Generational work.

So there we are in the summer of 1875, travelling from Oberkochen down the river Kocher through the romantic and dreamy Wiesental valley and what do we see? Shortly before Unterkochen – how surprising – the working day has suddenly hoisted its cheerful plume of smoke from the smoke of the smithy. So what had happened? The location “RUD Friedensinsel”, which our two founders Carl Rieger and Friedrich Dietz chose for their forge in 1875, was well thought out. As early as the middle of the 14th century, iron production had developed in Unterkochen in eastern Württemberg, based on the abundance of brown ironstone and wood. The water power of the Kocher favoured this production – and so the chainsmith's trade also became established. The fact that the course of the Kocher river also provided such a remarkable island location here was a reason for gratitude and a good reason to name this plant and its home “Friedeninsel” (Peace Island) for all time in 1898. A memorial to this naming, donated by factory owner Ernst Rieger in 1992, still reminds us of this today at the park entrance to the factory. And we will come back later to the meaningfulness of this unusual name for an industrial site.

Firstly, we need to delve a little deeper into the reasons behind the two founders’ actions. And then we come across another, even older testimony to Aalen’s industrial history. We are referring to the Erlau company, which has been based in the Erlen-Au since 1828 and whose well-established foreman was Carl Rieger, and whose enterprising travelling salesman Friedrich Dietz also endeavoured to sell chains and other products there. The supervisory board of Erlau AG, incidentally the first public limited company in southern Germany at the time, denied both men the salary increase they had requested. This decision was to have consequences. The two quickly and without hesitation decided to found the chain forge 3 kilometres up the river Kocher, whose rise and subsequent success would be a heavy burden on the protagonists on the Erlen-Au. They cheerfully set to work with their first founding team of 16 chainsmiths on the rapidly growing business.

Today we know that, together with RUD and Erlau, we can look back on a proud 180 years of industrial history. And we also know that, true to the political motto that “what belongs together should grow together”, 113 years passed before Erlau AG became part of the RUD family group in 1988.

However, a great deal of water flowed down the Kocher before it became today’s RUD family group with well over 1,000 employees and an impressive international presence. In other words, in five generations of an entrepreneurial family, there have been the ups and downs, the peculiarities and also deserved successes that could be taken from a textbook on sustainability and the willingness of family businesses to take risks. While in the early days of the company, the first signs of industrial – and no longer just artisanal – endeavours – as evidenced by the first trade fair participations and awards in the early years of 1877 and 1881 – it was Otto Rieger, the sole owner’s son after the death of childless co-founder Friedrich Dietz, who was the first in Germany to introduce electric welding of chain links in 1908. And 1910 can be regarded as the birth year of the first snow chain, with Unterkochen as its birthplace. This is actually a testimony that should be included in German industrial history – at a time when the motorisation of road traffic was still in its proverbial infancy. Right up to the industrial production of quality chains for use in all areas of conveying, lifting, securing, pulling and slinging, which began after the Second World War, and the market-leading claim of tyre protection chain production, the guiding principle that runs like a red thread through RUD is: We want to be the first!

But lets go back to the vibrant life of a community of entrepreneurs and employees who have jointly paved the way to today with remarkable milestones of partnership.

This claim had already been impressively realised in 1935: when Dipl.-Ing. Werner Rieger was the first in the world to develop the centre track network and thus went down in the history of automotive accessories as the inventor of the track chain! RUD’s entrepreneurial activities were never speculative. Technical ideas were always the starting point – and a strict, uncompromising pursuit of quality. This has been preserved right up to the current 5th generation, which has also written these values firmly into the company's mission statement.

As early as 1910, 10 years before the later Works Council Act, Otto Rieger the Elder formed a Council of Confidence with the 7 longest-serving chainsmiths. And as early as 1960, loyal and deserving employees were rewarded as RUD regular employees with voluntary retirement pensions, holiday allowances and additional leave. All social developments that have since become part of the general development – but at the time, 50 years ago, they were downright pioneering. RUD was also the first company in the region to introduce cashless payment of wages and salaries – which helped some wives to gain an insight into their husbands’ financial circumstances for the first time and therefore caused quite a stir in some places ...!

