Linz-Based Company Expands

Everything Must Be Fresh: Demand for Refrigeration Is on the Rise

The Linz-based company Hauser offers refrigeration systems and refrigeration technology.(Bild: Hauser)

The Linz-based family-owned company Hauser is undergoing a transformation: In March, the manufacturer of refrigeration systems was acquired by Italian investors, and on Tuesday, the company opened a new facility in Linz. Business is booming—partly due to a trend in the food industry.

Hauser, a specialist in refrigeration equipment and technology—the company produces, for example, freezer systems for supermarkets—has invested approximately 2.7 million euros in its new facility in the Dornach district of Linz. On Tuesday, the 1,700-square-meter facility, which provides a total of 68 jobs, was officially opened. “We’re from Linz,” says Managing Director Thomas Loibl, explaining why the company chose Upper Austria’s capital as the site for its new location. “Plus, the location is very close to the highway.” This is crucial for the company, as service technicians will now set out from here on calls throughout Austria to repair malfunctioning refrigeration systems on site.

The new location in Linz-Dornach includes office workspaces, a warehouse, a drive-in area for service technicians, and training workshops.(Bild: Philipp Stadler)

Takeover by an Italian Company
The former family-owned company is undergoing major changes, and not just because of the new location: In March, the Linz-based company was acquired by the Italian Epta Group, also a refrigeration technology specialist. Together, the companies now have around 10,000 employees and generate annual revenue of more than two billion euros.

Fresh Food Trend and Energy Savings
Hauser alone most recently generated approximately 480 million euros in revenue and employs about 1,500 people. In the previous fiscal year, revenue had been 410 million euros. “33 million euros of that growth comes from two acquisitions; the rest is organic growth,” says Managing Director Loibl. Two developments in the food retail sector are working in the company’s favor: “The industry is under pressure to become more energy-efficient. There is also pressure to do so because energy costs money,” says Loibl. This brings Hauser—as a manufacturer of increasingly efficient cooling solutions—into the picture.

There’s also pressure to do so because energy costs money.

Thomas Loibl, Geschäftsführer von Hauser

Bild: HAUSER

On the other hand, refrigerated sections in supermarkets are expanding because, as Loibl explains: “We, as end consumers, want freshness. Healthy food is fresh food—and that requires refrigeration.”

80th Company Anniversary
Hauser’s main customers are the major food retailers, such as the German Schwarz Group (which owns the Lidl brand) and, in Austria, the retail giants Spar and Rewe. This year, Hauser is celebrating its 80th anniversary. The company’s headquarters are located in the Urfahr district of Linz—just three kilometers from the new facility that opened on Tuesday.