On October 16, 2024, Riedel Bau invited business partners and customers to the company headquarters in Schweinfurt to mark its 125th anniversary. The anniversary was duly celebrated with a colorful supporting program of speeches, dance and show performances. Riedel Bau presented itself with a look back at the eventful past and at the same time gave an insight into the innovative visions for the future – true to the motto “Tradition meets innovation”:
When Johann Riedel opened his bricklaying business in Schweinfurt on April 1, 1899, it was not yet foreseeable what a successful company the small business would become. It is the interaction of openness to innovation and down-to-earthness and the constant striving to help shape new developments that has shaped the development of the Riedel Bau Group over the last 125 years. Today, Riedel Bau is a nationwide specialist for commercial, industrial and public construction projects. With its innovative and economic measures, the company is continuing the success story that began in 1899 in its anniversary year. This is also underlined by the current figures: 350 million euros in sales, 615 employees from 27 nations at 8 locations. “Economic success is important in order to deal with current trends and invest in new areas. Sustainability and employee orientation are key issues,” says Riedel Bau board member Stephan Kranig.

Keyword expansion: Cornerstones of the continuous development of the traditional family business are locations in Erfurt, Munich and Berlin as well as the new construction of the warehouse and logistics center in Bergrheinfeld (2016) and the expansion of the administration building at the headquarters in Schweinfurt (2017). In recent years, cooperations have helped to gradually expand the service portfolio. For example, in the area of ​​civil engineering. Milestones here were the takeovers of Martin Kraft Garten- & Landschaftsbau from Karlstadt (2019) and Dinkel Tief- und Straßenbau GmbH from Haßfurt (2022). Today, Riedel Bau employs around 70 people in TM Tiefbau Mainfranken GmbH. At the beginning of 2023, Riedel Bau expanded its competencies to include the electrical planning segment, for which Riedel TGA-Planungsgesellschaft mbH (technical building equipment), founded in 2022, is working with the Bopp engineering office from Schweinfurt. Today, the following companies are united under the umbrella of Riedel Bau AG, with headquarters in Schweinfurt: Riedel Bauunternehmen Erfurt, Riedel GSM (warranty management), TM Tiefbau Mainfranken, Riedel Elektroplanung, Riedel TGA-Planung, RB Immobilienverwaltung and the start-up company “SunPlate”.

Sustainability, innovations and research When the extension to the headquarters in Schweinfurt’s Silbersteinstrasse was built in 2017, not only expansion was on the agenda, but also a focus on sustainable construction. The aim was to create a structural calling card for economical and sustainable construction. As early as 2017, Supervisory Board Chairwoman Stefanie Riedel was convinced “that sustainable construction methods are becoming more important and that individual solutions for sustainable and at the same time economical construction must be developed.” This focus on sustainability has since been further developed, particularly in the company’s own property development projects. The Schweinfurt construction professionals deliberately seek close dialogue with science and research to gain new impulses in the field of ecologically sustainable housing construction. An innovative concept for a residential construction project in Schweinfurt’s Paul-Rosa-Strasse is currently taking shape. Two residential buildings are being built here that are both real-world laboratories and research objects. The future tenants will pass on their findings to Riedel Bau so that the different construction methods can be evaluated. The initiatives to promote sustainability and environmental awareness are complemented by ideas developed by the company’s own interdisciplinary working group “Future Tank”, such as the start-up SunPlate, which was founded in summer 2023 and generates climate-friendly electricity on unused roofs of construction site containers and offers transportable photovoltaic systems. In 2024, the group’s first GreenBook was published, summarizing the goals and measures of the Riedel Bau sustainability strategy.

Employee orientation – Together we are Riedel Bau In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, Riedel Bau has pushed ahead with measures to retain and develop employees. In addition to numerous events and company events for team building, the Talent Factory was set up in Bergrheinfeld for the practical training and further education of Riedel Bau employees. The opening is planned for spring 2025. In addition, a separate task force is looking into specific applications of artificial intelligence.

Gert Riedel Foundation The Gert Riedel Foundation was founded in 2017 in honor of the entrepreneur Gert Riedel. The grandson of the company founder headed the Riedel Bau Group from 1978 to 2007 as managing partner and later as chairman of the board and majority shareholder. Through the foundation, Stefanie and Mirmi Riedel continue Gert Riedel’s social, societal and ecological commitment. In addition to long-standing projects close to their hearts, the foundation supports institutions and organizations that support charitable causes.

Fundraising campaign 125 years of Riedel Bau Donate instead of giving: For our anniversary, we are happy to receive donations to support two selected aid projects of our Gert Riedel Foundation. All donations received will be doubled by us!

• Brücke eV from Schweinfurt: Brücke eV reaches out to people with emotional, economic and psychosocial needs and offers them a place to live in the Brückenhaus. Planned ways of living and working help people to take responsibility for their own lives.
• IJF – Initiative for Young Researchers from Würzburg: The IJF aims to inspire children and young people to become interested in future technologies. With offers such as school clubs and project days, knowledge, team spirit and more are promoted on the topics of renewable energies, IT and health technology.

Account: Gert Riedel Foundation
Purpose: 125 years of Riedel Bau
IBAN: DE08 7935 0101 0022 2294 47