2025/2026 Best Practice
Our 2025-26 apprentice project— own design, own tools, own production — Live Production
on display at the Youth and Career Fair in Wels.
on display at the Youth and Career Fair in Wels.
Toolmaker of the Year
Excellence in Production
RWTH Aachen selects the Best
RICO brings prestigious “Toolmaker of the Year” award to Austria in its category
“Excellence in Production” is a competition that has been organized for over 20 years by the WZL Machine Tool Laboratory at RWTH Aachen University. More than 200 companies in German-speaking countries competed in 2025 – RICO Elastomere GmbH won in its category and is the best large company in external toolmaking.
Aachen/Thalheim, November 2025 – RICO, a leading specialist in silicone injection molding and toolmaking based in Thalheim near Wels, has been awarded the prestigious “Toolmaker of the Year” award. RWTH Aachen University has been conducting a comprehensive audit for more than 20 years. This ranking is therefore one of the most important benchmarks in the industry in German-speaking countries. “The ‘Toolmaker of the Year’ award confirms that exceptional commitment and innovative spirit pay off. We are particularly proud of the jury's feedback. It underlines the dedication of our employees and our role as a highly qualified training company,” says Roland Angerer, Technical Director at RICO.
The high-caliber jury praised RICO's unique training concept and technical center, which is unparalleled in terms of equipment and expertise.
From the jury's statement: "Particularly noteworthy is the advanced technical center with its extremely extensive range of machinery, which enables tools to be tested for use in highly automated series production under real production conditions. In addition to technological excellence, RICO attaches great importance to training its own skilled workers. In a modern training workshop, around 30 trainees are currently being trained in various technical professions using a unique training concept. In this way, RICO is investing specifically in the skilled workers of tomorrow and ensuring the long-term quality and innovative strength of the company."
Toolmaking shapes the future
Toolmaking is particularly important for RICO: the precise design and manufacture of the tools enable highly automated series production at the highest level of quality. Only when all processes – from development and toolmaking to series production – are combined under one roof can stable and fully automated production of silicone injection molded parts be ensured. Toolmaking for silicone injection molding is one of the company's core competencies and forms the foundation of its entire production.
The nomination and now the award are a strong signal for Upper Austria as a business location and underline the high quality, innovative strength, and training expertise that characterize toolmaking at RICO. They show that cutting-edge technology and innovative strength in European toolmaking can continue to be significantly strengthened and made visible internationally.
2026 30 Years of Precision
Did you know that one of our tools from 1995 is still in use? It is currently being refurbished by our maintenance team so that it can continue to deliver maximum precision for our customers.
2025 Successful Final Apprenticeship Examination
Congratulations! Three of our apprentices have successfully passed their final apprenticeship examinations!
RICO Ski Day 2025
On 7 February, our team enjoyed a fantastic day of skiing in Hochwurzen, Austria, with bright blue skies and perfect snow conditions.
2026 Strong Team
Many of our employees have been with RICO for many years. It's time to say THANK YOU!
2026 That's why “Made in Austria” is not a luxury.
Harald Schermann, Director of Strategic Procurement at MAM, on the long-standing collaboration.
2025 Central conveyor system
Our new central conveyor system for plastic granulate ensures continuous, clean, and energy-optimized material transport in production.
2025 Advent
Percht and Nikolaus visited us again at RICO this year
2025 Toolmaker of the Year
More than 200 companies from German-speaking countries competed in Aachen – RICO Elastomere GmbH won in its category.
2025 Best of the Best
Education is a matter close to our hearts. Even though success is about much more than good grades, we are delighted about our apprentices' excellent results!
2025 I n e o Award
RICO has once again been recertified by the Upperaustrian Chamber of Commerce as a particularly committed training company.
K 2025
8. - 15. October 2025 | Düsseldorf
We look forward to meeting you in person at K 2025.
We look forward to meeting you in person at K 2025.
Like an Oscar Nomination
RICO has been nominated for Toolmaker of the Year!
STOP - There's no place for violence here
Look instead of looking away - RICO takes a stand again violence
Long-standing collaboration with TePe
New Apprentices 2025
We welcome our new apprentices!
RICO Apprentices & air up
Our apprentices support the AWT-Team in prototyping for air up
Innovation Day with MAM at RICO
We work on a new R&D Project together with MAM Baby and Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL).
Successful Diploma Theses 2025
Congratulations to the students of HTL Wels on successfully completing their diploma theses!
Sustainability @ RICO
RICO is committed to sustainable energy and reducing its carbon footprint.
Girls' Day 2025
We are delighted to have the opportunity to inspire young girls to pursue careers in technology.
Experience Exchange with Semperit R&D on the Circular Economy
Visit from Armin Holzer, the leader of Research and Development Department at Semperit AG
RICO is involved in ReBi
Together with FH OÖ Campus Wels | School of Engineering, we are conducting research into new materials and processes.
