured SALCOS steel from the end of 2025. Consequently, according to the Stahlo classification, customers will receive C+ and B+ emission class steels and be able to achieve their goal of further CO2-optimisation of their steel purchasing for the years to come.

Stahlo and Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH conclude partnering agreement
Stahlo and Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH conclude partnering agreement

Dillenburg / Salzgitter, 19. Dezember 2022 – The Stahlo Steel Service Center and Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH have concluded a partnering agreement on the supply of green steel. With this step, the company, which is part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, is already securing CO2-reduced steel that will be produced and supplied according to the SALCOS® concept as from the end of 2025.

The new edition of “be top” shows how Rittal, Eplan, Cideon and German Edge Cloud are using their domain knowledge to help companies achieve results in smart production.
Three digital twins to tackle tomorrow’s production needs

After nearly a decade of Industry 4.0, factories are still at the very start of the digital transformation in many areas. So, what is needed to drive the progress of smart production? The answer is an understanding of the three digital twins and their structure and networking in data-consistent ecosystems. The new edition of “be top” shows how Rittal, Eplan, Cideon and German Edge Cloud are using their domain knowledge to help companies achieve just this. Furthermore, the Group magazine presents a new approach by Stahlo for the carbon tracking of supply chains in terms of steel, and shows how LKH is optimising the value creation process for plastic components.

“Our family-run companies share a passion for innovation. The goal of the strategic partnership is to simplify and accelerate digitalisation projects – especially against the background of current and coming economic and social challenges, that is imperative”, says Prof. Friedhelm Loh. (Image: Friedhelm Loh Group)
German Edge Cloud and Scheer PAS: Strategic partnership for digital transformation in manufacturing

German Edge Cloud and Scheer PAS are pooling their strengths. The strategic partnership brings together two owner-managed companies with a reputation as pioneers of digital transformation. Faster digitalisation of production processes is the goal. Companies today need a higher level of flexibility and agility to adapt their production processes to new market demands. They must be able to react faster and more purposefully to unforeseen internal and external circumstances. Improvements in the areas of quality, resilience, delivery capabilities, transparency and OEE are the decisive benefits.

Founders among themselves: Professor Friedhelm Loh (left) in conversation with Lars Johnsson, who had been Managing Director of Rittal Sweden until 2013.
Fifty years of Rittal Sweden: A springboard for international success

“Just do it.” It was with great courage that Rittal – then a small company – ventured abroad in 1971: In the basement of a small Swedish house, the inventor of the volume-produced enclosure founded its first foreign subsidiary. It became the springboard for the company’s worldwide growth from a sheet-metal processor in Germany’s Central Hesse region to an international digital enterprise. On the occasion of Rittal Sweden’s 50th-anniversary celebration, owner Professor Friedhelm Loh and the management and employees in Ängelholm looked back on an extraordinary story and how it will continue.

The new issue of the “be top” company magazine presents practical experiences as well as solutions from Rittal, Eplan, Cideon and German Edge Cloud (GEC) that may prove helpful for customers when embarking on the journey to smart production.
What the smart factory of tomorrow needs today

The goals of digital transformation in industry are clearly defined. It all comes down to more transparency, knowledge and speed in operations – but what does that mean for production managers responsible for machinery, equipment and systems? The new issue of the “be top” company magazine provides answers and presents practical experiences as well as solutions from Rittal, Eplan, Cideon and German Edge Cloud (GEC) that may prove helpful for customers when embarking on the journey to smart production. Also included: Stahlo and LKH with contributions on Green Steel and ways out of the procurement crisis, and a look at the two biggest fundraising campaigns in the company’s history. Around € 1.5 million were donated in total by employees and owners for flood relief in Germany and Ukraine.

Two weeks ago, the Friedhelm Loh Group brought the families of Ukrainian employees to Haiger. Toys provide distraction for the children.
Helping and setting an example: € 600,000 donated to people in the war zone

01.04.2022. Ukraine is still firmly in the grip of war several weeks after it started. Millions of people are living in fear and terror, having lost their homes, and with an uncertain future. Helping people wherever possible is the order of the day for the employees and the owner of the Friedhelm Loh Group: Besides numerous relief measures, they have together donated €600,000 for people in the war zone. Last year, a huge amount was given to help the German flood disaster victims. The Group has donated no less than € 1.5 million to people in need during the last eight months, giving hope where it is most needed.

Kerstin Sänger, Head of HR Processes and Recruiting Department, is pleased about retaining the award, which is also an obligation: “We want to keep on offering our employees the best possible conditions in the future.”
“Top employer” for the digital future

17.03.2022. According to the Top Employers Institute, the Friedhelm Loh Group is one of the best companies in Germany to work for. The company has now received the coveted award for the fourteenth time in a row. The award honours the attractiveness of the family-run enterprise as an employer.

The water from the river Wupper was 1.80 metres high throughout the Paul-Klee School in Leichlingen. The tragedy was that the school had already been flooded once before – in 2018. Everything that had been purchased at the time had to be thrown away.
Quick and unbureaucratic flood relief: Employee donations give encouragement

22.12.2021. Rapid assistance was needed after a disastrous flood caused significant destruction in parts of Germany last summer. No less than €930,000 was raised for the people affected, thanks to the great willingness by the employees and Owner of the Friedhelm Loh Group to make donations. Now, barely five months later, two thirds of the total amount has already been given to local recipients, representing a vital lifeline in times of great need. Furthermore, things are moving forward in the projects.

“Shaping the energy revolution” is the title of the new issue of “be top”, which appeared at the end of November.
The triple award-winning magazine “be top”: Shaping the energy revolution

09.12.2021. “Shaping the energy revolution” is the title of the new issue of “be top”, which appeared at the end of November. The Friedhelm Loh Group’s corporate magazine (in German, English and Chinese), with a circulation of 30,000, presents some smart ideas and solutions for the growing energy market over more than 80 pages. Topics include the latest energy storage solutions in the automotive industry, battery energy storage solutions for e-charging stations, switchgear with accidental arc protection, secure power supply technology for data centres, and energy-efficient cooling technology. At the time as the new “be top” appeared, the magazine also received two ICMA awards and one Fox award for issues that appeared in 2020 and 2021.

Prof. Friedhelm Loh: In six years of cooperation, DTP has proven competence, speed and inventiveness that match our group of companies.
Friedhelm Loh Group acquires Digital Technology Poland

22.11.2021. Friedhelm Loh Group enterprises are optimizing and industrializing their customers' value chains in industry and IT. The key to today's progress and future business models for customers is end-to-end data. To further drive this development for custom-ers with Eplan, Rittal and German Edge Cloud, the Friedhelm Loh Group has extended its resources with technical expertise from Poland: The long-term development partner Digital Technology Poland is now 100% part of the group.

Oliver Sonst, Managing Director of Stahlo Stahlservice: “As a mill-independent steel service centre, we safeguard steel as a resource, and we network it with people and technologies. In addition, we possess a high level of expertise in service and consulting and have top contacts with fixed contingents to all European steel mills and rapid supply chains worldwide.”
Stahlo is focusing on networking and “green steel”

21.10.2021. The networking of companies, technologies, processes and services will shape the steel trade of the future, and Stahlo Stahlservice is ideally pre-pared for this. At the 2021 Blechexpo trade show in Stuttgart (26 – 29 October), the company will be presenting its comprehensive synergy expertise as one of the largest mill-independent steel service centres in Germany under the motto “We network people, resources and technologies”. The focus is on steel service, coil trading, the digital marketplace, prefabrication and contract partnerships. “Green Steel,” currently the most important strategic issue, is also more than just on Stahlo Stahlservice’s radar screen. Industry professionals will be given expert information on steel classifications, quality and procurement sources.

“It’s a gift to be able to do good for people and the region,” said Rainer Reissner at his introduction as the new Chair of the Rittal Foundation Board.
New chair and realignment at the Rittal Foundation

19.10.2021. The Foundation Board of the Rittal Foundation has bid farewell to its chairman Friedemann Hensgen after 30 years of service to the company. His successor is Rainer Reissner as Managing Director, who has many years of experience in theological as well as welfare and social work. With him, the Rittal Foundation is repositioning itself as the organ of the Friedhelm Loh Group’s social commitment and strengthening its support activities around the company’s locations in Germany.

The one millionth VX25 enclosure was gilded before it rolled off the production line at the Rittershausen location. The photo shows production technician Muhammet Akin.
Rittal celebrates the one millionth VX25 – and its employees

07.10.2021. The year 2021 is a triple milestone for Rittal. The company is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding, the 75th birthday of owner Prof. Friedhelm Loh, and now also the VX25. On 16th August, the one millionth enclosure rolled off the production line. Special thanks are here due to the 1,240 employees at the Rittershausen location. The owner and representatives of company management now honoured their achievement at a commemorative ceremony – on the very same production floor where the VX25 is being manufactured day after day.

