Introduction
RICO Group GmbH is an Austrian plastics and rubber manufacturing company specializing in silicone injection moulds, liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and high-consistency rubber (HCR/HTV) processing, and automation solutions for technically demanding elastomer and thermoplastic projects. Headquartered in Thalheim bei Wels, Austria, the company operates as a premium solution provider serving applications in mobility, healthcare, sanitary, food, consumer goods, appliances, electronics, and industrial markets. Since 2023, RICO Group has been part of the Semperit Group, which expanded its elastomer and polymer-processing portfolio through the acquisition of RICO Group.
The company is known for combining toolmaking, mould design, cleanroom production, and automation in one integrated offering, with production sites in Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. Its position in the plastics industry is shaped less by commodity volume than by high-precision, customized component manufacturing, particularly in single- and multi-component silicone moulds and complex moulded parts for regulated or performance-critical applications.
History and Development
RICO was founded in 1994 in Wels as a toolmaking business; the name originally stood for Rubber Injection Company. As demand expanded, the company moved to Thalheim bei Wels in 2001, where it later consolidated and expanded its production footprint.
A major structural milestone came in 2023, when RICO Group was acquired by Semperit AG Holding, integrating the company into a broader international elastomer network. In 2024, the company marked its 30th anniversary and opened an additional building at its Thalheim site, underscoring continued investment in capacity and operations.
Public company materials also indicate that the group has evolved from a toolmaker into a multi-site industrial platform with subsidiaries and operations in Austria, Switzerland, and the USA. Over time, this development has supported a transition from stand-alone mould making toward an integrated model covering prototype development, tooling, automation, and serial production.
Business Operations and Segments
RICO Group’s business model centers on the development and manufacture of customized elastomer and plastic solutions rather than standardized mass-market products. Its capabilities span several linked stages of production:
- Project engineering and prototyping
- Tool and mould design
- Injection mould manufacturing
- Automation and process integration
- Cleanroom production
- Series manufacturing of silicone parts
The company emphasizes its role as a global solution provider for individual projects, with a strong focus on technically complex parts and systems that require tight process control. According to company and investor materials, the group operates through four main entities or locations: RICO and HTR in Thalheim, SILCOPLAST in Switzerland, and SIMTEC in the United States.
This structure allows RICO Group to serve customers requiring localized manufacturing, technical support, and cross-border supply chain coordination. The integration into Semperit has also linked RICO to a larger corporate framework with broader elastomer expertise and industrial scale.
Products and Technologies
RICO Group’s core technologies are built around single-component and multi-component injection moulds for LSR, HCR/HTV, and related elastomer systems. The company highlights its capability in producing one- and multi-component moulds, including tooling for 2-shot moulding with LSR and complex parts that combine different materials or functional layers.
Key technological features include:
- High-precision mould construction for elastomer processing
- Multi-component injection moulding for integrated part production
- Cleanroom manufacturing for sensitive applications such as healthcare and life science
- Automation solutions that reduce manual assembly steps and improve consistency
- LSR and HCR/HTV part production in high-tech environments
The company’s technical proposition is based on reducing downstream assembly by integrating multiple functions into a single moulded component, which can lower total cost of ownership for customers. In industrial terms, this places RICO Group in the specialized segment of high-performance silicone processing, where tooling accuracy, repeatability, and regulatory compliance are often more important than output volume alone.
Applications and End Markets
RICO Group serves a diversified set of end markets, with applications concentrated in sectors that require precision, durability, hygiene, or material performance. Reported customer sectors include:
- Mobility
- Healthcare and life science
- Sanitary and bathroom products
- Food-contact and food-related applications
- Consumer goods and appliances
- Electronics
- Industrial applications
In mobility, silicone and elastomer components are typically used where thermal resistance, sealing performance, or vibration management are important; in healthcare and life science, cleanroom production and material consistency are especially relevant. In sanitary and consumer applications, multi-component solutions can combine tactile, sealing, and functional properties in a single part.
Global Presence and Market Position
RICO Group’s international footprint is centered on Europe and North America, with sites in Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. This gives the company a manufacturing and engineering presence in three major industrial regions, supporting customers that require regional supply options and technical collaboration across time zones.
Within the plastics industry, RICO Group occupies a specialist niche in premium elastomer and silicone tooling and processing rather than a broad commodity plastics role. Its competitive positioning is built on engineering intensity, project customization, and the ability to deliver integrated tooling-plus-production solutions. Industry and company materials describe the firm as a technology leader in one- and multi-component moulds and a provider of high-value project solutions for demanding sectors.
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
Publicly available source material for RICO Group places greater emphasis on process efficiency, integration, and quality than on detailed environmental reporting. Nevertheless, some sustainability implications can be inferred from the company’s operating model: integrated toolmaking, automation, and multi-component moulding can reduce part count, assembly steps, and material waste in customer applications.
Because the available sources do not provide a comprehensive sustainability report, no detailed claims should be made about emissions targets, recycling rates, or decarbonization milestones. The company’s principal environmental relevance lies in its role as a supplier of durable, high-precision elastomer components that may support longer product lifetimes and more efficient manufacturing in downstream industries.
Financial Performance and Economic Impact
RICO Group is a private company, and the available sources do not provide a full audited financial history in the material reviewed here. Market-profile data suggests a mid-sized industrial enterprise with several hundred employees, while acquisition-related reporting described revenues of around EUR 90 million at the time of the Semperit transaction. Because these figures come from third-party and transaction-related sources, they should be treated as approximate unless confirmed in official filings.
The company’s economic impact is strongest in high-value manufacturing, where it supports specialized employment in engineering, toolmaking, and precision processing. Its investment in expanded facilities and international operations also indicates continuing capital deployment in industrial regions where advanced plastics manufacturing remains an important employer.
Leadership and Corporate Governance
RICO Group is now part of the Semperit Group, which acquired the company in 2023 and thereby brought it under a larger industrial ownership structure. The acquisition linked RICO to Semperit’s broader elastomer portfolio and corporate governance framework.
Available sources identify Thalheim bei Wels as the headquarters and indicate multiple operating entities within the group structure, including RICO, HTR, SILCOPLAST, and SIMTEC. Publicly accessible sources reviewed here do not provide a detailed board or executive list sufficient for a full governance profile.
Innovations and Future Outlook
RICO Group’s future prospects are closely tied to demand for high-precision silicone parts, multi-material solutions, and cleanroom-capable manufacturing in regulated and performance-sensitive industries. Its focus on integrating tooling, automation, and production positions it well for applications where customers seek to simplify assembly and improve part functionality.
Likely areas of continued development include:
- Further multi-component moulding capabilities
- Automation-driven process optimization
- Expansion of cleanroom and high-spec production
- Cross-site coordination across Europe and the United States
- Deeper integration within the Semperit Group network
The company’s technology profile suggests that future growth will depend on its ability to maintain process precision, support custom engineering requirements, and serve industries where material performance and regulatory reliability remain decisive purchasing criteria.
References
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CPS+ eMarketplace. (n.d.). RICO GROUP GMBHRICO GROUP GMBH. CPS+ eMarketplace. https://www.chinaplasonline.com/eMarketplace/ExhibitorInfo?CompId=1019530Link