Having built a reputation in the butcher's trade, Kulmbach-based company Raps has taken hold in the foodstuffs industry in total, too.
Of roughly € 180 m in turnover chalked up in 2014, 40?% were generated in that area of operations and 10?% in the confectionery segment. Seeing even more growth potential here, the company will step up its efforts in that segment, as managing director Maria-Johanna Schaecher told the press in late March.
Based on 1,100 different raw materials Raps fabricates about 40,000 tonnes of various food constituents and additives at seven production plants with over 900 employees, including a host of spice blends, ethereal oils, and extracts.
To further consolidate its standing as foremost specialist in functional ingredients, Raps has risen to the challenges posed by the ingredient market by an operational realigning. The three-year investment project “The Future of Raps” with an earmarked volume of € 18 m comprises, amongst other things, the refurbishment of process technologies and machinery.
What's more, it’s already been two years since the research and development division was re-established in a bid to push the in-house developments that have earned the company its reputation. One of these developments is the coating technique, a special method for the coating of raw materials, which are both growth drivers and flagships of Raps' high-tech knowhow. But the technology platform delivers groundbreaking solutions in other industry segments, too.
On top of that, the Kulmbach-based company intends to forge ahead with its internationalisation plans. While until now Raps' strongest market has been european countries, the plan is to drive the firm's expansion in Asia, where a broad spectrum of raw materials is already being sourced.
As part of the operational realignment, Raps has managed to set itself apart from the competition and raise its corporate profile. A reworked logo and corporate imagery serve as figureheads to communicate Raps' character and position. The new claim “Performance Inside” is designed to underline the fact that the performance is delivered in-house.
www.raps.com