World Earth Day
Earth Day, Every Day – 22.04
This year, as the urgency of the climate debate increases and sustainability moves from being a trendy term to a fundamental necessity, we at RICO Elastomere Projecting GmbH in Austria are proud to deliver on our commitments. We prioritize environmental responsibility not because it's trendy but because it's the right thing to do.
This year, as the urgency of the climate debate increases and sustainability moves from being a trendy term to a fundamental necessity, we at RICO Elastomere Projecting GmbH in Austria are proud to deliver on our commitments. We prioritize environmental responsibility not because it's trendy but because it's the right thing to do.
RICO on Tour
Two events, one goal - innovation!
Globale Kooperation durch "local for local"
Erfolgreiches Teamwork der Schwesternunternehmen
RICO Donation 2024
The RICO fundraising campaign 2024 was successfully completed.
MAM supplier of the year
RICO picks up award from baby-product manufacturer MAM.
RICO celebrates 30 years of success and grows again at its main plant in Thalheim
RICO not only celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024, but also sets another milestone in the company's history with the official opening of a new expansion of the site in Thalheim.
RICO hands over donation to the Upper Austrian Children's Cancer Aid Organization
Collecting for a good cause - every year in December, the Thalheim-based company RICO calls on its employees to donate to a good cause and then generously increases the amount. This year, the Upper Austrian Children's Cancer Aid received the large donation sum of 5,500 euros.
Completion of new building
RICO celebrates the successful completion of its new building. The impressive site, which covers an area of around 2.5 hectares, houses more than 10,000 square meters of innovative production and office space.
Valuable cooperation with the Linz University of Art
RICO is once again demonstrating pure innovative spirit with an invention that is as "valuable" as it is practical, which was realized in cooperation with the Industrial Design department of the University of Art and Design Linz - the multifunctional box "The Precious".
256-cavity mould for series production of single-wire seals
1-component tools from RICO
New CEO at RICO Group in Thalheim
Thomas Aichberger is the new Chief Executive Officer of RICO Group GmbH in Thalheim bei Wels since August 1st, 2023.
Acquisition of RICO Group by Semperit successfully completed
RICO Group to join Semperit
The acquisition agreement for the sale of RICO Group to Semperit was signed on 17 April 2023 by the whole Semperit Board and Owners of the RICO Group. Semperit welcomes warmly RICO’s highly qualified employees to the Group.
RICO keeps growing and creates 100 new jobs
RICO is investing in the Thalheim site and is expanding on a large scale directly next to its headquarters in the Thalbach industrial park. The groundbreaking ceremony for the first construction phase took place on June 15, 2022, and a construction period of approximately 15 months is expected so that the new building can be occupied in 2023.
RICO honored with JULIUS award
An initiative of the Upper Austrian Wirtschaftsbund: RICO Elastomere Projecting GmbH was selected as an Upper Austrian quality company and presented with the JULIUS award on March 30, 2022.
Electric rotor handling
Electric or servo-handling is top of the range when it comes to handling systems. It is mainly used with delicate components that require a high degree of process stability. RICO’s electric handling systems are geared towards the specific mold used, meaning they are perfectly adapted to the customer’s mold.
160-cavity valve gate nozzle
When it comes to injection molding of silicone parts, a distinction is usually made between direct and indirect injection. RICO uses the direct method to manufacture silicone parts wherever possible. The company uses molds with up to 256 cavities in open systems and up to 160 cavities with a valve gate nozzle system.
Green power refueling at the company parking lot
In the parking lot of RICO electric vehicles can be refueled quickly and easily at the new charging station.
New videos: Silicone injection molding
Single- and multi-component injection molding with silicone - now as a video.
Silicone+Silicone combinations
Sophisticated parts handling in multi-component injection molding with two silicones.
Positive Business Performance 2020
RICO reports positive results in year shaped by coronavirus.
Press release: Unmanned night time production
Unmanned night time production - Austrian injection-molding company automates processes.
Press release: Integrating production and laboratory data
Digitalization extends beyond production at RICO.
Press release: Digital first – at RICO, simulations are the first step
Mechanical twin shows what digital processes have achieved.
Press release: 2K membrane for customer iuvas
Reliable production process for 2K membrane with 0.1mm thickness and 1-Shore silicone.
MAM supplier of the year
RICO picks up award from baby-product manufacturer MAM.
Company growth 2019
Mold manufacturer and silicone injection molding specialist RICO continues to grow – in 2019 the company posted record revenue of around EUR 40m, a year-on-year increase of 15%.
2025 Semperit Global HR Day
Im Rahmen der Semperit Global HR Days 2025 kamen Kollegen aus aller Welt hier in Oberösterreich/Thalheim zusammen, um Ideen auszutauschen, sich auf eine Strategie zu einigen und die Zukunft der Personalabteilung bei Semperit zu gestalten.