![AGRU Werke 2-5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/AGRU_Werke_2-5.jpg)
agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H. is a company with global operations in engineering plastics based in
Bad Hall
Bad Hall () is a market town in the Steyr-Land district of the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its name, Bad Hall, means "salt bath," a reference to its long history of baths and spas. It is renowned for its saline springs, strongly impregnated wi ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
,
and was founded in 1948 by Alois Gruber senior. AGRU manufactures and supplies pipeline systems, semi-finished products, concrete protection liners, and
geomembranes
A geomembrane is very low permeability synthetic membrane liner or barrier used with any geotechnical engineering related material so as to control fluid (liquid or gas) migration in a human-made project, structure, or system. Geomembranes are m ...
made of engineered plastics.
As one of the 130 largest industrial companies in Austria,
and one of
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
s' TOP 50 biggest Companies,
AGRU employs 1020 staff
and has global sales of EUR 375 million (2017).
In addition to the five factories
at the global headquarters in
Bad Hall
Bad Hall () is a market town in the Steyr-Land district of the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its name, Bad Hall, means "salt bath," a reference to its long history of baths and spas. It is renowned for its saline springs, strongly impregnated wi ...
, the company operates production sites in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The export share is over 90%.
Sales partners in more than 150 countries distribute products from AGRU, for which approximately 100,000 tons
of plastic are processed annually.
Company history
Beginnings
In 1948, Alois Gruber senior founded a locksmith business in
Bad Hall
Bad Hall () is a market town in the Steyr-Land district of the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its name, Bad Hall, means "salt bath," a reference to its long history of baths and spas. It is renowned for its saline springs, strongly impregnated wi ...
and an
anodizing
Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts.
The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electro ...
plant in
Grünburg. In the 1950s, the
locksmith business was dissolved to focus on anodizing, which was expanded by a
powder coating
Powder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. Unlike conventional liquid paint which is delivered via an evaporating solvent, powder coating is typically applied electrostatically and then cured under heat or ...
and a wet paint shop. This knowledge is summarized today in AGRU Oberflächentechnik GmbH,
in Grünburg,
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
. AGRU Oberflächentechnik GmbH operates independently from agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H., but is under the same management.
Plastic technology
In 1961, Alois Gruber senior laid the foundations of AGRU's future in engineered plastics with the decision to begin production of plastic pipes. In the following years, production was expanded. First, with the introduction of
polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.
Polypropylene
belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...
and
polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bo ...
pipes, and later with the production of fittings, plates, bars, and welding rods made of different engineered plastics.
Pipes with different diameters are the main part of production. The pipes can also be installed trenchless. For a project in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, AGRULINE large diameter pipes with OD 1400 mm were installed for the first time with the horizontal directional drilling method.
Injection moulding
By 1966, AGRU's first
injection molding
Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for ...
machines were in operation producing fittings for pipeline construction, making AGRU one of the first manufacturers in Europe to supply pipes and fittings from their own production facilities. The productivity gain during manufacturing was significant. Up to this point, fittings were segmented and required pipes to be welded together. In contrast, injection-moulded plastic fittings have no weld seams inside (seams serve as a braking mechanism for flowing media), creating superior flow characteristics in the complete pipeline system.
Finally, by producing the pipes from one mould pressure resistance can be increased.
Internationalization
In 1988, AGRU established its first production location outside of Austria in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Massachusetts. This marked the beginning of the international expansion of the family business. Then, in 1991, AGRU-FRANK GmbH
was founded in Wölfersheim, Germany in cooperation with the German sales partner FRANK GmbH. In 1996, AGRU America
moved its United States’ production site from Boston to
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...
.
.
Further development
In 1997, AGRU started the production of electro-socket fittings. This was done by taking heating wire, the
electro socket, and pouring or plastering it into specially designed fittings.
Company expansion
In 1998, Alois Gruber, the son of the company founder, began managing the AGRU business.
The headquarters location in Bad Hall was expanded for the first time since its founding. And after the turn of the millennium, AGRU set up plant III and IV at the headquarters. In addition, AGRU expanded its international production sites as joint ventures in Poland, China, and the United States.
With these new production sites, AGRU could begin producing large-diameter pipes of up to 2,500 mm in 2012.
In 2016, AGRU constructed plant V, an
ISO class 5
ISO is the most common abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization.
ISO or Iso may also refer to: Business and finance
* Iso (supermarket), a chain of Danish supermarkets incorporated into the SuperBest chain in 2007
* Iso ...
clean-room
A cleanroom or clean room is an engineered space, which maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates. It is well isolated, well-controlled from contamination, and actively cleansed. Such rooms are commonly needed for scientif ...
production facility, setting a new industry standard for the production of pipe systems for ultrapure media applications. The new pipes are now distributed under the PURAD brand and are designed for high-tech applications where purity, leaching performance, and chemical resistance are prerequisites.
Application areas include
microelectronics
Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture (or microfabrication) of very small electronic designs and components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-sc ...
, life science and the food industry as well as ultrapure water systems in different sectors.
Product categories
![AGRU Halbzeuge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/AGRU_Halbzeuge.jpg)
AGRU manufactures pipe systems for various applications, semi-finished products, concrete protection liners as well as geomembranes for landfill and tunnel construction from high-quality plastics. The company supplies industries such as the water and gas industry, the energy industry, the chemical and heavy industries, the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, containers and shipbuilding, mining, and civil engineering.
The products are divided into the seven product groups AGRULINE, INDUSTRY, PURAD, CONCRETE PROTECTION, SEMI-FINISHED, AGRUSAN & AGRUAIR and LINING SYSTEMS.
Production sites
The family business agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H. has eight production sites in five countries.
In some cases these are managed as joint ventures.
*
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
** agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H.,
Bad Hall
Bad Hall () is a market town in the Steyr-Land district of the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its name, Bad Hall, means "salt bath," a reference to its long history of baths and spas. It is renowned for its saline springs, strongly impregnated wi ...
** agru Oberflächentechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H.,
Waldneukirchen
Waldneukirchen is a municipality in the district of Steyr-Land in the Austrian state of Upper Austria.
Geography
The extension of Waldneukirchen is 5.5 km from north to south and 8.5 km from west to east. 14.8% of the area is forested, 7 ...
*
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
** AGRU-Frank GmbH,
Wölfersheim
Wölfersheim is a municipality in the Wetteraukreis in Hessen, Germany. It is located approximately 34 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.
Division of the municipality
The municipality consists of 5 districts:
* Wölfersheim
* Södel
* Melbach
...
*
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
** AGRU America Inc.,
Georgetown/
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
** AGRU America Inc.,
Fernley/
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
** AGRU America Inc.,
Andrews Andrews may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andrews, Queensland
*Andrews, South Australia
United States
*Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places
*Andrews, Indiana
* Andrews, Nebraska
*Andrews, North Carolina
* Andrews, Oregon
* Andrews, Sou ...
/
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
*
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
** TWS Thermoplastic Winding Systems,
Lozienica
*
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
** Taicang AGRU Plastics Co.,
Taicang
Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...
References
{{reflist, 30em
External links
AGRU Kunststofftechnik
Austrian brands
Manufacturing companies of Austria
Manufacturing companies established in 1948
Austrian companies established in 1948
Economy of Upper Austria