FLG donation: rebuilding after the floods
Friedhelm Loh Group donates record sum of 930,000 euros to flood victims

03.09.2021. The images are unforgettable: a few weeks ago, torrential rain in parts of Germany led to major flooding, causing almost unimaginable destruction. The owner and employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group were united in wanting to help. They rapidly collected a total of 930,000 euros – more than ever before in the company’s long history of donations. The money will be made available quickly and unbureaucratically to programs designed to aid schools and kindergartens, youth work and support for the elderly, as well as to private persons via official donation accounts.

Entrepreneur, encourager and visionary in the progress of digital transformation. Today, Professor Friedhelm Loh is 75 years old.)
Friedhelm Loh turns 75 – entrepreneur, encourager and visionary in the progress of digital transformation

16.08.2021. He is driven by curiosity about new things: He is Honorary President of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI), Honorary Professor of the State of Hesse, and has an Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Chemnitz. He is in demand on the European political stage when it comes to digitalisation issues and is driving trends and innovations in the marketplace. In addition, he is a passionate mover and shaker and the owner of a globally active family business with 11,600 employees, is socially committed in a variety of ways and a dedicated Christian. Friedhelm Loh – as an entrepreneur and a human being – is all these things. Today he turns 75; he is active in every field that one could (or could not) imagine.

Prof. Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group. (Source: German Edge Cloud GmbH & Co. KG)
Schuler and German Edge Cloud start a strategic cooperation

10.08.2021. German Edge Cloud (GEC), which specialises in edge and cloud systems, is cooperating with Schuler, a machine and plant building company. In this context, Schuler is offering a track-and-trace solution for press plants within the Digital Suite, based on technology from German Edge Cloud. The Schuler Digital Suite with the “track-and-trace application powered by GEC” is being used, among other things, in the Smart Press Shop, a joint venture between Schuler and Porsche.

Uwe Scharf, Rittal’s Managing Director of the Industry and Marketing Business Units (left), and study coordinator Anke Wojtynowski-Scharf welcomed the new students at Rittal’s Herborn headquarters.
Studying with fun, courage and a thirst for knowledge

26.07.2021. This summer, fifteen young men and women started a dual bachelor’s degree course combining study and practical work experience in the Friedhelm Loh Group (StudiumPlus). The bachelor students are beginning a seven-semester course at Rittal and Loh Services, focusing on mechanical engineering, information technology, and logistics management. A reception by senior executives and an eventful introductory week at the company locations in Herborn and Haiger ensured a successful start.

Steffen Kuras, the Friedhelm Loh Group’s Head of HR Marketing and Recruiting, and his colleague Alexandra Nordmann, HR Marketing and Recruiting, were delighted with the Group again being recognised as one of Germany’s top employers.
Friedhelm Loh Group receives awards for employee development

20.04.2021. Opening up perspectives and creating spaces for development in digitisation: As the largest employer in the Central Hesse region, the Friedhelm Loh Group was able to impress the Top Employers Institute. This year, the renowned institute certified the group of companies as a “Top German Employer” for the thirteenth time in a row. “We are proud to have been recognised once again,” says Steffen Kuras, ” Head of HR Marketing and Recruiting at the Friedhelm Loh Group: “This seal of quality will motivate us not just to be satisfied with what we have achieved so far. We want to continue improving to create ideal conditions and perspectives for our employees in the digital future.”

During the coronavirus pandemic, Debora Foundation India has concentrated on emergency aid. In recent months, it has provided supplies to help hundreds of families in the country’s south make it through these difficult times.
Friedhelm Loh Group donates record sum of 220,000 euros

14.04.2021. In 2020, Friedhelm Loh Group employees gave hope in especially hard times – through their support for charities Caritas-Werkstätten Westerwald-Rhein-Lahn, Oberlausitz Kinderhilfe, Debora Foundation India and eight further non-profits. Their contributions were made within the scope of the Friedhelm Loh Group’s traditional annual donation – and this past year, the initiative was more important than ever. FLG employees, together with members of management, raised a record sum of 220,000 euros.

From steel manufacturer to an international digital company - Rittal celebrates 60th anniversary.
From steel manufacturer to an international digital company - in 60 years

01.04.2021. It is April 1, 1961, when an international success story begins in a small weaving mill in central Hesse - the standardization of enclosures. Rudolf Loh founds the Rittal company and changes the industry with one idea. What was initially smiled at is now a phenomenon: The standard enclosure is used in millions of product solutions in over 90 percent of all industries worldwide. Rittal is the innovation and world market leader for enclosure technology and IT infrastructure. 10,000 employees worldwide work on new innovations, industry solutions and business models. A small steel manufacturing company has become a global digital enterprise. What hasn't changed: Rittal is a family business - responsibility, solidarity and social commitment have always been a top priority.

Rittal and Stulz: a partnership of pioneers
Rittal and Stulz: a partnership of pioneers

23.03.2021. Rittal and Stulz have announced the immediate launch of a worldwide partnership for the provision of made-to-measure data centre infrastructure, consulting, support and services. Customers will benefit from one-stop IT infrastructure solutions and from an expanded portfolio of premium and precision cooling systems for mid-size and large data centres.

Study Coordinator Anke Wojtynowski-Scharf (left) congratulated the student representative and newly qualified industrial engineer Sebastian Menn on behalf of the other 20 bachelor graduates who watched the digital graduation ceremony in front of their Pcs.
Well-earned applause: Twenty-one students celebrate graduation

17.02.2021. A significant milestone on life’s journey: Twenty-one bachelor students on the Friedhelm Loh Group co-operative education programme are celebrating their successful degree results and crowning their three-and-a-half years of work and study with impressive certificates. Grateful congratulations, personal profiles and reliving the time spent studying together made the digital graduation ceremony a personal celebration for all graduates despite their physical distance from each other.

“I look forward to working with Professor Loh, the management and the employees at this impressive global market leader,” says Markus Asch, “And I am proud to serve the company and help develop it.”
Markus Asch appointed CEO of Rittal International and RSS International

12.02.2021. Effective February 1, 2021, Professor Friedhelm Loh, Owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group, appointed Markus Asch (49) as CEO of Rittal International Stiftung & Co. KG and Chairman of the Management Board of Rittal GmbH & Co. He is therefore responsible for all the Business Units of the world's leading provider of solutions for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure, software and service with 9,700 employees. Asch also assumes overall responsibility for Rittal Software & Service (RSS) International with the Eplan and Cideon units and 1,400 employees. With software solutions, system technology and machines for automation, the three companies of the Friedhelm Loh Group optimize the processes of their customers in control and switchgear engineering across the board and drive future business areas.

With “ONCITE powered by IBM”, an all-in-one hybrid cloud solution, both German Edge Cloud and IBM are addressing the digitisation needs of manufacturing industry through relevant shop floor functions.
German Edge Cloud and IBM take a hybrid cloud solution for industrial edge computing directly onto the shop floor

03.02.2021. The rapid and straightforward implementation of data-driven shop floor applications with simultaneous data sovereignty is currently one of the most significant challenges facing manufacturing industry. ONCITE industrial edge appliance from German Edge Cloud (GEC) has been expanded to include components from the IBM Cloud Paks, which is built on Red Hat’s “OpenShift” Kubernetes platform for enterprises. Even if they have few resources and little expertise, production companies, OEM manufacturers and the supply industry can quickly benefit from digitalisation in manufacturing through hybrid cloud deployment with this package that consists of hardware, software and application management services.

Hesse’s state school portal experienced an enormous rush on the first day of school and – unlike other federal states – coped with it easily. German Edge Cloud (GEC) provides services such as a cloud architecture based on the requirements for scalability and the special features of educational activities.
German Edge Cloud teaches a lesson: Cloud solution for Hesse’s school portal copes with high demand

27.01.2021. With a tablet computer instead of a blackboard: In schools, the future is a digital one. The coronavirus situation makes this quite clear. Since the start of the 2020/21 academic year, Hesse's school portal has been used as a digital educational learning and working platform for teachers and students. German Edge Cloud (GEC) provides services such as a cloud architecture based on the requirements for scalability and the special features of educational activities. GEC’s services permit high usage figures and make the portal easy to use. This was crucial at the start of the year as Hesse’s school portal experienced an enormous demand on the first day of school and – unlike other federal states – coped without any problems. Hesse expects up to about 2.5 million users in the future.

