Reiner Brach

Reiner Brach GmbH & Co. KG was a German steel manufacturer and trader founded in 1970 by Reiner Brach in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The family business began as a steel wholesaler and grew into a specialist producer of heavy plate, block-cast steel and flame-cut components. In 1985 it acquired the block rolling mill of Klöckner-Werke AG in Bremen, adding production to its trading operations. A second production site for block casting was established in 1996 on the grounds of Arcelor/EKO in Eisenhüttenstadt. The company's headquarters moved from Mülheim an der Ruhr to a new building in Bremen in 2008, and the casting operation relocated from Eisenhüttenstadt to Bremen in 2013. The company's core competence lay in thick plate from 80 mm upward, with flat products ranging from 40 mm to 800 mm in thickness, up to 2,850 mm in width and up to 15,000 mm in length. Its processes included block casting, hot rolling and straightening with roller straighteners, flame cutting, and heat treatment such as normalizing, stress-relief annealing and quenching and tempering. It developed its own branded steels, notably RBoffshore 355, a quenched and tempered fine-grain structural steel for offshore applications, and RB 400HB, a wear-resistant steel. These products served heavy machinery, pressure vessels, power generation, construction, forging and offshore/shipbuilding industries. Reiner Brach transferred management to his son Stefan Brach in 2004, and in 2005 the company founded American Steelmasters Ltd. in Houston, USA, to serve the North American market. In 2014 Stefan Brach handed over management to Andreas Mansch. By the end of March 2016 the two shareholders, Stefan Brach and Dominic Brach, decided to cease production and begin an orderly liquidation, dismissing all employees without a separate social plan. In July 2017 Lutz C. Abram took over as managing director and liquidator to continue asset sales. After intervention by the involved banks without mutual agreement, Abram filed for preliminary insolvency proceedings in September 2017. The company was subsequently liquidated.

Reiner Brach GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1970 by Reiner Brach as a steel wholesaler in Mülheim an der Ruhr. In 1985 the company acquired the block rolling mill of Klöckner-Werke AG in Bremen, which at the time employed 25 production workers and 29 steel trading staff. This acquisition marked its transition from pure trading into steel production. In 1996 Brach established a second production site for block casting on the grounds of Arcelor/EKO in Eisenhüttenstadt. In 1999 the subsidiary Reiner Brach Profiles & Components GmbH & Co. KG was founded to manufacture complex flame-cut parts. By 2003 the company employed over 200 people. In 2004 the founder Reiner Brach transferred management to his son Stefan Brach. In 2005 the company founded American Steelmasters Ltd. in Houston, USA, creating a dedicated sales arm for the North American market. In 2008 the administration moved from Mülheim an der Ruhr to a new building in Bremen, which became the headquarters. In 2013 the casting operation relocated from Eisenhüttenstadt to Bremen. In 2014 the company inaugurated its new in-house laboratory, RB LAB, and Stefan Brach handed over management to Andreas Mansch. By decision of the two shareholders Stefan Brach and Dominic Brach, the company ceased production at the end of March 2016 and initiated an orderly liquidation phase. All employees were dismissed without a separate social plan. In July 2017 Lutz C. Abram took over as managing director and liquidator to continue the sale and realization of assets. After intervention by the involved banks without mutual agreement, Abram filed for preliminary insolvency proceedings in September 2017. The company was subsequently liquidated. The company's operations focused on block casting, hot rolling and straightening with roller straighteners, flame cutting, and heat treatment including normalizing, stress-relief annealing and quenching and tempering. It produced slabs, plates and flame-cut parts, with flat products from 40 mm to 800 mm thick, up to 2,850 mm wide and up to 15,000 mm long; its core competence was in thick plate from 80 mm upward. It developed its own branded steels: RBoffshore 355, a quenched and tempered fine-grain structural steel for offshore use in thicknesses between 80 and 360 mm, used in wind farms, oil platforms and general offshore construction; and RB 400HB, a wear-resistant steel with good processing properties for crushing plants, forming tools and crane segments. Its products were used in heavy machinery (presses, tools, wind turbines), pressure vessels (power plants, reactors), energy supply (generators, turbines), construction (bridge and tunnel building, crane segments), forging (ingots for further processing), and offshore structures and shipbuilding (special parts for gas tankers, jack-up units and turrets for special vessels). The company maintained representations in France, India, Italy, Finland and the USA.

• 2017

  Lutz C. Abram became managing director/liquidator in July; preliminary insolvency proceedings filed in September.

• 2016

  Ceased production at the end of March and began orderly liquidation.

• 2014

  Inaugurated the new in-house laboratory RB LAB; Stefan Brach handed over management to Andreas Mansch.

• 2013

  Casting operation relocated from Eisenhüttenstadt to Bremen.

• 2008

  Administration moved from Mülheim an der Ruhr to a new building in Bremen.

• 2005

  Founded American Steelmasters Ltd. in Houston, USA, for the North American market.

• 2004

  Founder Reiner Brach transferred management to his son Stefan Brach.

• 2003

  Employed over 200 people.

• 1999

  Founded subsidiary Reiner Brach Profiles & Components GmbH & Co. KG for complex flame-cut parts.

• 1996

  Founded a second production site for block casting on the grounds of Arcelor/EKO in Eisenhüttenstadt.

• 1985

  Acquired the block rolling mill of Klöckner-Werke AG in Bremen.

• 1970

  Reiner Brach founded a steel wholesaler in Mülheim an der Ruhr.

Specialist in heavy plate and block-cast steel for demanding industrial applications, with in-house branded steels for offshore and wear-resistant uses.

• RBoffshore 355

  Quenched and tempered fine-grain structural steel (offshore steel) for large plate thicknesses between 80 and 360 mm, used in wind farms, oil platforms and general offshore construction.

• RB 400HB

  Wear-resistant steel with sufficient processing properties, used in crushing plants, forming tools and crane segments.

• Slabs

  Semi-finished steel for further processing.

• Plates

  Flat products from 40 mm to 800 mm thick, up to 2,850 mm wide and up to 15,000 mm long.

• Flame-cut parts

  Complex flame-cut components produced by the subsidiary Reiner Brach Profiles & Components.

1. 1Reiner Brach (Unternehmen) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Reiner Brach – Wikidatawikidata.org