Rational Reflects on Its 40th Anniversary

In 2013, Rational celebrated its 40th anniversary. Since it was established, the objective of the company has always been to offer customers maximum benefits, officials say. This objective continues to be at the top of Rational’s agenda, which is why it continues to be the market leader and grow year after year. "My job is to continue delighting our guests on a daily basis, which I managed to do thanks to Rational," says Daniel Baumgartner, deputy head of operations of the Credit Suisse Towers staff restaurant in Zurich. For Rational, it is not enough for its customers just to be satisfied, they must be absolutely delighted, company officials say. The international customer satisfaction survey conducted by the market research institute, TNS Infratest, in 2013 confirmed that the company succeeds in doing so. Ninety-two percent of the people surveyed clearly confirmed that Rational offers maximum benefits. Rational's primary focus for the last 40 years has been on supplying chefs worldwide with the best tools for hot food preparation. This dedication has allowed the market and technology leader to see continued growth over the years. Rational AG closed the third quarter with significant organic growth of 8% before currency effects. The main drivers for this growth were America with 14% growth and Europe with 10%. "The commitment and passion of our employees has resulted in the Rational brand getting the highest levels of acceptance and recognition across the world," says Dr. Günter Blaschke, chairman of the board of Rational AG, who passed on his responsibilities to his successor Dr. Peter Stadelmann on January 1, 2014 after 17 successful years with the company. An internal survey showed that not just customers, but the 1,300 employees around the world are more than satisfied with Rational AG; the survey found that 93% of all employees are proud to be working for Rational. In addition, the internet portal kununu.com, in which employees can anonymously evaluate German-speaking companies, recently awarded the company two quality seals as a "Top Company" and "Open Company". The future prospects are also positive: "We don't just have enthusiastic customers and employees, but also substantial world market potential," says Dr. Günter Blaschke. Although Rational is popular among professional chefs from all around the world, 70% of potential customers still work with traditional cooking equipment, company officials say. "We will therefore continue our successful growth path in the future," adds Dr. Blaschke. The company based in the Bavarian town of Landsberg will also expand its premises. Construction work on a new 80,729 square feet international service parts warehouse began in October 2013 and will be completed in autumn 2014.