Austria-based technology group Andritz AG has announced its completion of 170 years as market leader in the hydropower business, the pulp and paper industry, in the metal working and steel industries, and in solid/liquid separation for municipal and industrial segments. Andritz already generates about 40 per cent of its revenue with sustainable products and solutions, such as renewable energies and e-mobility.

Exactly 170 years ago, the Hungarian Josef Korosi founded the ‘k. k. privilegierte Maschinenfabrik und Eisengießerei’ in Andritz near Graz, thus laying the foundation for the globally successful Andritz Group.

“In our anniversary year, we look back with pride on the last 170 years of company history and 100 years of apprenticeship training. What began in 1852 with the production of metal goods such as wire nails, chains, and iron bars, is now one of the most important companies and employers in the country. Behind this are pioneering work, entrepreneurship, innovative strength, and courage, all of which result in great technological developments. I am looking forward to leading Andritz into the future and to writing the next chapters of our success story together with more than 27,000 employees around the world,” said Joachim Schönbeck, president and CEO of Andritz AG.

Since 1990, the Andritz Group has amassed 80 companies with complementary product and technology portfolios acquired and integrated into the group. Every year, Andritz spends around three per cent of revenue on innovation and research and development, including order-related work. The focus here is on the development of sustainable products and digitisation.

With Metris, a modern digitisation platform has been created in recent years, which all four business areas use. All digital offerings from remote maintenance to process optimisation and digital twins to cyber security solutions run on this unified platform without a system bridge and help Andritz’s customers to use their plants even more economically. In addition to the company’s own research centres and pilot plants all over the world, Andritz also operates an active idea and innovation management system, which promotes the ideas of its employees all the way to internal start-ups, Andritz said in a press release.

Since the founding of the apprentice workshop in Graz in 1922, the training and further education opportunities have offered young people the start of a career at Andritz.

“What was true 100 years ago is still true today: the young talent of today is the cornerstone of our successful future. Thanks to the varied training, exciting working environment, and numerous development opportunities, many of them stay with our company after completing their apprenticeship and rise to management positions. We want to further strengthen this development process,” Schönbeck said.

Currently, around 700 apprentices are employed throughout the Andritz Group, 92 of them at the site in Graz. In addition to practical and theoretical specialist instruction, the training also includes English courses, among other things, in order to be suitable for foreign assignments.

Andritz is also committed to a multicultural working environment with international career prospects. Employees come from more than 32 different countries and more than 23 languages are spoken in the company.

Internal celebrations around the globe represent a highlight of the anniversary year. Last weekend, Andritz opened its doors in Graz for ‘Family and Friends Day’ for all employees, their families, and friends. More than 4,000 participants from all Austrian sites in Graz, Vienna, Raaba, Weiz, St. Pölten, Gloggnitz, and Linz came together at the Graz-Andritz site under the motto ‘Proud to be Andritz’ and took advantage of the varied events such as plant tours, demonstrations of new technologies, and a special children's programme.

“We are proud not only of our major global projects and innovative products, but above all of our outstanding international team. That is why the anniversary celebration focuses on the people who have made our many years of success possible in the first place: Our employees, to whom I would like to express my thanks,” Schönbeck concluded.