RUCH NOVAPLAST – a Success Story for More than 100 Years

1879         

The company was founded by Eduard Ruch and his partner Viktor Koller under the name "Koller & Ruch" in Switzerland as a mechanical workshop for wire nails as well as for the production of the machines that were required for this.

1881

Purchase of the property in Oberkirch; expansion of the production program by water turbines and saw frames; Viktor Koller withdraws from the company; Eduard Ruch and Emil Scheller continue running the company under the name "Scheller & Ruch"

1921

After the death of Emil Scheller and Eduard Ruch, the two company founders, Eduard Ruch’s sons Heinrich and Eduard continue running the company under the name "Gebrüder Ruch" (Ruch Brothers)   

1960

Groundbreaking of the plastics manufacturing facility RUCH NOVAPLAST; start of the industrial production of polystyrene moulded parts   

1984

Installation of one of the first polystyrene recycling facilities in Germany

1988

RUCH NOVAPLAST begins as one of the pioneers with the manufacturing of moulded foam parts made of expanded polypropylene (EPP)   

1994

Birth of NOVAplex®, the E-PAC®-based chassis and housing construction concept in cooperation with Hewlett Packard and the engineering firm DMT   

1995

Start of the manufacturing of larger automobile mass-production series

1997

New plants concept and certification of our QM systems according to DIN ISO 9001

1998

Qualification as development partner of prestigious industry clients via CAD construction; start of simultaneous CAD engineering for load bearers

1999

Strategic alignment of the company to newly defined key services

2000

Expansion to CAD/CNC capacity for the development of complex components   

2001

Founding of the subsidiary MORAplast s.r.o. in the Czech Republic

2003

Application of the implemented QM system to the new standard DIN EN ISO 9001:2000

2004

Takeover and continuation of the EPP manufacturing of automobile distributor REHAU

2005

Expansion of production plants for a EPP manufacturing at MORAplast s.r.o., in Odry in the Czech Republic

Construction of the new reception building with visitor and conference rooms

Roland Zeifang is appointed technical managing director of RUCH NOVAPLAST GmbH + Co. KG

2006

Division of the company into RUCH NOVAPLAST GmbH + Co. KG (production company) and RUCH INVEST GmbH + Co. KG (holding company)   

2008

lready over 50% of all moulded parts are used in technical applications

Winfried Mantwill is appointed commercial managing director of RUCH NOVAPLAST GmbH + Co. KG

2009

Volker Erdle resigns as active managing director of RUCH NOVAPLAST GmbH + Co. KG and starts managing RUCH INVEST GmbH + Co. KG

2010

RUCH NOVAPLAST celebrates its 50-year company anniversary!

2011

Andrea Ruch-Erdle leaves active management and from now on leads RUCH INVEST GmbH + Co.KG and affiliated companies with her husband Volker Erdle

2012

Re-certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 (quality), and new certification according to DIN ISO 14001:2004 (environment)

The result of our technology incubator: PCIM - Particle Foam-Composite Injection Moulding®, together with our partners Arburg and Krallmann

2013

Founding of Network for intelligent lightweight construction systems NILS

2014

Development and specification of mounting element NOVAFeed&Fix® (patent pending)

First presentation of an integrated foam cell at the FAKUMA

2015

Presentation of the world's first ventilation device with integrated NOVAFeed&Fix® elements

2016

One of the first companies in Germany to receive the TÜV certifications ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015

Opening of the new assembly hall

2017

Certification of our energy managing system according to DIN EN ISO 50001

2018

Winfried Mantwill resigns as managing director of RUCH NOVAPLAST GmbH + Co. KG and leaves the company

2020

RUCH NOVAPLAST changes its legal form into a GmbH