The Friedhelm Loh Group practices what it preaches: Digitally integrated manufacturing at Rittal’s Haiger plant produces up to 18 terabytes of new data every day. ONCITE is already being used here.
Friedhelm Loh Group bundles expertise: German Edge Cloud is formed from three start-ups

21.01.2021. Three companies in the Friedhelm Loh Group – German Edge Cloud, IoTOS and iNNOVO Cloud – have now become one. The expertise of the companies in the IIoT, cloud and edge computing markets, is now being powerfully combined in German Edge Cloud (GEC). The merger has two main focuses: Customers in the manufacturing industry will gain significant efficiency advantages from the company’s edge cloud solutions, for example through data analytics and will maintain full data sovereignty. Secondly, as a cloud automation partner, GEC permits the migration and automation of customer applications in multi-cloud environments, as well as enabling secure, Gaia-X compliant and highly available operation.

Dr.-Ing. Clemens Weis took over the management of Cideon Software & Services on 1 November 2020.
Dr Clemens Weis is Cideon’s new managing director

24.11.2020. There has been a change in the management of Cideon Software & Services: Dr Clemens Weis took over the operational management of Cideon Software & Services on 1 November 2020. With his experience and expertise in digital transformation processes and the latest platform technologies, he will be maintaining the company’s steady development.

Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler (rear, centre), Rittal’s CEO, welcomes the Friedhelm Loh Group’s new trainees to the Rittal headquarters in Herborn.
We’re on our way! Fifty-seven new recruits join the Friedhelm Loh Group

14.10.2020. Ready for the future! This summer, fifty-seven young men and women began either a vocational training or a bachelor degree course combining study and work experience at the Friedhelm Loh Group. In the first few weeks, the 40 trainees and the 17 cooperative-education students got to know the Group, gaining an insight into Industry 4.0 production, and having a “hands-on” introduction to digitisation and team building with their new colleagues.

Experiencing enjoyment and exercise: Thanks to the Friedhelm Loh Group’s annual donation, Hephata Diakonie will be able to renew the ball pool for physical education in special schools.
The Friedhelm Loh Group’s annual donation raises €215,000 for charitable causes

10.07.2020. Doing something big through many small individual donations is what drives the Friedhelm Loh Group’s annual charitable donation. This year, the employees of the family-run business, along with proprietor Professor Friedhelm Loh, donated the considerable sum of €215,000. In doing so, they are supporting eleven regional non-profit organisations at the group’s locations, as well as the international organisation “Aktion Deutschland hilft” (Germany’s Relief Coalition).

Professor Friedhelm Loh: “With GAIA-X, we are creating a space in Europe for the improved protection of intellectual property. We have to act now. The foundation of the organisation is the next step, which we will be giving committed support.”
Friedhelm Loh Group is a founding member of the GAIA-X organization

04.06.2020. GAIA-X, the major European digital project aimed at strengthening Europe’s position in international competition, is to become an organisation with the capacity to act and with legal capacity. The goal is to establish a European data infrastructure for the secure digitisation and networking of industry, finance and healthcare, and as a basis for the use of new applications with artificial intelligence (AI). Professor Friedhelm Loh was one of the co-founders of this major European project, which was launched last autumn by Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Federal Minister of Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. The Friedhelm Loh Group with its German Edge Cloud subsidiary will be a founding member of the new GAIA-X Foundation.

Before the end of the year, a private 5G mobile communications network will be installed in the new Haiger plant.
5G at Rittal: The new mobile communications standard finds its way into manufacturing

25.02.2020. Rittal is one of the first industrial players to receive a 5G frequency allocation. Before the end of the year, a private 5G mobile communications network will be installed in the new Haiger plant. The first pilot projects, for example in production monitoring and analysis, have already been defined.

First place for ONCITE: Dr Sebastian Ritz from German Edge Cloud (centre) and Dieter Meuser from IoTOS (centre right) are delighted with the 2020 Innovation Champions Award. (Photo: Thorsten Jochim)
Friedhelm Loh Group wins innovation award with ONCITE

12.02.2020. First place for the Friedhelm Loh Group in “2020 Innovation Champions Award”. The award-winning ONCITE solution is the first real-time capable, data sovereign and AI-based edge cloud data centre for the future industrial processing of manufacturing data. The award, presented by the “WirtschaftsWoche” business magazine, the University of St. Gallen and the Academy of German World Market Leaders (ADWM), honours the most innovative companies in Germany.

The 27th Rittal Cup broke all previous records: Andreas Huck (middle) and Norbert Peter (fifth from right) handed over a total of €10,400 to representatives of the church-run care centre in Eschenburg, the “Charlie und Lotte” grief counselling service, the German Red Cross’s Dietzhölztal branch and the SG Dietzhölztal sports club.
Rittal Cup results in record donations: football for a good cause

10.12.2019. The 2019 Rittal Cup was able to boast a record result: No less than €10,400 was raised for charitable purposes. The “Charlie und Lotte” grief counselling service, the German Red Cross’s Dietzhölztal branch, the church-run care centre in Eschenburg and the SG Dietzhölztal, a local sports club, all benefited from the donations.

Award-winning! LKH, a Rittal sister company, wins the renowned TecPart-Innovation Prize 2019.
The top league of automotive suppliers

22.11.2019. Streamlining the production of air suspension components as safety and comfort-relevant chassis parts ensures injection moulder LKH a place in the top league of plastics processors. The German Association of Plastics Converters (GKV), which awarded LKH the renowned TecPart-Innovation Prize at the 2019 plastics trade fair, agrees.

“Train of Progress” arrived in first place. Prof. Friedhelm Loh congratulates Alexander Widmann, Nikolaos Faitas, Yassine Kovarszki, Marian Kring, Tanja Rüffler, Alina Mühlich and Furkan Vasi (from left to right).
Into the monastery – for progress

15.11.2019. “Stagnation means decline and I won’t have it!” That was the motto of this year’s "Trainee Days" event for Friedhelm Loh Group apprentices, held at the Gnadenthal monastery. The future was the issue under discussion at a town steeped in tradition near Bad Camberg. Trainees asked themselves how can they can continue to develop – personally, technically and professionally? The time spent in the monastery represented the green light for several months of project work in teams. The results were then presented to a jury of top management. Prof. Friedhelm Loh awarded the prizes to the winners.

“The development towards electro-mobility is a growth opportunity for steel service centres”, says Oliver Sonst, the new Managing Director of Stahlo Stahlservice as of October 2019.
Perfectly prepared for electro-mobility

05.11.2019. The continuing technological development of electric drive systems will make steel service centres capable of reliably and economically fabricating high strength and ultra-high strength steel more important for the automotive industry. Stahlo Stahlservice is perfectly prepared these demands. At the upcoming Blechexpo international trade fair for sheet metal working from 5 to 8 November 2019, the Friedhelm Loh Group company presents its capabilities when working with high strength and ultra-high-strength steel.

Heiko Denner, Tobias Heilmann and Andreas Kirsch (from left to right) of Rittal accepted the special award for innovative digital transformation at the Besser Lackieren awards.
Rittal receives special award for digital transformation at paint shop

29.10.2019. Rittal’s drive for ever-greater digital connectivity has been recognised by the judges of the Besser Lackieren (“Better Painting”) awards, a highly coveted accolade in the German painting industry. The business received the newly created special prize for digital transformation at its advanced paint shop at its plant in Haiger, Germany. The Besser Lackieren awards are an annual competition organised by Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA and the editorial team of industry magazine Besser Lackieren.

The Friedhelm Loh Group is taking over IoTOS, a start-up based in Limburg, Germany. The company offers software solutions, for example for networking devices and machines, as well as real-time analytics and the traceability of all components in the supply chain.
The Friedhelm Loh Group is taking over IoTOS, a start-up based in Limburg, Germany

10.10.2019. Three Friedhelm Loh Group companies will be working together even more closely in the future: Rittal, German Edge Cloud and IoTOS, along with Bosch Connected Industry will be offering the first complete solution for integrating, harmonising and analysing industrial production data. Following the acquisition of German Edge Cloud, the IoTOS start-up now also belongs to the group. The Friedhelm Loh Group has now announced the 100% takeover.

German Edge Cloud, Bosch Connected Industry und IoTOS bringen industrielles Ökosystem in eine „All-in-One“-Lösung
German Edge Cloud, Bosch Connected Industry and IoTOS provide a comprehensive solution for an industrial ecosystem

10.10.2019. German Edge Cloud, part of the Friedhelm Loh Group of companies, is presenting the “ONCITE” industrial edge cloud appliance together with Bosch Connected Industry, IoTOS and Rittal. With this all-in-one solution, manufacturing companies can now extract concrete added value from their production data. Some specifications already exist, e. g. car manufacturers such as Volkswagen or BMW have launched digital platforms such as the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud or the Open Manufacturing Platform.

