Success
of innovative cooking system leads to need for increased production capacity
Rational passed a milestone in
June 2021 as the 50,000th iVario was manufactured. The success of the cooking system has led to
the need for the company to expand its production facilities at Wittenheim in
France. Consequently, as the latest
iVario headed for its new home in Verdun, members of the Rational management
team were laying the foundation stone for a new factory, offices, training
centre and company restaurant, all housed in a 10,000 m2 sustainable
building due to open in Spring 2023.
"Having already expanded production
in 2015, we now need to adjust capacity again to meet growing demand,"
says Peter Wiedemann, Chief Technology Officer at Rational, during the ceremony
to lay the foundation stone. “The
production of the 50,000th iVario proves that we are producing outstanding
products."
The Wittenheim factory delivers to over
120 countries and Rational is investing 30 million euros in the new building,
creating a production capacity of 25,000 cooking systems per year. The building’s office complex will have
around 100 workplaces and, as well as the training centre and 300-seater
restaurant, the facility will also have a small museum.
Rational is taking advantage of the
opportunity to build a truly sustainable building. The steel construction will
be highly insulated and extremely energy-efficient; the building will be heated
and cooled by a heat pump; intelligent, daylight-dependent LED lighting
controls with separate lighting zones will save energy; and the high proportion
of glass in the façade will ensure the best possible working conditions.
As for the 50,000th iVario
cooking system, it’s going to the Bistro d'Elo in Verdun, France, which is due
to open in July 2021. Owner Elodie Louvet says, "I'm
looking forward to using my new iVario for the first time and feel like I'm
waiting for my Christmas present."
Since she
works alone in the kitchen, she’s also ordered a Rational iCombi Pro to go
alongside her iVario in her new venture.
Like Elodie Louvet, Peter Wiedemann
is also optimistic about the future: "We look forward to turning many more
customers into satisfied customers," he says on the occasion of two
celebrations at once – the 50,000th iVario and the foundation stone
laying.
RATIONAL is the leading
provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iCombi Pro and the
iVario multifunctional cooking system, the company delivers 95% of all
conventional cooking applications.
Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and
update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or
smartphone. iKitchen is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and
ConnectedCooking – iKitchen delivers the best kitchen management and the
best cooking solutions. For information
and brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations,
call +44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com
Press Contact:
Vanessa
Millard, RATIONAL UK Limited
Tel: 01582 480388
Mob: 07879 552017
E-mail: v.millard@rational-online.com
Web:
www.rational-online.com
facebook.com/RATIONAL.GBR
twitter.com/RATIONAL_AG
youtube.com/User/RATIONALAG
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Editor's
notes:
About RATIONAL
The RATIONAL Group is the world market and
technology leader in the field of hot food preparation for professional
kitchens. Founded in 1973, the company employs more than 1,100 people in
Germany and a total of around 2,000 worldwide. Since the IPO in 2000, RATIONAL
has been listed on the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange and is
included in the SDAX.
The primary objective of the company is to
always offer its customers maximum benefits. Internally RATIONAL is committed
to the principle of sustainability, expressed in its policies on environmental
protection, leadership and social responsibility. Year after year, numerous
international awards testify to the exceptional quality of RATIONAL’s work.