This convincing and exemplary partnership was driven by the almost legendary four entrepreneurs and brothers Otto, Ernst, Emil and Dipl.-Ing. Werner Rieger, who left their mark on this family business for well over half a century. They also enjoyed an almost legendary reputation in the German and international chain industry as the four chain brothers. They were also officially recognised with the company’s state visit by the then Federal President Gustav Heinemann. And by being honoured as 1st prize winner in the national “Industry in the Landscape” competition by Count Lennart Bernadotte.

Dr. Hansjörg Rieger has been managing the family company in the 4th generation since 1968, together with his sons Dr. Jörg Steffen, Johannes and Dr. Benjamin Rieger.

This subsequent 5th generation suffered a heavy blow of fate with the tragic accidental death of their brother Florian Rieger, whose forward-moving passion and entrepreneurial talent was realised all too soon in the unforgotten development of the plants in Brazil and Romania.

A region of patents and talent is what people like to call East Wuerttemberg. The people in the RUD family group have truly made their contribution to this. For 180 years, in 5 generations, on all continents – and despite its international presence, firmly rooted in its home environment.

It should not be forgotten, however, just how much the fortunes of an entrepreneurial family are also reflected in the personal and cultural sphere. By preserving the artistic legacy of the gifted, internationally unforgotten colouratura soprano and chamber singer Trude Eipperle-Rieger – the wife of factory owner Ernst Rieger – today’s Rieger family plays an important role in the cultural life of the region. And if the name Friedeninsel (Island of Peace) has rightly been realised in its unusual terminology, this is rounded off by a reminiscence from days hopefully gone forever: The war threatened to destroy Stuttgart and its art treasures with its bomb load. Professor von Graevenitz, director of the Academy of Art at the time (incidentally the father-in-law of Robert Bosch Jr.), requested asylum on the Island of Peace for his most important sculptures and pictorial works. It was here that these art treasures found peaceful exile and survived the fear of destruction of those days. On an island of peace in the truest sense of the word. This is also part of a social and cultural balance sheet that not every company and every entrepreneurial family has experienced, mastered and therefore has to show for itself.

Not forgetting the cheerful human side. And of the many stories that can be told here, there is just one (and I will reveal it very discreetly ...): that the sister of those legendary 4 chain brothers, Emma Rieger, was the adored childhood sweetheart of an Aalen schoolboy named Erwin Rommel, later a German field marshal. And it may be reported as an episode of historical truth that he often travelled by bicycle along the train from Aalen to Unterkochen to meet his beloved at the station in Unterkochen at the same time. The fact that he later found his way through the desert sands with chains from his childhood sweetheart’s father’s house is only reported here as a chronicle without any further historical judgement!

And finally, in the light of what has been said, the two outstanding protagonists of the entrepreneurial family philosophy should have their say. Prof. Brun-Hagen-Hennerkes, Chairman of the German Family Business Foundation, with his highly profound perception: “Family businesses are the pillars of the labour market. They are eager to innovate and take a long-term view. Anyone who would rather think of tradition and sluggishness fails to recognise their innovative strength. But they also carry a high risk. Of the 3.2 million companies in Germany, more than 95 per cent are family businesses. They also provide the majority of jobs. He goes on to inform us: “It is estimated that more than 50 to 60 per cent of the 28 million employees subject to social security contributions work in family businesses.” He goes on to conclude: “Family entrepreneurs are by no means better people than managers in anonymous corporations. But they have a different motivation...”

And Professor Dr. Hermann Simon has once again included the RUD family group in his standard work “Hidden Champions of the 21st Century”, a reference work for the success strategies of unknown world market leaders. In other words: RUD has taken a permanent place in the premier class of these companies!