Oliver Sonst is Managing Director at Stahlo Stahlservice GmbH & Co. KG.
Oliver Sonst is the new Managing Director at Stahlo Stahlservice

18.09.2019. A change at the top of Stahlo Stahlservice: effective on 1 October, Oliver Sonst is to assume executive management of one of the largest and most advanced steel service centres in Europe. His appointment reflects the new strategic focus on future goals – technology leadership in high-tech steel processing, strong partnerships in the automotive industry, and expansion in eastern European markets.

Edge computing: data processing at the network periphery
German Edge Cloud demonstrates that edge computing is a key technology for smart factories

13.09.2019. The increasingly digital nature of factories is transforming manufacturers into service providers who make products. The huge volume of data generated in these facilities is the basis for new value creation models – provided these data are captured, saved, processed and intelligently analysed in a timely, local manner. This is because low latency is essential to the implementation of many Industry 4.0 use cases – such as forms of real-time industrial artificial intelligence (AI) that give companies full control over their data. The key to rapid availability and processing is edge computing.

Plenty to celebrate: 19 Friedhelm Loh Group students have successfully graduated, having put in a stellar performance.
They did it: Young professionals celebrate successful completion of courses

28.08.2019. The Friedhelm Loh Group has officially congratulated 19 cooperative-education students – 16 in bachelor’s and 3 in master’s programmes – and 30 apprentices on their outstanding achievements and successful completion of their studies/training. Managing Directors Uwe Scharf and Dr Thomas Steffen awarded certificates to the delighted graduates at two ceremonies, and highlighted future opportunities.

“betop” magazine awarded gold and silver
“betop” magazine awarded gold and silver

05.08.2019. “betop” has received the highest honour at the 25th Communicator Awards. The international programme is one of the world’s leading creative competitions, receiving approximately 6000 entries each season. The Friedhelm Loh Group’s magazine was placed first in the Design and Print category. In addition, “betop” has received the silver 2019 BCM (Best of Content Marketing) Award.

Bosch Global Supplier Award für Rittal
Bosch Global Supplier Award für Rittal

01.08.2019. Rittal received the coveted Bosch Global Supplier Award, granted every two years. From a total of some 43,000 suppliers around the world, Bosch honoured 47 companies from 15 countries.

An impressive mass: Roughly 100 coils can be processed daily and over 400,000 tonnes of steel can be processed per annum.
Stahlo Customer Event: First insights into the new plant

30.06.2019. Premiere in Gera: Stahlo gives customers their first insights into its new plant, even before its completion in late 2019. One of Europe’s most technically advanced steel service centres is currently being built on a 43,000 square metre site. Stahlo is continuing to expand its machining expertise and technological leadership in the high-end steel service for high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels for the automotive industry.

Dr. René Umlauft has been appointed to Rittal’s Management Board as Managing Director for International Sales.
New member of the Rittal Management Board

28.06.2019. He was appointed to the Rittal Management Board with effect from 1 June 2019. He is responsible for sales in the regions of Europe, North and South America, Asia-Pacific, as well as the Middle East and Africa. In addition, he is in charge of Service, Internal Sales, as well as Operations.

Prof. Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group (centre), his wife Debora Loh (next to him on the left), Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, CEO Rittal International (left), his wife Gabriele Köhler (on the right, next to Prof. Loh) as well as Marco Villa, CEO of Rittal Italy (right) and his wife Raffaella Villa (on the right, next to him) open the new Rittal and Eplan location in Italy.
A milestone for strong cooperation

18.06.2019. Together for the customers: Rittal and Eplan, two companies of the Friedhelm Loh Group, officially inaugurated their new location in Pioltello, northern Italy, on 17 May 2019. This way, the two affiliated companies are supporting their cooperation in Italy so that they can increasingly offer their solutions along the entire value chain of panel building and switchgear manufacturing. The state-of-the-art new building with an investment sum of €7.2 million euros is marked by its low energy consumption in accordance with the NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) criteria.

The VX25 large enclosure system from Rittal has won the 2019 German Innovation Award. The German Design Council honoured the innovative large enclosure system on May 28 as the winner in the “Excellence in Business to Business/Machines & Engineering” category.
Rittal awarded prize by German Design Council

14.06.2019. The VX25 large enclosure system from Rittal has won the 2019 German Innovation Award. The German Design Council honoured the innovative large enclosure system on May 28 as the winner in the “Excellence in Business to Business/Machines & Engineering” category.

Excellent location: Industry 4.0 applications and edge scenarios require short latency times, which makes the Frankfurt-Höchst cloud park an excellent data centre location for companies in the Frankfurt region. IT resources can be created quickly and securely here thanks to turnkey IT containers from Rittal.
Innovo Cloud at Hanover Trade Fair 2019

01.05.2019. Edge and cloud computing are converging to create intelligent infrastructure. At the Hanover Trade Fair (Hannover Messe), Innovo Cloud and Rittal are jointly showcasing digital twins and the corresponding infrastructure ecosystem for connected Industry 4.0 scenarios.

In another project, wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON is already successfully using Rittal components to implement complete charging stations from the transformers to chargers.
Supporting electromobility

02.04.2019.

  • At Hanover Messe (Hannover Trade Fair), Rittal is presenting product solutions for the rapid development of an infrastructure for e-mobility
  • Years of experience in constructing outdoor stations have gone into the solution for a 350-kW fast charger
  • Manufacturer Tritium (IONITY charging stations) and the energy supplier ENERCON are among the first companies to make use of Rittal technologies

Rittal security rooms protect IT systems amongst other things from fire, water, smoke. The concept WindCORES++” counts on the entire data centre infrastructure, including three security rooms, IT racks, air conditioning, UPS and monitoring, from Rittal.
Rittal, SICP and WestfalenWIND IT win German Data Centre Award

25.04.2019.

  • Rittal, SICP and WestfalenWIND IT win first prize at German Data Center Award 2019
  • They won the top prize in the “Ideas and research in relation to data centres” category for high-density IT rooms for colocation operation mode
  • Sustainable solution geared towards standardisation and cost-efficient operation

At Rittal’s factory in Haiger, for example, more than 100 high-tech machines have been installed to produce enclosures. And yet here, of all places, is where people will now be the most important factors. The employees are learning how humans, machines and digital processes interact in a modern production environment.”
People and machines: fit for Industry 4.0

05.02.2019. One common misconception is that digitization is a good thing – as long we are not talking about jobs. But what does digitization actually mean for the employees of a company that is changing, realigning itself, networking and digitising? For Rittal, one thing is clear: When it comes to machines, it’s people who matter! That is why the company is investing in training and further education measures for its employees.

Uwe Scharf, now Managing Director of Rittal’s IT and Industry Business Units and Marketing, states: “We are passionate about continuously improving the Rittal portfolio. This enables us to actively support our customers with digital transformation.”
Uwe Scharf is Managing Director responsible for Rittal’s IT and Industry Business Units and Marketing

18.01.2019. There has been a change in the executive management of Rittal. Effective from 1 January 2019, Uwe Scharf (55) has been appointed Managing Director of the IT and Industry Business Units and for Marketing.

Using curiosity to stay on the ball
New forms of collaboration: “be top” now also available as an online magazine

08.01.2019. “Digitalization means networks, not islands. This broader perspective is essential to seizing the best opportunities for continuing competitiveness,” says Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, CEO of Rittal International. Nature shows how it’s done – organised systems are more successful. The algorithm of the forest shows how important the networking of actors, processes and information is. The new edition of “be top” looks in depth at this kind of relationship. It is now also available as an online magazine for mobile reading and with exclusive additional content.

Using curiosity to stay on the ball
Using curiosity to stay on the ball

28.11.2018. “Be curious – stay on the ball” was the motto of this year’s “Trainee Days” event for Friedhelm Loh Group apprentices, held at the Gnadenthal Monastery near the town of Bad Camberg. The trainees covered the topic of curiosity and distraction in the age of digital transformation. The projects were presented to a jury of top management members. Professor Friedhelm Loh awarded the prizes to the winners.

EuroBLECH: Stahlo presents new plant using 3D model
An ultra-strong future

10.10.2018. At this year’s EuroBLECH, the world’s largest exhibition for the sheet metal industry (23 to 26 October in Hanover), Stahlo is offering an exclusive first look at its new plant in Gera, Germany. Visitors to the company’s stand (E78 in hall 17) can view a physical 3D model of the facility and its state-of-the-art production logistics and IT technologies. The focus is on high-quality machining and processing of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels.

