25 years of life savers

On September 16, 2022, Rhodius celebrated the 25th anniversary of the company location in Laage-Kronskamp. Unfortunately, the anniversary celebration had to be postponed by one year due to the Corona crisis. With the automotive products, Rhodius makes a significant contribution to the fact that the number of road deaths has been massively reduced in recent decades thanks to airbags. The anniversary was prepared with a factory tour and an accompanying product exhibition by the new factory manager Jan Dreyer with the organization team under Mrs. Daniela Nauber in weeks of work. Around 150 participants attended.

In 1996, Rhodius opened the production plant for airbag components at Rostock-Laage. The automotive supplier now employs more than 100 people here and has developed into the local market leader. The new production hall was built 26 years ago. In 2002, after six successful years of operation, a fully automated production facility was set up. Hot tube forming was then started. Further investments in state-of-the-art production facilities for airbag tube forming followed - a technological boost in the areas of airbag filters and tubes. The successful start of large-scale tube forming in Laage, with self-developed process technology and in close cooperation and with the support of the technology and development team from Weissenburg, is showing successful results today.

Maximilian Göppert, representative of the main investor Equistone Munich, gave the laudatory speech from the investor's point of view. He thanked the employees for their work in the past and the state government for supporting the forthcoming growth course. Innovations in airbag application areas and the resulting increase in equipment rates promise growing sales at the company headquarters in Laage. State Secretary Jochen Schulte addressed the issues and once again expressly emphasized Equistone's commitment to the two Rhodius locations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Mr. Stephan Gappa, Plant Manager of ZF Laage, gave his speech from the customer's point of view and presented a self-welded anniversary installation made of airbag parts. Rhodius and ZF have the advantage of fully exploiting the highly automated local production and working together "quasi across the street".

The cooperation was strengthened through the exchange on state politics, the valued customer ZF, as well as numerous suppliers. With thanks to the employees, the event was very appreciative. dr In his speech, Knut Kille, CEO of the Rhodius Group, referred to the 25-year existence of the site and compared this to adolescence, the intellectual maturity of puberty. At 25 years old, the location is more than independent and ready for further growth. The importance of the main plant in Laages will increase in the future. A touch of the international group was conveyed by recorded, sung video congratulations from the Rhodius Kunshan location in China. During the event there were employee, customer and supplier presents, as well as a raffle with an e-bike as the main prize.
dr Kille expressly thanked the state government for the unbureaucratic support of the industrial settlement and promotion of qualification.