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The Schwabmünchner medical technology company Ritter has grown strongly in the wake of the pandemic and wants to gain a stronger foothold worldwide. There are even more jobs.
FromStefan Stahl
The medical technology company Ritter is growing faster and faster. The plastics technology specialist Schwabmünchen South from Augsburg produces particularly precise consumables for laboratories, such as pipette tips with which test liquids can be transported from container to container. The Ritter test materials are placed in three to six meter long devices that weigh tons and automatically examine liquids. Of course, this technology is now more in demand than ever.
The Ritter company also produces for hardware stores and Dallmayr
The company, which belongs to the brothers Ralf and Frank Ritter, is not only successful with medical products. The company also produces plastic cartridges in which silicone is filled, for example in hardware stores. Ritter also supplies “Capsa” with coffee capsules developed in-house for Dallmayr. And when the floor has to be fixed on riding, parking and golf courses, the company’s honeycomb plastic mesh is used.
Even before the Corona crisis, the family company, which once took over the building of the Kraft cheese factory in Schwabmünchen, began to invest heavily in expanding the location. But with the outbreak of the pandemic, the pace of investment was massively increased. Hall after hall is added. More and more injection molding machines and Kuka robots are in use. In this way, consumables for corona tests can be produced in clean rooms, which meet the high demands of customers and worldwide, also in the USA and China, find sales.
Long list of vacancies in Schwabmünchen
Ralf Ritter says to our editorial team: “We were able to prevail against competitors and gain market share. The growth continues.” He announces that he will expand the Schwabmünchen site. Ritter promises: “We want to hire up to 100 employees again by the end of the year.” The list of vacancies is still long: it ranges from production assistants to screen printers, machine operators, cutting machine operators, mechatronics technicians, electricians, technical buyers, clerks and personnel officers.
Ritter currently has around 450 permanent employees in Schwabmünchen and another 100 temporary workers. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the company has taken on an additional 120 permanent employees. “Our goal is to take on temporary employees in the long term. And we often succeed,” says Ralf Ritter. However, in order to be able to cope with the emerging additional strong growth and to secure the location in Schwabmünchen in the long term, the company wants to break new ground.
Ralf Ritter announced to our editorial team: “We are looking for a strategic partner for the company who has worldwide sales channels.” The Ritter managers are not looking for a financial investor, but a company that is anchored in the medical technology sector and can support Ritter in further global expansion. “We are currently still in the orientation phase. We are approaching the search conscientiously and are aware of our responsibility,” says Ralf Ritter. He does not give any further details.
“Reliable employer in Schwabmünchen”
It is therefore unclear when and with what proportion such a strategic partner will join. There is likely to be a great deal of interest in getting involved. Ralf Ritter says: “We are technologically far ahead and were able to make good use of the opportunities presented to us.” It is important to the entrepreneur: “In Schwabmünchen we are a reliable employer in difficult times. It will stay that way even after a strategic partner has joined us.” And at a time in which the politics of business representatives have to accept increasingly fierce criticism, says Ralf Ritter: “We are very grateful to those responsible for politics that we were able to expand our company so quickly in Schwabmünchen.”
The medical technology manufacturer was classified as a “systemically important” company and can produce around the clock. In order to be able to meet the increasing demand, Schwabmünchen’s largest employer has also taken on skilled workers from companies in the region. Employees from Wafa in Augsburg switched to Ritter after the plant was closed. They benefited from the fact that their previous employer, as an automotive supplier, also specialized in injection molding.
In times of crisis, Ritter offers jobs for people who have lost their jobs as a result of the crisis.
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