Making the best even better
Making the best even better

14.05.2018. Watch. Listen. Learn: The idea for a perfect enclosure was not born at the drawing board or in the lab – but rather in the workshops of Rittal’s international customers. The question “How can we make the best even better?” served as the starting point for a scientific field study conducted on three continents before development of the new large enclosure began. The cover story of the latest issue of “be top” tells of the eye-opening knowledge which Rittal gained from an intensive dialogue with customers. The magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group also shows how the sister companies LKH and Stahlo are equipping themselves for the future.

Hand in hand – Friedhelm Loh Group gives untrained refugees a chance
Hand in hand – Friedhelm Loh Group gives untrained refugees a chance

26.02.2018. Refugees with no certificates or qualifications and very limited German don’t stand much of a chance on the employment market. They are unlikely to find more than the odd casual or temporary job here and there. The new pilot project run by the Friedhelm Loh Group shows that even these candidates can be integrated in the workplace. The family-owned enterprise has offered two refugees direct entry into employment – because nothing motivates people better than work.

Learning and working worldwide: Around 80 new young talents in the Friedhelm Loh Group
Experience makes us stronger – the Friedhelm Loh Group honours its long-serving employees

19.12.2017. The past and future gathered in one room as Profes-sor Loh honoured 222 employees for their long-standing loyalty to the Group. Amongst them, they have notched up 10, 25 or 40 years on the factory floor or in administration, in sales or marketing. As Prof. Loh pointed out, they have helped to write the success story of the Friedhelm Loh Group. During the celebrations in the German town of Herborn, the owner and CEO of the Group also presented awards to the seven best apprentices and student interns.

Learning and working worldwide: Around 80 new young talents in the Friedhelm Loh Group
Learning and working worldwide: Around 80 new young talents in the Friedhelm Loh Group

18.09.2017. Seventy-nine young people are getting ready to face the future in the Friedhelm Loh Group. The companies of the family-run group have now welcomed 59 new apprentices and 20 students to their ranks. These young people, ranging from office clerks and IT specialists to industrial engineers, have set themselves some very different goals. They include international perspectives and exciting Industry 4.0 (IoT) projects. The social responsibility of the region’s biggest employer also impresses young people. Being successful worldwide and yet remaining true to its roots – that provides motivation.

Learning for life: 110 young professionals complete training and studies
Learning for life: 110 young professionals complete training and studies

11.09.2017. Educating a new generation of professionals is a key part of the Friedhelm Loh Group’s philosophy. This year alone, a total of 110 young people have completed their training, studies, or post-school qualifications at the Group. The graduates of StudiumPlus, and the Rittal and Loh Services training programmes, recently received their certificates at a special ceremony. This young talent also includes two refugees, who are now certified machine operators.

Rittal is one of a group of companies now investing a total of €800,000 over five years to promote practice-based research and teaching. The endowed chair will focus on Industry 4.0.
Impetus for a digital future – Rittal endows a chair for Industry 4.0

14.07.2017. Forging technological progress in the Middle Hesse region of Germany is a top priority for Rittal. This is why the world’s leading provider of industrial enclosures and climate control systems is now co-endowing a chair to focus research into Industry 4.0 at Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences. Eight companies are investing a total of €800,000 over five years to promote practice-based research and teaching in this field.

Rittal honoured as a driver of innovations among medium-sized companies
Rittal honoured as a driver of innovations among medium-sized companies

13.07.2017. In an independent selection process, Rittal has secured a place among Germanys hundred most innovative companies. The world’s leading provider of industrial enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure has been honoured by leading innovation researchers for developing ground-breaking technologies. German TV host Ranga Yogeshwar acknowledged the innovative power of the family business and awarded it the prestigious “Top 100” medal.

Rittal honoured as an electronics pioneer
Rittal honoured as an electronics pioneer

07.07.2017. Rittal has been recognised by trade magazine “Elektronikpraxis” as a “Milestone in Electronics”. In the context of the magazine’s 50th anniversary, the world’s provider of industrial enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure won the award in the category of enclosures and climate control. The jury praised Rittal’s decisive influence on Germany as an industrial location and its groundbreaking technologies.

Thirty-seven girls attend Girls’ Day in the Friedhelm Loh Group
Girls’ Day gets girls interested in technology

28.05.2017. The fact that classic male professions are becoming increasingly exciting for young women is reflected year after year in Germany’s “Girls’ Day” event. Every year, around 100,000 schoolgirls make use of the day to get a taste of professions that are still dominated by men. In the Friedhelm Loh Group, 37 girls were able to gain an insight into technical and IT careers again this year. The aim of the project is for them to get to know potential training occupations so that they could make their career choices as impartially as possible.

To make a new start in life, Robi Brömel often had to ask for help, find a great deal of strength and never lose faith in himself. The “Neustart” (“New Start”) project brought the turnaround. The Rittal Foundation has been supporting the project for years and it has now donated a further €5,000.
A new start in life: Rittal Foundation supports at-risk people

24.05.2017 To make a new start in life, Robi Brömel often had to ask for help, find a great deal of strength and never lose faith in himself. The young man had a long struggle to leave behind a daily life of drugs, crime and hopelessness. The “Neustart” (“New Start”) project brought the turnaround. The Rittal Foundation has been supporting the project for years and it has now donated a further €5,000. Robi's life proves just what being given a chance can do. Now the 22-year-old goes to work every day, has a girlfriend and is optimistic about the future.

A decision for the future: Stahlo invests in Gera
A decision for the future: Stahlo invests in Gera

02.05.2017. Stahlo is investing €45 million in its plans for a new 22,000 square-metre production hall in Gera-Langenberg. By purchasing neighbouring property from the city authorities, one of the biggest manufacturer-independent steel service centres in Germany has seized the opportunity to pursue its growth strategy and stay at its Gera site. Plans for the future at Stahlo include doubling both the number of plants and the volume of steel processed to 300,000 metric tons per year.

Friedhelm Loh Group’s big donation offers encouragement
Friedhelm Loh Group named a top employer for its commitment to its people

31.03.2017. The Top Employers Institute has declared the Friedhelm Loh Group a “Top German Employer” for the ninth year running. The Group passed a rigorous selection process and received this honour in 2017 thanks to its various skills development programmes, highly effective communications with employees, and value-driven corporate culture.

Friedhelm Loh Group’s big donation offers encouragement
Friedhelm Loh Group employees and owner donate €180,000 to help people in need

02.03.2017. The employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group were well aware that Christmas could be a particularly difficult time for many people in the region and across the globe. At the end of last year, they therefore once again made a joint donation to help those in need. This was doubled by owner and CEO Dr Friedhelm Loh, and the impressive sum of €180,000 has now been handed out to both regional and international institutions.

Rittal honoured in the Automation category
Cool award – Rittal cooling unit wins Best of Industry Award

28.02.2017. The readers have decided – Blue e+ from Rittal is one of the best products in 2017. Industry magazine MaschinenMarkt has honoured this generation of cooling units with the 2017 Best of Industry Award in the Automation category. The Vogel Business Media publishing group presents the award for solutions that have already won an industry award or have met with an outstanding market response. Voting was by a panel of experts and online readers.

Rittal gewinnt PR Bild Award von dpa-Tochter news aktuell
Focus on people: Rittal wins award for best PR picture of the year

11.11.2016. A total of 1,500 entries and 8,000 votes: A photograph from Rittal, the enclosure and system provider based in central Hesse, Germany, has won has the PR image award from the dpa subsidiary “news aktuell”. Most votes for an image in the “Corporate Communications” category went to Rittal’s Global Distribution Center in Haiger. The photograph was taken by Michael Koch from “Digital Photo Group”.

Entrepreneur and standard-bearer: receives Leadership Award
Entrepreneur and standard-bearer: receives Leadership Award

26.10.2016. The Vogel Business Media publishing house has presented Dr Friedhelm Loh with the “Connected World” Leadership Award in Würzburg, Germany. In awarding this prize, the publisher has recognised the owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group as, according to the jury, one of ten “remarkable figures” setting the course for an increasingly networked future.

From personnel number to distinctive personality: Seventeen new trainees join the Friedhelm Loh Group
From personnel number to distinctive personality: Seventeen new trainees join the Friedhelm Loh Group

20.09.2016. University studies, work experience abroad, leadership tasks – successful trainees of the Friedhelm Loh Group have the world at their fingertips. The 43 new trainees who make up this year’s intake can look forward to an exciting time of learning and work with a top employer. Vocational training is one of the most formative phases for the individual’s personality development, was the message passed on to them by company owner Dr. Friedhelm Loh. A fruitful traineeship is decisive in shaping our career future.

