For 23 years, “Die Presse,” Bankhaus Spängler, BDO, and the Austrian Chamber of Notaries have been annually recognizing the best family businesses in Austria. This year, AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH was honored with the award for the state of Upper Austria.
Under the patronage of the Minister of Economic Affairs, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Kocher, a renowned jury of experts assessed Austria’s best family businesses again this year. The Minister emphasized the importance of family businesses as employers and as the driving force of the domestic economy. Key to the award were sustainable success and a sound future analysis, which includes value creation, stability, and trust in the company. At a ceremonial event in the Vienna Aula of Sciences, AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH was named the best family business in Upper Austria.
Since its foundation in 1948, the company has developed into a globally leading industrial company and significant economic factor in the region in just three generations. Founder Alois Gruber Sr. pursued ambitious goals from the start. His son and managing director, Mag. Alois Gruber, explains: “My father was always a visionary and focused not on commodity products but on niche products and specialties.”
This strategy has proven successful. The company’s successful path over the past decades has been continued by the decision to diversify and invest in company locations in Austria, the USA, and China. Today, Mag. Gruber and his sons Alois Gruber Jr. and Alexander Gruber jointly manage the company, which employs 1,300 people worldwide and is an important employer in the Steyr-Land region. Despite its size, AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH remains true to its high-quality standards and extraordinary flexibility, which is greatly appreciated by customers worldwide.
AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH is owned by the Gruber and Haager families. The recognition as the best family business in Upper Austria not only honors the significance of plastic solutions for environmental protection but also the reliability of the company as an employer.
