Holistic solutions are not just in place for our customers and society, but also for our employees. After all, innovation is a way of life in our owner-managed company – and our employees are constantly developing new, and even more sustainable products. Pioneering new developments have characterised AGRU since early days of plastics processing over 60 years ago. In 1961, we were one of the first companies in Europe to start producing plastic pipes made of PE and PP. This was followed in 1986 by the widest geomembrane at that time and our entry into the production of piping systems for computer chips. In 2010, we again made history with the largest, pressure-resistant PE pipe. We also achieved a major milestone in 2016 when we opened our own cleanroom facility for processing fluoropolymers.
Diligent economic management
Being a reliable employer means assuming responsibility for your employees. Since the company was founded in 1948, AGRU has developed from a sole proprietorship to a global group with 1,200 employees. Most of our products are still developed and produced at the Bad Hall site. We are acknowledged as a reliable, stable and crisis-proof employer for the people in the region. AGRU offers attractive jobs in a stable and value-oriented company at all stages of a career, whether this be as an apprentice, an experienced expert or an executive.
Safety, quality and durability are also what characterise AGRU's high-tech products. Because, when it comes to protecting people and the environment, there is no room for compromise. Our products pass through extensive quality controls and reliability tests, are certified in line with numerous international standards and approved for the most demanding applications. Piping systems by AGRU keep their promises. Our products are tested at a level many times above the actual operating conditions in complex test procedures which include abrasion tests and rigorous leak and burst pressure tests. These large safety margins ensure that AGRU users can fully rely on quality, operational safety, reliability and durability.
Strategic goals in new future markets
Today's megatrends of digitalisation, automation, a hydrogen-based energy supply, electrification and renewable energies present exciting challenges and opportunities for our company. We are already working intensively on these topics in internal and collaborative research projects with partners from industry and research. In addition to our core business, our sales strategy deliberately focuses on the following future markets:
- Hydrogen
- Batteries & battery recycling
- Pharmaceuticals & life sciences
- Fish farming & aquaculture
Applications to protect our environment
Environmental technology applications form the backbone of our business activities to ensure a secure supply of essential resources. Our products are often used where environmental protection is directly involved. The high-performance plastics processed by AGRU are corrosion-resistant, chemically resistant, drinking water-neutral and break-proof. They therefore offer ideal properties for challenging sustainability projects. AGRU product protect people and the environment against hazardous materials. For example, piping systems safely transport faeces through an alpine lake with drinking water quality. And geomembranes protect valuable drinking water against contaminated seepage from landfills.
You will find a selection of our current sustainability projects below:
Plastic technology revolutionizes aquaculture
Geomembranes to avoid pollutants entering the substrate
Piping systems for the CO2-neutral generation of Green Energy
Semi-finished products for scrubbing industrial exhaust gases
Concrete protective liners for safe wastewater disposal
Reliable transportation of hydrogen with AGRU PE 100-RC
Plastic piping for battery recycling
Providing society with safe and sustainable supplies is another important fields of application for our products:
Drinking water pipes
Drinking water reservoirs
Gas pipelines
District cooling
Wastewater pipes
Resource-conserving production as a matter of course
A responsible approach to the use of resources is one of our maxims. Resource-conserving use of raw materials and energy, and effective recycling management, empower our business activities to keep the environment in balance – both locally and globally.
Environmental protection at AGRU starts as early as in the product development phase. We use flow simulations and material analyses to create moulded parts which save energy during operation and require less polymer during injection moulding, while achieving the same rigidity. Procurement processes that focus on premium quality, resource-conserving manufacturing processes, and the extremely long service life of AGRU products ensure that all our products are sustainable.
The majority of our thermoplastic products are manufactured using extrusion, injection or compression moulding. Special parts and more complex fittings are machined. A variety of joining and welding techniques are used to create strong and tight joints between pipe sections and fittings with a permanent seal. Manufacturing our products not only means using high-tech machinery to form the material, plasticising the raw materials also involves a great deal of electrical energy. The plastic pellets are heated up to their melting temperature in processing machines, allowing a hot, homogeneous plastic melt to be formed into pipes, sheets, geomembranes or injection-moulded parts.