Five years of the Rittal Foundation with special fundraising event
Five years of the Rittal Foundation with special fundraising event

30.08.2016. The Rittal Foundation is an established presence in the region, actively working for good causes and repeatedly drawing attention to the less fortunate in society. The Foundation has been involved in social and cultural institutions in the region for five years – around 150 projects have already been funded to the tune of over € 650,000. To mark its anniversary, the Foundation pulled off a very special fundraising event with the employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group. At the Group’s family-friendly festival, they collectively raised € 30,000 for long-term projects in the region.

96 Friedhelm Loh Group apprentices and students complete their training
96 young people have acquired the knowledge and skills needed in digital manufacturing

26.08.2016. Today’s young professionals are fascinated by electronic media and software, while manufacturers are increasingly digitizing their processes. For the Friedhelm Loh Group, the one phenomenon dove-tails perfectly with the other, and its training programs addresses both. In all, 96 apprentices and students have just completed their programs at the Group. Their final presentations highlighted the convergence of IT and manufacturing, a trend which they have clearly embraced.

A “hands-on” display of Control and Switchgear Manufacturing 4.0:  Grand opening of the Rittal Innovation Center
A “hands-on” display of Control and Switchgear Manufacturing 4.0: Grand opening of the Rittal Innovation Center

19.08.2016. To display innovations, to make them tangible and to develop them further – that is the aim of the new Rittal Innovation Center in Haiger. The centre provides a very special insight into the value chains of control and switchgear manufacturing. In the 1,200-m² building, the enclosure and system provider is emulating an actual manufacturing operation. It is a place that brings together customers and developers from Rittal and Eplan, giving them the opportunity to discuss all process steps directly at stations that are outfitted with machinery and tools, based on specific everyday situations. They can then develop solutions ranging from engineering, material delivery, component preparation and processing and right through to the finished product.

The new-build in Haiger and the upgrades of plants in Rittershausen and Hof will equip Rittal, a world-leading provider of industrial enclosure systems, for future manufacturing-industry challenges. At the ceremony to mark the laying of the foundation stone for the facility in Haiger, Premier of the State of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, praised the commitment of the Friedhelm Loh Group to the region and to Germany as a whole. From right to left: Premier of the State of Hesse, Volker Bouffier; Debora Loh; Dr Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group; Wolfgang Schuster, chairman of the local council; Mario Schramm, Mayor of Haiger; Dr Köhler, CEO of Rittal International; and Carsten Röttchen, Executive Vice President, Production
Rittal lays foundation stone for new, highly advanced production plant

19.08.2016. Rittal plans to build the world’s most advanced production plant for compact enclosures, with completion scheduled for 2018 in Haiger in the German State of Hesse. The company also intends to upgrade factories in nearby Rittershausen and Hof. The projects will prepare Rittal, a world-leading provider of industrial enclosure systems, for future challenges. Moreover, a further plant will be built in the area in the near future. At the ceremony to mark the laying of the foundation stone for the facility in Haiger, the Premier of the State of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, praised the commitment of the Friedhelm Loh Group to the region and to Germany as a whole.

He has inspired and influenced the electronics industry both in Germany and abroad. With his fine instinct for trends and developments, he has been driving digital transformation forward more than almost anyone else, both within his own company and within the industry. He is a standard setter with his social commitment, while others are just talkers. His driving forces are courage, his willingness to work and his faith.
A powerful motivator and a hard worker: On the 70th birthday of Dr. Friedhelm Loh

16.08.2016. The Friedhelm Loh Group’s success story is inextrica-bly linked with its owner, and not only in terms of its name. It is the story of a passionate entrepreneur who has inspired his industry, motivated his employees and committed himself to the people in the region. The family entrepreneur’s trademark and aim is to be ahead of his time and to influence the times he lives in. Today, Dr. Friedhelm Loh is 70 years old, and it is fitting to celebrate and look back.

 Dr. Friedhelm Loh was full of praise, and not just for the winners of the Rittal Cup 2016. An exciting final culminated in a penalty shoot-out, with the team from Rittershausen (right) emerging victorious against the apprentices from Wissensbach (left).
Goals and entertainment at the Rittal Cup – and money raised for a good cause

19.07.2016. On a sunny summer day and in almost 30°C heat, more than 200 Friedhelm Loh Group employees – from Germany and further afield – gathered for the Rittal Cup football tournament at the Burbach Stadium in Ewersbach in central Hesse. Participants were not just competing for a trophy, but also raising funds for a good cause. And their efforts underlined that whether at the workplace or on the pitch, they are very much team players.

It is easier to dare to do something in a team. The 17 new students of the Friedhelm Loh Group learned this, as well as about further success factors in the office or at school during teambuilding exercises at the Wetzlar climbing park.
Those who dare do something new will win: Seventeen new students at the Friedhelm Loh Group

05.07.2016. The Friedhelm Loh Group has now welcomed its new students on dual work/study programmes during a tour of a special kind. Seventeen young people quickly learned to pull together and achieve their own and common goals at the Wetzlar climbing park. To this end, they had to overcome their own limits – a good foundation for their studies of business administration, engineering or industrial engineering.

A growing community: The Friedhelm Loh Group’s ‘SeniorenClub’ celebrates its fifteenth anniversary
A growing community: The Friedhelm Loh Group’s ‘SeniorenClub’ celebrates its fifteenth anniversary

14.06.2016. Breathtaking city visits, trips on boats or steamers – a tour with the Friedhelm Loh Group’s “Senioren-Club” is a highlight in the calendar of every former employee’s year. Not only because an there is always a fascinating excursion, but also because their volunteer work is rewarded through relaxing together. This year was a special one for the pensioners, because their club has now been in existence for 15 years. They have been active in the region since 2001, keeping in touch with and taking care of each other.

Biggest investment in company’s history – Rittal gears up for future
Biggest investment in company’s history – Rittal gears up for future

25.05.2016. As part of the restructuring of production in Germany, Rittal’s management team and group works council have concluded a reconciliation of interests. The company is planning to gradually close four plants by 2018, to extend two others and to build a completely new one in Haiger. Over the next few years, the family-run business will be investing 250 million euros in the region to restructure production – and gear up for the future.

Within the scope of Girls’ Day, a nationwide event in Germany, 33 young attendees gained hands-on work experience at the Friedhelm Loh Group.
Work experience for 33 girls at the Friedhelm Loh Group

20.05.2016. Girls’ Day is a Germany-wide event offering insight into professions traditionally dominated by men. The Friedhelm Loh Group opened its doors to 33 young women at various sites, giving them first-hand experience of mechanical and electrical engineering. With a mixture of curiosity and enthusiasm, the girls literally got to grips with the world of manufacturing.

Working for a good cause: current and former employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group help complete the interiors of the wooden lodges at the youth retreat near Oberndorf.
The Friedhelm Loh Group helps the Oberndorf Youth Retreat

09.05.2016. Employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group teamed up with members of the Group’s Seniors’ Club to give back to the community. The volunteers came together to help complete the new wooden lodges at Oberndorf Youth Retreat. This unique centre is supported by the Rittal Foundation. Current and former employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group provided their time and skills free of charge, but took great pride in their efforts.

The trainees of the Friedhelm Loh Group are also active at trade fairs. The group has now been awarded the “Germany’s best companies for training” seal of quality for its innovative approaches to developing young talent.
The Friedhelm Loh Group is one of the best enterprises providing training

22.04.2016. The Friedhelm Loh Group performed very well in a nationwide study commissioned by “Deutschland Test” and “Focus Money”. The study revealed that the family-run business in Central Hesse, which employs more than 11,500 people worldwide, is one of the best companies in Germany when it comes to training. The 2,000 businesses with most employees in 22 different sectors were examined.

Twenty-eight apprentices have completed their training, acquiring skills in technology, business and IT. Michael Weiher (front row, left), Managing Director, International Production, Rittal; Matthias Hecker (second row, second from right), Head of Training at Rittal; and Tina Pfeiffer-Busch (second row, left), Training Coordinator at the Friedhelm Loh Group, presented graduates with certificates.
Friedhelm Loh Group apprentices move onto permanent positions

13.04.2016. Twenty-eight apprentices have completed their training at the Friedhelm Loh Group, and now have the skills they need for an increasingly digitized business world. For their final projects, the apprentices improved the performance of robots, developed methods to increase productivity and made digital processes more efficient. They were praised by both the head of the training program and top executives of the family-owned company, which is headquartered in Herborn, Germany.

