Rational AG
 | |
| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Traded as | FWB: RAA |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Landsberg am Lech, Germany |
Key people |
Dr. Peter Stadelmann (CEO) Peter Wiedemann (CTO) Erich Baumgärtner (CFO) Dr. Axel Kaufmann (CFO) Markus Paschmann (CSO) Siegfried Meister (Founder) |
| Products | Catering Combi steamers and multi-purpose ovens |
| Revenue | €496.7 million (2014)[1] |
| Profit | €110.1 million (2014)[1] |
| Total assets | €423.4 million (end 2014)[1] |
| Total equity | €310.7 million (end 2014)[1] |
Number of employees | 1,401 (end 2014)[1] |
| Website | www.rational-online.com |
Rational AG is a German manufacturer of combi steamers and ovens, cooking appliances suitable for large and commercial kitchens. The company is based in Landsberg am Lech, Germany and was founded by Siegfried Meister in 1973. The company owns the subsidiary Frima which is based in Wittenheim, France.
Since its establishment, Rational has grown from 18 to 1,500 employees worldwide, and around half of the employees work at the headquarters. The company distributes its combi steamer in more than 100 countries. Rational's share in the global market is 54 percent.[1][2]
History
The company was founded in 1973 by the founder and current Chairman of the Supervisory Board Siegfried Meister with 18 employees. The company initially produced hot air units. These quickly superseded conventional ovens that were used in the commercial sector before then. Three years later, the developers added steam to hot air, developing the Rational combi steamer. 19 years later, Rational created a product-specific ideal climate in the cooking cabinet with ClimaPlus-Control technology.[3]
In 2000, "Rational GmbH" was converted to a stock corporation. The change to the form of business organisation created the necessary course for the company to align itself internationally. Rational reached another milestone in the company's history in 2004 with the launch of the SelfCookingCenter. For the first time, this cooking appliance was able to independently recognise the climate, cooking time, temperature and air velocity in the cooking cabinet and adjust these parameters individually to product-specific requirements. This technology was developed further and the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency was launched in 2011. It was even more resource-efficient than its predecessor model, while the technical details were also more sophisticated.
In 2014, Rational developed the whitefficiency range even further with the launch of the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses. The product is both a combi steamer and an intelligent cooking system, which independently recognises the load quantity and size of the food, continuously monitors the cooking process and automatically adapts to the relevant food. Rational also offers its customers a classic combi steamer, the CombiMaster Plus, with which the chef can set the temperature, moisture, cooking duration and air flow manually.
Timeline
| Year | Description[4] |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Invention of the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses - intelligent cooking system with "five senses" |
| 2013 | New training centre and expansion of office space in Landsberg am Lech |
| 2011 | Invention of the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency with HiDensityControl |
| 2008 | Opening of the third and largest plant in Landsberg |
| 2008 | CareControl - care intelligence for maximum operating safety |
| 2006 | Establishment of Academy RATIONAL – intensive training by kitchen pros for kitchen pros in the daily use of the SelfCookingCenter |
| 2006 | Worldwide launch of ClubRATIONAL – Rational customers worldwide benefit from the latest findings of cooking research |
| 2005 | Invention of the first VarioCookingCenter in the world by the subsidiary Frima. Boiling, roasting, deep-frying in a single appliance, three times as fast, 40% less energy. |
| 2004 | Invention of the first SelfCooking Center in the world - select food, browning level from light to dark, cooking level from rare to well done, done. |
| 2002 | CombiLink guarantees fully automatic HACCP documentation and therefore hygiene safety. |
| 1997 | Invention of the Rational ClimaPlus Combi, the first combi steamer with product-specific climate control to the percent in the cooking cabinet for perfect cooking results |
| 1976 | Invention of the Rational combi steamer |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Annual Report 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ↑ Tophotel: Brillat Savarin Plakette 60. Plakettenträger ist Siegfried Meister von Rational. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ↑ Allgemeine Hotel- und Gastronomiezeitung: Rational wird 40 Jahre alt. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ↑ "Strategic corporate alignment as a success factor". Retrieved 3 August 2015.