A glimpse into the past
The history of Ruhrgetriebe
15.10.1953
Foundation
On October 15, 1953, Mr. Erich Gildemeyer founded the family business Ruhrgetriebe KG in Mülheim an der Ruhr.
1980
New company buildings
Move into the newly constructed office and production buildings.
1981
First trade show appearance at the Hannover Messe Industry.
Ruhrgetriebe makes its debut at the Hannover Messe Industry, presenting its products to a wide professional audience.
1986
Expansion of the company premises and expansion of production.
The company premises are expanded with additional manufacturing buildings to meet the growing demand. In four modern production halls, high-quality gear motors are created with the utmost precision and care. This expansion strengthens production capacities and enables even more efficient manufacturing of drive solutions.
1996
Milestone in quality assurance
Ruhrgetriebe receives certification for the first time according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015. This recognition confirms the company’s high-quality management and emphasizes its continuous pursuit of excellent products and efficient processes.
2003
Premiere at the SPS/IPC Drives in Nuremberg.
Ruhrgetriebe makes its debut at the SPS/IPC Drives in Nuremberg, one of the leading trade fairs for electrical automation. With its own exhibition booth, the company presents its innovative gear motors and drive solutions to an international professional audience. The trade show appearance offers the opportunity to establish new business contacts, deepen existing partnerships, and experience the latest technologies and market trends up close.
2006
Generational change in company management
Bernd Gildemeyer takes over the management and continues to lead the family business in the second generation. With his commitment and expertise, he carries on the tradition and develops Ruhrgetriebe with a forward-looking approach. The values and quality standards established by his father, Erich Gildemeyer, remain a guiding force. The handover marks an important milestone in the company’s history and ensures the long-term continuity and innovative strength of the family business.
2010
Introduction of energy-efficient IE2 small gear motors
Ruhrgetriebe expands its product portfolio and launches IE2 small gear motors starting at 0.09 kW for the first time. These highly efficient drives meet the increasing demands for energy savings and sustainability. With this market introduction, the company sets another milestone for innovation and forward-looking drive technology.
2015
Strengthening of the management team
Mr. Jörg Geuken joins the management team and supports the company with his expertise and experience. His appointment marks another step in the strategic development of Ruhrgetriebe.
2016
Ruhrgetriebe becomes a manufacturer of planetary gears.
Ruhrgetriebe has expanded its product range and started the production of its own planetary gears in the RPL and RPS series. As a manufacturer of these compact and powerful gears, Ruhrgetriebe offers drive solutions with high efficiency and torque density. These “small powerhouses” have since become an integral part of the product lineup and represent quality and precision from in-house manufacturing.
2017
Another award – Quality as a standard
Ruhrgetriebe has been recertified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, reaffirming its high standards of quality. For us, this certification is more than just a quality seal – it is a lived standard. Through continuous optimization of our processes, we ensure that our gear and drive solutions meet the highest demands.
2018
65 years of Ruhrgetriebe – A family business with tradition
Ruhrgetriebe celebrates its 65th anniversary – a significant milestone in our company history. We marked this special occasion in a festive setting, together with our employees and their families.
Since its founding in 1953, Ruhrgetriebe has stood for quality, innovation, and reliability. As a family business, unity and commitment form the foundation of our success. The celebration not only provided an opportunity to look back on the past decades filled with technical developments and growth, but also to thank the people who have shaped Ruhrgetriebe – our employees, partners, and their families.
With this strong foundation, we look to the future with confidence, ready to continue writing our success story.
2021
A year of innovation and development
The year 2021 marked significant progress for Ruhrgetriebe in several areas.
With the recertification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, we emphasized our ongoing commitment to quality and process optimization.
At the same time, we relaunched our website, which now impresses with a modern design and improved user navigation. Another milestone was the implementation of our product finder and the introduction of the smart nameplate (Product.ID), which enables even more efficient identification and management of our gear units.
This year was marked by progress, digitalization, and groundbreaking developments that offer our customers even smarter solutions.
2024
Expansion of storage capacity
For decades, Ruhrgetriebe has followed the strategy of being able to deliver all essential components and electric motors directly from stock. In 2024, we further expanded this strategy by renting a large warehouse. As a result, we can now keep even more gear components and electric motors in stock, further improving the fast availability and delivery.
This expansion is another step in continuing our long-standing practice of reliably and quickly providing our customers with the parts they need. The investment in larger storage capacity not only supports our ability to deliver but also ensures our flexibility and strengthens our commitment to the highest customer satisfaction.
