By Emma Ryde – Rittal UK’s Product Manager for Enclosure Systems
2021 was a triple milestone for Rittal, the company celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding, the 75th birthday of owner Prof. Friedhelm Loh and now also the one millionth VX25 been produced!
On the 16th August 2021, the one millionth VX25 enclosure rolled off the assembly line, production of which would not have been possible, without the hard work and dedication of the 1240 employees, at the Ritterhausen site. To honour this incredible achievement Prof. Friedhelm Loh and representatives from the company’s management team, honoured this achievement with a commemorative ceremony, on the same production floor where the VX25 is manufactured day after day.
How can we make the best even better? That was the question which Rittal asked itself as a starting point, for the development of the VX25 enclosure system. Three years after its initial market launch, Rittal is proud to advise that the VX25 is used by industrial and IT customers all over the world. In settings such as all automobile manufacturers, as well as in data centres for IT giants such as Facebook and Amazon, along with on cruise liners, in wind turbines and in several remote locations as well. The one millionth VX25 rolled off the production line, to mark this momentous occasion, it was celebrated with music and confetti, by the management and employees at the Ritterhausen site. It was a memorable celebration, that celebrated the extraordinary achievements of so many Rittal employees, including the VX25 design engineers, product managers and production technicians.
“This was all only possible with your contributions, For that I cannot thank you enough. We have always been the global technology leader and the VX25 enclosure, has sent out yet another signal to the world market. Our customers were absolutely astounded and we have now been demonstrating excellence, in enclosure manufacturing over four product generations.” Prof. Friedhelm Loh told the employees attending the ceremony.
Incredible! – that is how the owner and chairman, of the Friedhelm Loh Group described the Rittal success story. He recalled that Rittershausen was not only the birthplace of large enclosures, but also the foundation of the company as a whole. “With the people of this region, we have developed a business model which has revolutionised the entire world of electrical engineering.”
Without the team members, Rittal would not have been able to develop the ideas. During the time in the initial conception of Rittal, no one including its founders and management, could have imagined just a few decades later, that Rittal’s enclosures would be used around the globe. With the slogan “Enclosures available off the shelf, immediately” Rittal sparked a revolution, via the mechanical engineering sector, from there standard enclosures conquered the industry.
Since its initial success, Rittal has gone on to build factories in China, India, Brazil, America and England, with Prof. Loh commenting “It is amazing when we look at all the places where these enclosures are manufactured today, across the world, Rittal manufacturer several thousand large enclosures every day.”
Many others have attempted to follow suit, including several major electrical engineering groups, but without success. Prof. Loh went on to add that one of Rittal’s greatest strengths, is its readiness to diversify from general trends, within industry and look to be innovators, which places them at the forefront of development within industry. This is shown by the expansion of Rittal’s portfolio over the years, since the initial conception of large enclosure, Rittal has gone on to be successful in areas including climate control, power distribution and subsequently IT infrastructure.
In Ritterhausen Germany, thanks to Rittal’s unprecedent success Rittal, has also become the largest employer in the region. “It cannot be taken for granted that a company will develop in this way for 60 years. It is a gift. It is an unbelievable success story and ample reason to celebrate.” Said Prof. Loh as he concluded his address.
Markus Asch, CEO of Rittal International, went on to emphasize the important role that the VX25 plays in Rittal’s portfolio: “The large enclosure is the essence of Rittal and an expression of our expertise.” Available in thousands of configuration variants, it meets 90 per cent of all customer requirements worldwide. “Today’s gathering was organized to celebrate the one millionth VX25, but in reality we are celebrating you, the employees who manufacturer the enclosure on a daily basis.” Said the management board chairman. Together with the Norbert Peter, Vice president of operations in Germany and the plant manager in Ritterhausen, they presented a gilded enclosure key and a commemorative certificate to all the employees, in recognition of there hard work and dedication.
For further information on the entire Rittal range visit www.rittal.co.uk or check out our linkedin page @rittal-ltd-uk
