The history of RIVA GmbH Engineering

2004

Hermann Püttmer establishes RIVA GmbH Engineering as an engineering firm for façades.

The company is founded with the specific aim of utilising the expertise and experience acquired through 50 years of professional façade engineering for self-determined objectives. The design firm located on Schwieberdinger Strasse in Ludwigsburg provides interested architects, clients and investors with the full range of performances for façade engineering: Commencing with consulting and the planning of various projects through delivery and construction to corresponding service concepts. The office in Ludwigsburg quickly becomes too small. RIVA then moves to the center of the neighbouring town of Backnang.

2008

The premises in Backnang are soon no longer able to meet demands and a new location is sought for the growing business. The business relocates to a factory on the outskirts of Backnang in October. The factory hall on the premises enables the company to handle assembly and packaging work. The company's range of performances continues to increase.

2012

The rapidly growing company needs more space. A decision is made to relocate to the nearby Lerchenäcker Industrial Estate in Backnang where RIVA erects a hall that it designed and planned itself: The company now has 8,700 m² of production and logistics space at its disposal. In conjunction with generous and contemporary office areas, the new premises result in exciting opportunities for development – opportunities that were fully exploited. The months following the relocation in April are primarily dominated by logistics activities: Specialist companies located across Germany are employed to manufacture and refine construction and façade elements on behalf of RIVA that are then packaged, loaded and shipped across the world from the company's new base.

At the same time, RIVA continues to expand its own manufacturing capacities and purchase new production equipment: For example, ultra-modern CNC machining centers, laser-cutting and sheet-metal working systems by such renowned companies as Chiron, MKM, SHW, Homag and Trumpf. These also include the first two six-spindle milling centers in the world – naturally using the latest control software by Siemens.

2014

Another foundation stone is laid in January because RIVA commences construction on a second even larger hall – again based on its own designs and plans – with the aim of expanding its production capacities even further. Another 14,800 m² of production space is thus created. More machinery is installed in the additional hall space with the first machines already being set up while construction work is still ongoing in order to enable the company to commence production immediately on completion of the building.

2015

Construction on Hall 3 and thus the next phase of expansion commences. Using the same design as the one used for Hall 2, production space is expanded to almost 40,000 m². Firm plans for using the additional space are already in place before the building work is commenced: Among other equipment, a grinding machine, a water-jet cutting system and two milling and sawing centers are installed here. Specially developed heavy-duty assembly lines are also set up in the unoccupied areas.

Special recognition of our great quality awareness: Our quality-management system is successfully certified in accordance with DIN ISO 9001:2008 in the middle of August.

The newly erected chimney for our combined heat and power plants is also eye-catching. At a height of 60 meters and in radiant RIVA blue, it has already become a striking landmark for the company's premises.

2016

In Frankfurt/Main, RIVA is preparing to build Germany's highest residential tower, the Grand Tower. The design minimizes façade areas on the direct north side in favor of east and west orientation. Apartment layouts in exclusively northern orientation do not exist. Noteworthy are also the loggias of the apartments: inter-connected aluminum balustrades form elegantly closed rooms that envelop the entire glass facade and provide sun protection and privacy. The result is an intriguing interplay of shapes and forms, which contributes significantly to the optical sophistication of the tower.

2017

The Grand Tower is honored with international awards. In autumn, the project wins the German Design Award in the category Excellent Communications Design Architecture: Residential. The jury judges: "With a height of 172 m and 44,000 m² floor area, the Grand Tower exemplifies pioneering housing construction as well as aesthetically sophisticated inner-city condensation. The iconic façade offers each resident a private outdoor space as well as wind and sun protection."

The tower gains a hattrick at the European Property Award 2017 - Germany and wins the category Architecture as Best Residential Highrise Architecture Germany and in the category Project Development as Best Residential High-Rise Development Germany. In addition, marketing is awarded as Best Development Marketing Germany.

The highlight of the year, however, is the presentation of the International Property Award in London: The Grand Tower is the best residential tower in Europe and wins the category Best Residential High-rise Architecture Europe.

2018

A leading german news magazine is investigating 20,000 German companies in terms of training quality as part of a study. RIVA scores particularly well and is selected as one of the best training companies in the country.