David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute, presents Marcus von Pock (left), Senior Vice President Human Resources of the Friedhelm Loh Group, the 2016 award for Top Employer.
A strong community: Friedhelm Loh Group is "Top Employer" again

30.03.2016. This tops it all: For the eighth time in a row, the Top Employers Institute has voted the Friedhelm Loh Group one of the best employers in Germany. The family-owned company excels by promoting young talent at an early stage, by having passionate managers and a value-oriented corporate culture. That is why the Friedhelm Loh Group has again received a "Top German Employer" award in 2016.

Man of action and visionary: Friedhelm Loh receives honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Chemnitz
Man of action and visionary: Friedhelm Loh receives honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Chemnitz

24.03.2016. The Technische Universität Chemnitz has awarded the Hessian entrepreneur Friedhelm Loh an honorary doctorate for his outstanding contributions to science and technology. Representatives of research institutions and universities and from the worlds of politics, industry and trade associations honoured the industrialist as a resolute man of action and visionary. Friedhelm Loh is a driving force behind the networking of business and science, is actively helping to shape industrial digitalisation, and is thus inspiring future generations to think in new ways and to act responsibly.

Karl-Ulrich Köhler becomes Chairman of the Management Board of Rittal International
Karl-Ulrich Köhler becomes Chairman of the Management Board of Rittal International

17.03.2016. New appointment to the Rittal Management Board: Owner Friedhelm Loh has appointed the manager Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler to become CEO of Rittal International Stiftung & Co. KG, as well as the Chairman of the Management Board of Rittal GmbH & Co. KG on 1 July 2016. He will thus assume responsibility for all the business divisions of the world's leading system provider for control and switchgear manufacturing and for the roughly 10,000 employees of the largest company of the Friedhelm Loh Group.

Empowered by values, courage and positivity
Empowered by values, courage and positivity

16.12.2015. Two-hundred and thirty-seven employees who had reached personal milestones in their working lives were honoured at this year’s traditional acknowledgement ceremony, held at the Rittal’s headquarters on Stützelberg, Herborn. A lot has happened in the last 40 years: The Friedhelm Loh Group has grown in Germany and internationally, new markets have been opened up and new products developed. All this not only links these long-serving employees closely to their workplace, but also to their employer.

During his internship, Piotr Guzik worked on the design of a machine user interface for Kiesling Perforex and other systems. He was supported by trainee Jacqueline Hansel within the scope of a buddy programme.
Opening new horizons: the Friedhelm Loh Group launches a new exchange programme for students

30.11.2015. The Friedhelm Loh Group is committed to adding an international dimension to its cooperative education (Duales Studium) offering – for example, as a partner to the Central Hesse European Industrial Experience (EIEM) exchange programme. EIEM is a new joint initiative of Central Hesse Technical University (THM) and the StudiumPlus programme. It enables students from across the world to gain work experience in Germany – and it sends young Germans out into the wider world for similar internships. This summer, Piotr Guzik, an engineering student from Poland, became the first to spend a semester with the Friedhelm Loh Group.

Friedhelm Loh together with his colleagues from Rittal and Eplan opened the Korean Headquarters of Rittal in New Songdo City. Rittal customers can experience the advantages of the products while production processes are running in the completely new building complex.
Rittal and Eplan open new administrative and logistics centre in New Songdo City

23.11.2015. Enclosure and systems provider Rittal continues to invest in East Asia: Rittal owner and CEO, Friedhelm Loh, has now unveiled the new administration and logistics building in South Korea’s free-trade zone of Incheon Songdo. With this €10 million investment, the family-owned company is aiming to pave the way for further growth in South Korea. Eplan, a leading provider of CAE software for electrical design and – like Rittal – member of the Friedhelm Loh Group shares this new site.

Every year, Friedhelm Loh Group sends its second-year trainees to a monastery, where they form teams tasked with developing, planning and executing their own projects. This year’s theme was “Working together for the future of our region”. It challenged the young people to improve conditions in their own back yard. The founder and senior executives of the family-owned company have now awarded prizes for the best projects.
Friedhelm Loh Group: trainees take action for the region

16.11.2015. Every year, Friedhelm Loh Group sends its second-year trainees to a monastery, where they form teams tasked with developing, planning and executing their own projects. This year’s theme was “Working together for the future of our region”. It challenged the young people to improve conditions in their own back yard. The founder and senior executives of the family-owned company have now awarded prizes for the best projects.

Proud winners: Dr Thomas Steffen, Rittal’s Managing Director, Research and Development (m.), Heiko Holighaus, Director of Pre-Development (r.) and developer Juan Carlos Cacho Alonso (l.) accepted the German Industry Innovation Award.
Rittal wins innovation award for “Blue e+” cooling units

05.11.2015. The new generation of Blue e+ cooling units from Rittal has received German industry’s Innovation Award for the best product. The jury from “Produktion” magazine and Staufen AG management consultancy, who awarded the prize for the first time this year, was impressed by the high energy efficiency, intuitive operation and the Industry 4.0 readiness of the cooling units. The German Industry Innovation Award acknowledges outstanding developments that boost Germany’s Mittelstand of medium-sized companies in particular.

This summer, the Friedhelm Loh Group joined forces with the Region of Lahn-Dill to run a unique pilot project. Its aim was to equip refugees for the labour market. Building on their existing knowledge, they received basic vocational skills training that opens the door to new opportunities. The State of Hesse has now approved funding to extend the initiative.
Funding for innovative refugee training project approved

20.10.2015. This summer, the Friedhelm Loh Group joined forces with the Region of Lahn-Dill to run a unique pilot project. Its aim was to equip refugees for the labour market. Building on their existing knowledge, they received basic vocational skills training that opens the door to new opportunities. The State of Hesse has now approved funding to extend the initiative.

An exciting traineeship lies ahead: Dr. Thomas Steffen, Managing Director Research and Development, welcomes the 55 new trainees with Matthias Hecker, head of commercial and technical training at Rittal, and Tina Pfeiffer-Busch, training coordinator at the Friedhelm Loh Group.
Welcome to the world of work!

09.09.2015. A group of 55 new trainees has started a new chapter in their lives at the Friedhelm Loh Group. They were welcomed by Dr. Thomas Steffen, Managing Director Research and Development, who gave them their first top tips for a successful traineeship.

They are seeking to escape political persecution, terrorism, war and hunger. The pilot project offers refugees the prospect of a better life.
Pilot project offers refugees unique skills development opportunities

11.08.2015. The number of refugees arriving in Germany is at a 20-year record high. They are seeking to escape political persecution, terrorism, war and hunger. They wish to live and work in Germany, but face considerable obstacles. They generally do not speak the language, their qualifications are often not recognized, and they struggle to cut a path through bureaucratic red tape. Against this backdrop, the Friedhelm Loh Group has joined forces with the Region of Lahn-Dill (where the company is headquartered) to launch a unique initiative – with the aim of creating opportunities for refugees by helping them to acquire marketable skills.

“be top” wins prestigious award
“be top” wins prestigious award

29.07.2015. For the second time so far, “be top”, the company magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group, has been proud to receive the renowned Fox Award. The 2/2014 issue of “be top” won the gold medal for a customer magazine published both in printed and digital form.

Hendrik Clöer (front row, left), department head at the local branch of the German Caritas Association, is pleased to receive a donation for refugee aid from Friedemann Hensgen (front row, right), chair of the Rittal Foundation’s council. Also pictured are Heinrich Arndt (2nd row, 5th from left), CEO of Caritas in Wetzlar, Manfred Wagner (3rd row, right), mayor of Wetzlar, and members of the Pinocchio ’90 theatre company.
Freedom on four wheels

24.07.2015. The Rittal Foundation is donating 10,000 euros to the German Caritas Association in the Wetzlar/Lahn-Dill-Eder region for the purchase of a minibus. The vehicle will be available to refugees and their aid workers, enabling them to attend appointments at local government offices or doctors’ surgeries when there is no sufficient public transport infrastructure.

Spontaneous fundraising campaign: staff collection raises €170,000 for earthquake victims
Spontaneous fundraising campaign: staff collection raises €170,000 for earthquake victims

10.06.2015. The situation in Nepal is still disastrous around one month after the devastating earthquake in the South Asian country. The staff of the Friedhelm Loh Group responded immediately, collecting a sum of €170,000. The donation will go now to international relief organizations providing important support on site.

Still top: The Friedhelm Loh Group is an outstanding employer
Still top: The Friedhelm Loh Group is an outstanding employer

07.04.2015. The Friedhelm Loh Group continues to be one of Germany’s top employers. This year, the "Top Employers Institute", has honoured the Group for the seventh year in a row for its forwardlooking personnel concepts, and praised its enthusiastic management, social commitment and innovative ideas.