To minimise the use of energy and raw materials in production, we use state-of-the-art machinery, highly-efficient production processes and self-generated solar power. Our in-house circular economy boosts sustainability even further as waste is recycled during production. Residual polymers produced during the manufacturing process are separated by type. This means that they can be fed back into the material cycle and reused.
At AGRU, we focus on regionality. We develop, design and manufacture our products locally and procure most of our raw materials from Austrian suppliers. And we only use regional partners for construction projects. The majority of our employees come from the surrounding area, helping to reduce travel and individual vehicle traffic to a minimum.
To protect the environment, AGRU uses renewable energy sources wherever possible in the value creation process. They include:
- Geothermal energy probes and thermal component activation
- Photovoltaic systems
- Wood chip heating
- Heat recovery systems
- Free coolers and chillers
In particular, when we build new plants at AGRU, we do not look to save costs or effort in terms of renewable energies and sustainability – and this has helped us to take a huge step towards a "green" future.
The geothermal energy probes – for which we build the parts both internally and in cooperation with AGRU-Frank – pump excess energy in the form of hot water through the probes, thus cooling water and heating up the substrate. In winter, AGRU can recover this energy and use the heat pump more efficiently.
Photovoltaic cells with a total output of 2,000 kW have also been installed. The photovoltaic system is designed to be extensible at any time.
For years already, AGRU has used the exhaust heat from our machines to ensure environmentally friendly production by heating the cooling water for underfloor heating and surface collectors in the outside storage area. The benefit that this method offers is that the exhaust heat can be used for heating while simultaneously cooling the cooling water for further use. AGRU now also uses the exhaust heat in high-temperature ambient air in the production shop at the plants. The hot indoor air is extracted below the shop roof and fed to an air/water heat exchanger to recover the heat.
Entrepreneurial action
Generating annual profits and investing in the business ensures jobs and continuous growth. Additionally, this ensures that production is always at the cutting edge of technology. This is why we focus on the on-going development of our product portfolio, closely monitor market trends and invest with foresight. As a "first mover" and technology leader, AGRU is globally acknowledged in the processing high-quality engineering plastics. To be able to operate in an economically sustainable way in the future, we are establishing a holistic innovation process derived from our corporate vision. This will not only ensure the involvement of Research and Development, Application Technology and Operations Management in future developments, but also that of all other relevant stakeholders.
HIGH QUALITY, RESOURCE-SAVING PRODUCTION AND EXTREMELY LONG USEFUL LIFE
When we build new plants at AGRU, we again do not look to save costs or effort in terms of renewable energies and sustainability – and this has helped us to take a huge step towards a "green" future. Geothermal energy probes, concrete core activation, a photovoltaic system, a wood chip heating system, and a plant for the recovery have are being set up.
The geothermal energy probes – for which we build the parts both internally and in cooperation with AGRU-Frank – pump excess energy in the form of hot water through the probes, thus cooling water and heating up the substrate. In winter, AGRU can recover this energy and use the heat pump more efficiently.
All told, photovoltaic cells with a total output of 125 kW are also being installed – this is equivalent to the power consumption of 25 family homes. The photovoltaic system is designed to be extensible at any time.
For years already, AGRU has used the exhaust heat from our machines to ensure environmentally friendly production by heating the cooling water for underfloor heating and surface collectors in the outside storage area. The benefit that this method offers is that the exhaust heat can be used for heating while simultaneously cooling the cooling water for further use. AGRU now also uses the exhaust heat in high-temperature ambient air in the production shop at the plants. The hot indoor air is extracted below the shop roof and fed to an air/water heat exchanger to recover the heat.
Our in-house circular economy also boosts sustainability even further as waste is recycled during production. Residual polymers produced during the manufacturing process are separated by type. This means that they can be fed back into the material cycle and reused
AGRU – "Be part of the solution"
Our own aspirations, the statutory environment and customer preferences will pose even tougher requirements in terms of our resource efficiency and sustainability in the future. We look to continuously optimise our products' ecological footprint and ensure that our plastics solutions continue to be some of the best in their class. As the AGRU family, we make a promise to the future: we will go that "extra mile" together!
