Press release

Rittal GmbH & Co. KG

Rittal at the Hanover Fair 2013

Industry and IT growing ever closer

Friedhelm Loh took to the stage with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin to officially open this year’s Hanover Fair (Hannover Messe).

Hanover, Germany, 8 April 2013 – In his keynote address, Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of Rittal, summed up his expectations of the world’s leading industrial trade fair: “Anybody who wants to exploit the opportunities of new technologies, break down barriers, overcome obstacles and quell people’s fear of technology, must highlight the positive things that can be achieved in the future. Hanover Fair always looks to the latest innovations as they provide an insight into what lies ahead. Over the next four days, we are in a position to experience first-hand the direction we are taking.” Mr Loh officially opened the event in his capacity as president of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (ZVEI), flanked by the two leading lights of the political scene.

With a stand measuring some 2,000 square metres in size, Rittal is the event’s largest single exhibitor. A key focus is integrated value chains, in keeping with “Integrated Industry”, the fair’s theme for 2013. In conjunction with sister companies Eplan and recently acquired Kiesling, Rittal enables visitors to glimpse the future of enclosure manufacturing. Highlights include a live demonstration of an integrated process chain – from engineering to automated installation and wiring by means of robots. Rittal is also setting the pace with RiMatrix S: the world’s first completely standardised solution for entire data centres.

Another first: TÜV-certified cooling units

In real-world settings, many cooling units on the market today prove to be less powerful and less efficient than advertised. Rittal is the world’s first manufacturer to put its entire range of cooling units to the test by an independent certifier. This gives Rittal customers peace of mind, guaranteeing that their units will deliver the rated cooling output and maximum efficiency.

Stronger partnership with Russia

In addition to being the official partner country for this year’s event, Russia is also Rittal’s second largest market worldwide – over 40,000 large enclosures and approximately 85,000 compact enclosures were sold there in 2011 alone. Some 170 Rittal staff are employed at the headquarters in Moscow, sites in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, and at a further 12 regional offices. Rittal plays an important role in a number of high-profile projects, including the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world, moored in Murmansk. The 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) is almost 160 metres in length, and can break through ice up to three metres thick thanks to its 75,000 horse-power propulsion system. Rittal supplied a large number of enclosure systems for power distribution and scientific equipment for this unique vessel.

The hydroelectric power plant at the Sayano-Shushensker Dam on the Yenisei River is the largest power station in Russia and the sixth-largest hydroelectric power station in the world. After an accident in August 2009, the machine rooms were flooded, short-circuiting two generators and causing them to explode. Reconstruction is already underway – with housing systems, power distribution equipment and monitoring systems from Rittal.

Rittal also installed over 300 racks and 50 climate control systems at the headquarters of VTB, Russia’s second-largest bank. Moreover, the company provided two IT security rooms, one of which is situated on the 22nd floor, making it the highest in Europe.

Helping develop talent for the future

At the industrial fair in Hanover, Rittal will again play a significant role in the TectoYou programme for school students. 577 pupils from nine schools and students from two universities from the local area, from Siegen to Nidda, will travel free-of-charge to the event on 13 specially-provided buses – giving them an opportunity to experience the world of technology up close. In Hall 11, trainees at Rittal have constructed an out-of-the-ordinary jigsaw puzzle. TectoYou visitors will be encouraged to compete against each other in teams on the larger-than-life puzzle wall. The winner will be the first to complete the picture of a Rittal enclosure system.

Rittal can also be found exhibiting at several other locations at the fair, including Efficiency Arena (ZVEI, Hall 14/15), Industrial IT (ZVEI, Hall 8), Metropolitan Solutions (Hall 1, Stand C08) and Mobile Product Show (Platz der Nationen). Eplan will be in Hall 7, at Stand D18.

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Captions

Rittal Hannover Messe 2013.jpg: Friedhelm Loh, Dr. Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin and Stephan Weil open Hanover Fair 2013.

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Rittal GmbH & Co. KG

Rittal GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Herborn, Germany, is a leading global provider of solutions for industrial enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure, plus software and services. Systems made by Rittal are deployed in a variety of industries, including mechanical and plant engineering, IT and telecommunications.

The company’s broad portfolio includes complete solutions for modular and energy-efficient data centres: from innovative security concepts for data systems to physical data and system security for IT infrastructures. Interdisciplinary engineering solutions from leading software vendor Eplan complement Rittal’s products.

Founded in 1961, Rittal is now active worldwide with 11 production sites, 64 subsidiaries and 40 agencies. With 10,000 employees worldwide, Rittal is the largest company in the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group, based in Haiger, Germany. The entire group employs 11,500 people and generated revenues of about € 2.2 billion in 2011. Further information at www.rittal.com and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com.

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