The groninger Group has acquired pharmaceutical containment OEM Reinraumtechnik Ulm (RTU).
Groninger is an international manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries. Many large pharmaceutical companies use their technology, such as Lifecore Biomedical.
The Germany-based group made the acquisition not only to expand its technological portfolio but also to strengthen its expertise in a field that is crucial to the pharmaceutical industry: cleanroom and isolator technology.
CEO Jens Groninger praised the passionate team at RTU and enthuses about the potential of the new collaboration.
“Our customers have increasingly expressed the desire for an expanded product portfolio. With the acquisition of RTU, we’re responding decisively to that demand,” Jens said.
Jens reassures that the Group will be respecting established structures and industry standards during this change, and reinforces that this will not be an “overnight” change.
“Over the past decades, we’ve built strategic partnerships with long-standing and highly valued collaborators in the field of containment and cleanroom technology. These partnerships will continue unchanged. Reinraumtechnik Ulm and the new joint offering resulting from the acquisition are a complement to our existing portfolio – not a replacement.”
In May this year, groninger made another bold move in the US with a $14.2m investment in a facility in North Carolina. The company has maintained a presence in the US since 1997, and is now planning to create 60 more jobs by 2030.
RTU founder taking a step back
Continuity is also a key theme at RTU. The transition has been thoughtfully prepared and strategically planned.
RTU founder Dietmar Renz laid the groundwork for his gradual withdrawal back in 2021 by appointing Steffen Rieger as Managing Director.
“I’ve been planning to step back from business operations for several years,” said Renz. “I searched long and hard for a partner that not only made sense financially but also felt right. With groninger, we’ve found that partner.”
As part of the acquisition, Renz will gradually step away from day-to-day operations, confident that he is entrusting his life’s work to a reliable partner. Rieger will continue to serve as Managing Director of RTU even after the integration into the groninger Group.
With his deep understanding and expertise in the product portfolio, he will ensure stability and reliability in daily operations. Reinraumtechnik Ulm will remain an independent company with its own expertise and location in Ulm – embedded within the groninger Group, but maintaining its identity.
“As a family-owned business, we understand how important it is to balance tradition and progress. This acquisition is a forward-looking step – and not something that happens overnight,” assures Jens Groninger.