History

    Our History

    On 4 May 2021 we celebrated our 75 year anniversary and are looking back with pride to a company history full of success.

    Thanks to our employees, we were able to grow into the company we are today. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees, as well as our long-term customers and partners for their commitment and the valuable and trusting cooperation.

    Learn more about our history from small business to global player!

    1946 - 2021: RENOLIT is celebrating!

    Focus on tomorrow – from small business to global player

    [RENOLIT] was founded on 4th May 1946 in Worms. At the time, the “[RENOLIT]-Werke-Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung” produced PVC sheets with seven employees. Its financial strength allowed investments, such as in the first calendar for continuous production in 1950. With shops in Holland and a plant in Spain, [RENOLIT] ventured abroad early on in its history. Thanks to its own production and investments, as well as consistent research and development, today [RENOLIT] has an outstanding reputation around the world as a specialist for first-class plastic films and other plastic products.

    Farsighted intelligence, courage to take entrepreneurial risks, incredible efficiency, sound financial management, profound expertise.

    Ground breaking ceremony in Worms

    After founding the RENOLIT Werke GmbH in Worms in 1946, the first calendar line for the industrial production of padded foils and films for producing office organisational equipment and flooring was set up in 1950. Integration of the engineering and production of machines and facilities for plastic processing began with the takeover of Paul Kiefel GmbH, Freilassing. The ground breaking ceremony for the current main plant in Worms took place in 1956 (reference 1958). 

    Production starts

    This was soon followed by the founding of RENOLIT Hispania, the first foreign subsidiary in Estella, Spain. The production of films for furniture surfaces started in Europe in 1963. This was followed in 1977 by the production of self-adhesive films, and films for window-frame profiles in 1981. The manufacture of 3D furniture foils started in 1988.

    Across the Atlantic

    The acquisition of SOLVAY for the manufacture of CAST-PP films in La Porte in 1998 resulted in our first production site in the USA. In June 1998 the operational part of RENOLIT was divided off and the operational business continued under the name “RENOLIT Werke GmbH”. The company was changed from a limited company (“GmbH”) to a public limited company (“AG”) on 1st January 2003. In 1999, the “Pegulan” film division located in Frankenthal was taken over by Tarkett Sommer.

    China, Spain and Eastern Europe

    In 2003, RENOLIT Werke GmbH was transformed into three independent companies: RENOLIT AG, RKW AG and Kiefel GmbH. The holding company was JM Holding GmbH & Co. KGaA. Following the takeover of the SOLVAY Industrial Foils Business foil division of SOLVAY S.A in 2006, a film company was acquired in China in the same year. RENOLIT Hispania, S.A. officially entered into operation in 2008. The years 2008/2009 followed with further incorporations of sales entities in Moscow, Russia, in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

    Italy and Istanbul

    In 2010 RENOLIT took over the Italian film manufacturer, Eurogloss. In 2011, RENOLIT became a European Company (SE). The RENOLIT Istanbul sales company was established in the same year. The takeover of the “Medical Film Division” of AUSTAR PMC, China took place in 2012.

    Major global projects

    RENOLIT Chile SpA opened its doors in Chile in May 2018. The investment of 8.5 million euros opened up new markets throughout South America. RENOLIT has invested a total of 20.2 million euros in the La Porte, USA site in order to meet the strong demand of the American market. Another milestone was the new PET plant located in Munich with an investment of 12 million euros. PET-based laminates open up new perspectives in furniture front design. A further 7.5 million euros was invested in the Thansau site. The new BS10 extrusion line to expand the capacity of RENOLIT MEDICAL was commissioned in April 2019.

    As part of the reorganisation of the ownership structure, the Fischer and Lang/Helms families took over 100% of the shares in JM Holding and therefore of RENOLIT SE in 2019. RKW SE split off in tandem and was taken over by the Müller and de Alvear families.