The AGRU Story

From the foundation till today

Alois Gruber senior founded a locksmiths in Bad Hall and an anodizing company in Grünburg in 1948. The locksmith company was closed in the 1950s, the focus being placed on the anodizing business, which was extended by a powder coating and wet paint shop. These competencies are now merged today in Grünburg, Upper Austria as part of AGRU Oberflächentechnik GmbH.

Alois Gruber senior laid the cornerstone for our current market success in 1961 with the decision to commence plastic pipe production. This area has continually been built up over the years. Initially with the production of polypropylene and polyethylene, later also by the manufacture of sheets, round bars and welding rods. The first injection molds for the production of fittings for the pipe industry were commissioned in 1966.

In the following years, AGRU expanded the headquarters in Austria and opened new production sites abroad. In 1998, Mag. Alois Gruber took over the business of his father. Since then we at AGRU have been concentrating on expanding and optimising plastic production.

Milestones

2023

Opening of AGRU Plant 6 sets new standards in plastics technology. Reduction of internal transport routes, no use of fossil fuels and in-house production of green electricity.

2023

Opening of AGRU Pipeline Technology in China

2020

Doubling of the production area in the Bad Hall clean room plant for the production of high-purity fluoroplastic components.

2018

One of the most modern training workshops in Upper Austria is being built on an area of 860 m². Every apprentice spends their first year of training in this ultra-modern environment

2017

Opening of the large-diameter pipe plant for the extrusion of XXL pipes with outside diameters of up to 3,500 mm and lengths of up to 600 m in Charleston, SC., USA

2016

Opening of the new clean room plant for the production of the PURAD ultra-pure media piping system in Bad Hall, Austria. Production takes place in ISO class 5 clean rooms.

2013

AGRU America starts production of bentonite membranes. The geosynthetic clay liners complete the in-house manufactured range for landfill sealing.

2012

AGRU America is expanding its portfolio and now also produces geotextiles that are used in landfill construction to protect geomembranes.

2010

Opening of the sustainably planned Plant 4 including high-bay warehouse with geothermal probes, concrete core activation, photovoltaics, wood chip heating.

2009

Construction of a fully automated high-bay warehouse in Plant 3 with 45,000 pallet spaces. Start of construction of Plant 4.

2007/2008

AGRU America establishes the Fernley site in Nevada. From now on, geomembranes will be supplied just-in-time to the mining industry in the West.

2005

AGRU China is founded in Taicang near Shanghai in order to supply the Chinese market efficiently. Production and sales take place locally.

2002/2003

Expansion of Plant 2, extension for pipe extrusion and expansion of the capacity of the high-bay warehouse to 1,000 storage spaces for pipes and 5,000 storage spaces for sheets.

2001

Construction of a production hall for e-molded parts and construction of a high-bay warehouse for tools. Over 95% of the tools required are manufactured in-house.

The new millennium

1998

Mag. Alois Gruber, son of the founder, takes over the company and manages the business of AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH from now on.

1997/1998

AGRU is one of the first companies in the world to start producing e-formed parts. Welding is carried out using electrical energy and heating wires.

1996/1997

Construction of Plant 3 with automated high-bay warehouse for molded part pallets with 23,000 storage spaces. Construction of a new office building, welding technology and R&D.

1996

AGRU America relocates its production site from Boston to Georgetown, South Carolina and expands its production capacity.

1991

In cooperation with the company FRANK GmbH, a separate company for pipe production, AGRU-FRANK GmbH, is founded in Wölfersheim, Germany.

1990

Plant 2 is built in Bad Hall. In future, pipes, sheets and geomembranes will be extruded on 24,000 m² of hall space.

1988

Establishment of the first location outside Austria with the founding of AGRU America in Boston (USA). Starting signal for the local production of geomembranes.

AGRU - the early years

1987

Construction of the first clean room for the production of PVDF tubes and molded parts for ultrapure water applications in the semiconductor industry.

1986

An innovation from AGRU - the concrete protection liners - is presented and launched on the market. For the first time, concrete can be permanently protected against corrosion.

1985

AGRU is the first manufacturer in the world to build a production plant for calendering PE geomembranes up to five meters wide.

1979/1980

New construction of AGRU Oberflächentechnik in Waldneukirchen. Establishment of the anodizing plant and installation of state-of-the-art powder coating systems.

1976

Inclusion of PVDF pipe and semi-finished product systems in the production program. AGRU enters the semiconductor market in the United States with High Purity Piping Systems.

1974

AGRU exports to 20 countries. Move into a modern office building. A computer is used for the first time to simplify company accounting.

1970

Relocation to a new plastics hall with five extruders, four complete pipe lines, a sheet plant and two sheet presses.

1969

An additional 1,500 m² hall for processing plastics, known as Hall 2, is built. The molded parts business picks up speed.

1967

First production hall as warehouse for plastics and anodic coatings. Relocation of plastics and anodic coatings to a new production hall.

1966

Injection molds for butt-weld fittings made of PE and PP are put into operation. For the first time, AGRU supplies pipes and fittings from a single production facility.

1962

Construction of office and residential buildings/garages and first hall construction (approx. 10 x 30 m). First production of pipes.

1961

Start of plastics processing at AGRU. Purchase of the first extruder and production of handrails/chair slats and insert rails.

1954

Relocation to the newly built fitter's shop (10 x 20 m) in Bad Hall. Production of stoves/sinks and porches.

1948

Trained master locksmith Alois Gruber founds his own workshop in Waldneukirchen. This lays the foundation for the AGRU success story.