Rychiger AG withdraws from the Peel-off End business
Rychiger AG, a leading supplier of machines for Filling & Sealing and making Peel-off Ends for metal cans decided to stop its activities in the Metal Packaging sector. The decision followed strong growth of the company in the Filling & Sealing machines business in recent years. Swiss Soudronic AG acquired the Peel-off End business from Rychiger and provides parts and services for already installed machines.
Rychiger AG is based in Steffisburg, Switzerland, where it manufactures machines for Filling & Sealing for the food, pet-food and pharmaceutical industry and machines for Peel-off Ends for the metal packaging industry. The company is a successful and profitable leader in selected market segments and has 140 employees. Sales in 2007 were approximately CHF 50 million. In early 2007 the company was bought out by the management.
In recent years, Rychiger has seen strong growth that has led to a multiplication of turnover. Most of this growth originated in the Filling & Sealing machines business where Rychiger holds a strong position in various applications for single-serve packaging. Rychiger has been manufacturing Filling & Sealing machines for almost 50 years and was a pioneer in developing the application for retortable portion packs.
The technology for manufacturing Peel-off Ends was developed in the early 1980s, and Rychiger was the first company, and for almost two decades the only company, to supply such machines. For many years the Peel-off End business made up about half the turnover of the company. In recent years, however, the relative share has dropped, although stable in absolute numbers. During the same time, the technology for Peel-off Ends manufacturing has rapidly changed and the technological synergies between the two Rychiger businesses faded away. Rychiger therefore made the strategic decision to withdraw from the metal packaging market where the company’s position had become difficult with just a single product in its portfolio.
Swiss based Soudronic AG from Bergdietikon acquired the business from Rychiger effective 20 April 2008. Soudronic, a market leader in metal packaging, started to build machines for Peel-off Ends several years ago and today provides a range of machines to the market. Soudronic has taken over the after sales business from Rychiger and provides parts and all services for the approximately 70 Rychiger Peel-off End machines already installed worldwide.