Field tests planned for later this year
Field tests planned for later this year

18.06.2014. Kiesling Maschinentechnik will launch Averex, the world’s first robotic wiring centre, in the second half of 2014. After a five-year development period, this automation solution for machinery, control enclosure and switchgear manufacturing is now all but production-ready. But first, two to three real-world field tests will be conducted. Averex saves valuable time by eliminating the need to wire mounting plates manually. Now, connections between devices are made automatically and meet all applicable standards and safety requirements. This reduces the number of working hours per enclosure by up to 15 hours. Additional features, such as push-in connections and automatic wire-changing and labelling increase the degree of automation even further.

Friedhelm Loh Group takes over Kuttig
Friedhelm Loh Group takes over Kuttig

20.06.2013. Kuttig Computeranwendungen GmbH, Troisdorf, one of the biggest Autodesk partners in Germany, is now part of the Haiger-based Friedhelm Loh Group. This will create Germany's first centre of excellence for mechatronic CAD (computer-aided design) and PLM (product lifecycle management) solutions within the Eplan – Rittal – Kiesling alliance.

Rittal buys Kiesling Maschinentechnik
Rittal buys Kiesling Maschinentechnik

25.02.2013. Kiesling Maschinentechnik is joining Rittal International. In this way, the international corporate group is expanding its expertise in the fields of switching systems and control system engineering. Kiesling, a family-owned company headquartered in Dietzenbach in the German state of Hesse, is a sought-after specialist for automation solutions in the area of switching system engineering.

More structure for an improved overview
Eplan presents new website

29.01.2013. Solution-provider EPLAN's new website is now online to mark the new year. The website ties in with the consistent look and feel of the Friedhelm Loh Group and includes plenty of additional content, for example, new industry pages. The idea was to allow content to be found more quickly - which involved creating new filter options and optimising the search function.

Mr Guido Stannek appointed Rittal President
Mr Guido Stannek appointed Rittal President

24.01.2013. Rittal's management team is proud to welcome Mr Guido Stannek on board. Since the start of the year, Mr Stannek has been promoted to President, with worldwide responsibility for purchasing, procurement, and logistics at the leading enclosure and system provider.

Managers from 52 countries meet in the Rittal Arena
Managers from 52 countries meet in the Rittal Arena

23.01.2013. Over 320 Rittal managers from 52 countries attended a conference in the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar to map out the road to global growth for the company in 2013. A total of more than 500 million euros is to be invested in worldwide production and logistics over the next five years.

Success is not a given
Friedhelm Loh establishes charitable Rittal Foundation

20.02.2012. The Rittal Foundation has now started its work with an initial meeting of the Board and Council. The foundation's purpose is to support social and cultural institutions located close to Rittal sites worldwide. Friedhelm Loh announced the plan to establish the foundation last year to mark Rittal's 50th anniversary.

€ 570,000 donated for social and charitable institutions
€ 570,000 donated for social and charitable institutions

18.01.2012. Employees of the Friedhelm Loh Group and Friedhelm Loh himself, the Group's owner and Chairman, joined forces again last year for their traditional end of the year donation. Social and charitable institutions near the group's locations are being supported to the tune of € 150,000.

Hermann Tetzner is the new CFO of the Friedhelm Loh Group
Hermann Tetzner is the new CFO of the Friedhelm Loh Group

17.01.2012. Hermann Tetzner, a 55-year-old industrial engineer, has been responsible for the financial affairs of the internationally active group of companies since the beginning of the year. "The Friedhelm Loh group is consistently expanding its global business and will be able to finance organic growth on its own in future too", Mr. Tetzner explained.

School's out – what next?
School's out – what next?

05.12.2011. Around 60 young people attended an info fair organised by the Loh Academy at Rittal in Herborn under the banner "Training and 'StudiumPlus' with the Friedhelm Loh Group (F.L.G.)". This great response was once more proof that the companies forming the group are attractive potential employers for many school-leavers. The F.L.G. group is currently still able to offer a number of vacancies.

50 years of success thanks to you
50 years of success thanks to you

05.12.2011. Yet another jubilee has given Rittal plenty to reflect: On 1st December 2011, the Friedhelm Loh Group (F.L.G.), of which Rittal is a member, invited 409 employees celebrating a personal jubilee to the Stadthalle civic centre in Haiger, the birthplace of the internationally active company group. At this festive gathering, Friedhelm Loh thanked the employees who had already been contributing to the F.L.G. success story for 10, 25 or even 40 years.

To give is to gain
To give is to gain

01.11.2011. Training from a different perspective: During a workshop in Gnadenthal, the trainees of the Friedhelm Loh Group devoted their attention to the subject of “Disability and disadvantage”. Subsequently, they organised project days with affected youth groups. Friedhelm Loh, owner and board chairman of the Friedhelm Loh Group, praised this commitment and awarded prizes to the three best trainee projects.

On course for future careers
On course for future careers

26.10.2011. A total of 92 young men and women began their vocational training at companies of the Friedhelm Loh Group in August. The group companies Eplan, LKH, Loh Services, Rittal and Stahlo thus defended their title as the largest vocational training provider in the region in 2011, too.

260,000 euros to fight famine in the Horn of Africa
260,000 euros to fight famine in the Horn of Africa

28.09.2011. Just four months after donating 160,000 euros for earthquake victims in Japan, the Friedhelm Loh Group has given a further 260,000 euros to various aid organisations. This time round, the money is intended for people affected by the famine in East Africa. Employees donated more than 79,000 euros. Friedhelm Loh, owner and Chairman of the group of companies headquartered in the German town of Haiger, increased this amount to 160,000 euros and added a further 100,000 euros to mark Rittal's 50th anniversary.

Enclosure manufacturer makes a major contribution towards protecting the environment
Enclosure manufacturer makes a major contribution towards protecting the environment

20.09.2011. These days, saving resources is more important than ever. Rittal is a good example of a company that makes the best of the energy efficiency technology available to industrial companies today. The world’s leading provider of enclosure technology systems has established a successful practice of implementing the ideas of its own staff. Over the past five years, Rittal’s largest plant in Rittershausen has cut its consumption of electricity, gas and water by up to 30 percent.

Rittal extends its sponsorship of the
Rittal extends its sponsorship of the "Rittal Arena" and HSG Wetzlar

13.09.2011. Rittal has extended its contract and will remain the sponsor of the arena in Wetzlar that bears its name for the next five years. The enclosure and system supplier is also carrying on as a co-sponsor of HSG Wetzlar. In this way, Rittal is continuing its long-term support for the region of Middle Hesse.

€ 3 billion sales worldwide by 2015
€ 3 billion sales worldwide by 2015

09.09.2011. "The power of the past and the present is the start-ing point for our bold vision of the future." That's how Friedhelm Loh, proprietor and CEO of Rittal reflected on the company's status after 50 years of success. "We plan to have an annual turnover of € 3 billion by 2015. This goes hand in hand with rapidly growing staffing needs, representing career opportunities all over the world", continued Mr. Loh at the "50 Years Rittal. Power and Vision" anniversary press conference.

50,000 euros for children with cancer
50,000 euros for children with cancer

06.09.2011. Friedhelm Loh had a big surprise in store for a group of cyclists raising money for charity. They were expecting a donation of 5,000 euros, but when the Menschen für Kinder e.V. charity bike ride stopped off at Rittal, the group's owner handed over ten times that amount. The organisation will use the 50,000 euro donation to help children with cancer.

Huge praise for Rittal trainees
Huge praise for Rittal trainees

16.08.2011. 23 Rittal in commercial and technical vocations at Rittal have now made the leap into the world of work. On Tuesday 9 August, a ceremony was held at the company headquarters in Herborn to present them with their certificates. The trainers explicitly praised the high standard of exam results.

Support for new disabled facility in Burbach
Support for new disabled facility in Burbach

05.07.2011. On 29 June, the children’s charity "Förderverein Kinderzuhause" in Burbach was delighted to receive a donation of 9,500 Euros raised by Rittal employees and the company's owner, Friedhelm Loh. Some of the money had been raised by the Rittal Cup football tournament.

Friedhelm Loh Group among the worldwide growth champions
Friedhelm Loh Group among the worldwide growth champions

27.01.2011. According to Accenture, the Friedhelm Loh Group is one of only six German companies that in the last five years have not only had above-average sales growth in their sectors but also exceed the average of the 2000 corporations with the highest sales. The study was prepared by Accenture exclusively for the daily newspaper "Die Welt" and was published in January.