The history of the family enterprise Riedhammer is a story of success, written by an innovative and dependable company policy. In 1924, when Ludwig Riedhammer, an engineer resident in Nuremberg, decided to start his own c......The history of the family enterprise Riedhammer is a story of success, written by an innovative and dependable company policy. In 1924, when Ludwig Riedhammer, an engineer resident in Nuremberg, decided to start his own company, his goal was the development and construction of industrial furnaces for manufactured carbon. The aluminium and steel industry were growing rapidly, and large quantities of anodes made out of graphite were required, which could only be manufactured by means of special baking processes. The pit furnaces developed by Riedhammer were soon accepted throughout the world, and were the basis for the success of the company. The recession of the thirties was overcome, and a new business branch was developed. This was for the firing of porcelain. Kiln plants pioneering new developments were designed by Riedhammer. The first electrically heated kiln plants for the decoration firing of porcelain were built. With this type of kiln the firing time was reduced and the quality of the end product was considerably improved. Gas heated tunnel kilns for the glost firing of porcelain became a mile stone of firing technology. The company expanded and started a worldwide export business extending to, for example, Japan and Manchuria. A license agreement with Mitsubishi, dating back to 1939, would be in effect for more than 60 years. In 1940, Hans Riedhammer, the son of Ludwig Riedhammer, started to work for the company. The fifties. As electronic and electrical appliances became more and more a part of every day life. Riedhammer met the new challenges and the requirements of the market. Kiln plants for the calcining and sintering of hard and soft ferrite, indispensable components of electronics and electrical engineering, were developed. Pusher type kilns with tray conveyance and with special adjustment of atmosphere and pressure during the firing process. Rotary kilns became an indispensable means of production for ferrite manufacturers. With new product fields and an increasing demand within Germany and abroad, the company continued to grow. Tunnel kilns for the production of structural ceramics and refractory products were developed and constructed. The first oil heated shuttle kiln for abrasive wheels was built. In 1965, Riedhammer constructed the first fast firing kiln for porcelain. In 1974, at the fiftieth anniversary of the company, the number of employees had increased to 530 and subsidiaries in Switzerland and Brazil showed its international presence. A new test laboratory was constructed at the company headquarters at Nuremberg. More than 700 tests were conducted in connection with "fast firing" within one year. Kiln number 4000 was commissioned, and Riedhammer reached another milestone in production technology by the construction of the first modular sled-type kiln. The pendulum kiln was developed and designed for the pre-sintering of hard ferrite. In 1976 a change of the generations took place. Hans Riedhammer retired from the business. Peter Riedhammer and his brother-in-law, Bernhard Urlichs, became the managing directors of the company. At the end of the seventies branch offices and production plants in England and USA were founded. In the course of this Riedhammer absorbed the Bickley company. Fast firing was the topic of the eighties. Riedhammer was the leading company worldwide in connection with this technology and in 1986 received the "Innovation Award of the German Economy" for the development of fast firing roller kilns for porcelain and sanitary ceramics. The extremely shortened firing times were the prerequisite for the automation of the processes "around" the kiln. In 1990 Riedhammer constructed the largest single furnace in its history, a ring pit furnace with 52 sections for the baking of manufactured carbon in Canada. New strategic decisions were made. The subsidiaries in Brazil and in the United States were given up, a branch office in Japan was founded, and in 1991 the company Georg Mendheim, a traditional manufacturer of kiln plant for refractory ceramics, was taken over. In 1997 Riedhammer was certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001. The technological development progressed further. A newly developed sealing system allowed the construction of rotary kilns which operate with controlled atmospheres, which are dust-proof and are suitable for various applications. Automation systems for the handling of porcelain and the application of the microwave technology for drying processes render the production processes "around" the kiln more efficient, more flexible, and faster. In 1998 Mr. Urlichs gave up his partnership. In 2000 another change in the company management with a consequently drastic reorganisation took place: Bernhard Urlich retired and Günther Kraußer took his place. Riedhammer extended its market leadership particularly in sanitary kiln installations. In 2003 the Italian group Sacmi took over 30% of the shares of Riedhammer and in 2004 increased these shares to 90%. The reorganisation process which began in 2000 carried on. The production in Nuremberg was in this connection stopped. The synergetic effect that derived from the integration with the Sacmi group and the manifold possibilities resulting from the network of this company working world-wide, began to be effective. In this way the market position of Riedhammer was consolidated in new fields and moreover the market share was extended further to different sectors. With the acquisition of the Laeis kiln division in October 2004, the kiln designs of Heimsoth and Kerabedarf were brought into the company. In the course of this development a change in the management also took place: the future of Riedhammer is now in the hands of Peter Riedhammer, Stefano Lanzoni and Pietro Cassani. In the field of the manufactured carbon new technologies have been gained. Starting from 2005 Riedhammer is able in this way to better commit itself to any type of anode baking project for the aluminium industry, this thanks to the “open” type of ring pit furnace based on Alesa technology.