Lohmann & Rauscher

Lohmann & Rauscher, commonly abbreviated as L&R, is a German-Austrian manufacturer of medical devices, wound-care products, compression-therapy products, surgical supplies, hygiene materials, and related healthcare solutions. The present company was created in 1998 through the merger of the German medical-device business Lohmann and the Austrian family company Rauscher. Although the unified group dates from 1998, its corporate history reaches back to 1851, when Julius Lüscher registered a trading business in Frankfurt am Main, and to 1899, when Rauscher was established in Vienna as a producer and distributor of surgical dressings and nursing-care supplies. The company operates across professional healthcare and selected consumer-facing categories. Its customers include hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharmacies, medical-supply retailers, wholesalers, industrial users, and retailers of consumer products. Its portfolio encompasses wound dressings, bandages, compression systems, orthopedic and immobilization products, operating-room and procedure-set solutions, nursing-care products, and hygiene-related materials. Among the historically important product families associated with L&R are Cellona, a pre-formed plaster-of-Paris bandage introduced in 1930, and Rosidal, a compression-bandage line launched in 1961. The group later expanded into standardized operating-room sets, often known as Kitpacks, and into specialized lymphological and phlebological therapies. L&R developed through a combination of organic internationalization, acquisitions, partnerships, and production expansion. Lohmann’s operations moved to facilities in Fahr am Rhein, now part of Neuwied, around 1900, while Rauscher established itself as a major supplier in the Danube region and later relocated its headquarters within Vienna. During the 1970s, Lohmann began establishing sales offices across Europe. The group subsequently added capabilities in hygiene adhesives, compression therapy, surgical procedure trays, and specialized medical textiles through acquisitions and business combinations. The company’s expansion included the acquisition of Koester GmbH & Co. KG in 1991, adding expertise in closures, adhesives, and tape solutions for hygiene, medical, and technical applications. In the 2010s, L&R established a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary after earlier market activity through the Topamed joint venture, acquired compression and lymphology specialists including Solaris and Varitex, and integrated or purchased additional Swiss and French medical-textile businesses. It also expanded its customized procedure-tray activities through the 2021 acquisition of Angiokard Medizintechnik. L&R maintains production and operating activities in several countries, including Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic, and China. Reference material describes a group with dozens of subsidiaries and shareholdings across numerous countries, supported by partner companies and a workforce exceeding 5,500 people. The business remains privately held and continues to focus on healthcare products rather than operating as a publicly traded consumer-goods company. Recent activity has included modernization of the Neuwied production site and the transfer of Angiokard surgical-set production from Friedeburg to Slavkov in the Czech Republic after the Friedeburg operation became economically uncompetitive.

The history of Lohmann & Rauscher combines two older European healthcare businesses. In 1851, Julius Lüscher registered a trading enterprise in Frankfurt am Main under the name Julius Lüscher. This business became the historical foundation of Lohmann. In 1899, Rauscher was established in Vienna as a family-owned manufacturer and distributor of surgical dressings and supplies for nursing care. It became a major producer in the Danube region and supplied the royal court. Around 1900, Lohmann established new factory facilities in Fahr am Rhein, now within Neuwied, Germany. The operation employed approximately 60 people and became the company’s principal base. Its products included zinc-paste bandages, wound dressings, burn dressings, and sterile dressings. The business was affected by the loss of Eastern European markets after the First World War and by the disruptions of the Second World War. Lohmann later introduced several products that became associated with the company’s technical development. In 1930, it launched Cellona, a ready-to-use, pre-formed plaster-of-Paris bandage designed to simplify immobilization and plastering procedures. In 1961, it introduced Rosidal, a compression bandage that subsequently developed into a broader product family. During the early 1970s, Helmut Leuprecht joined Lohmann and supported international expansion through the establishment of sales offices in European markets. Rauscher moved to a new Vienna headquarters near Auhof in 1975. Lohmann launched OR Set Systems, commonly referred to as Kitpacks, in 1987. These preassembled operating-room sets were intended to standardize and simplify operating-room preparation. In 1988, Lohmann converted a former villa in Rengsdorf into an internal training center known as Lohmann College. Central administration moved to Rengsdorf in 1991, leaving the company with important headquarters functions in both Rengsdorf and Vienna. Also in 1991, Lohmann acquired Koester GmbH & Co. KG. Koester brought expertise in self-adhesive and mechanical closures for diapers and incontinence products, as well as skin-compatible hot-melt adhesives and adhesive tapes for hygiene, medical, and technical uses. This expanded Lohmann’s activities beyond conventional dressings and into specialized adhesive and hygiene technologies. The defining corporate turning point came in 1998, when the Austrian Rauscher business merged with Lohmann Medical in Germany. The combined company became Lohmann & Rauscher International GmbH & Co. KG, generally known as L&R, with headquarters functions in Rengsdorf and Vienna. After the merger, the group continued to broaden its international structure and product portfolio through subsidiaries, partnerships, and acquisitions. In 2013, L&R created a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary after its earlier market entry through the Topamed joint venture. The new L&R China organization was based in Shanghai and Beijing. In 2014, L&R acquired Solaris Inc., a specialist in lymphology and compression hosiery. In 2016, it acquired Dutch company Varitex N.V., which specialized in phlebological and lymphological therapy. That year also saw the integration of marketing and sales activities with Flawa Consumer GmbH, a cotton-products company related to U.S. Cotton. In January 2017, Flawa’s chief operating officer and major shareholder Nicolas Härtsch joined the board of Lohmann & Rauscher AG, according to the reference material. Further expansion followed in 2018, when L&R acquired Swisslastic AG St. Gallen together with majority interests in Venosan businesses in Brazil, China, and Canada. In 2019, it acquired assets of French medical-textile company Medical Textile Ariegeois. In 2020, Lohmann Therapie-Systeme entered a licensing partnership with Livzon Pharma. In 2021, L&R acquired Angiokard Medizintechnik, a company established in 1986 and specializing in customized procedure trays and surgical sets for areas including cardiology, anesthesia, intensive care, and angiography. Angiokard’s Friedeburg operation was closed at the end of 2023, affecting approximately 100 of its 115 employees. L&R stated that sharp increases in energy, transportation, and raw-material costs, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, had made production at the site uncompetitive. Manufacturing was transferred to L&R’s facility in Slavkov, Czech Republic. Separately, L&R completed a major modernization of its Neuwied production site in April 2024. The twelve-month project upgraded a 960-square-meter building complex and included measures intended to improve the facility’s sustainability. The group remains an active privately held healthcare manufacturer with operations and production capabilities across Europe and China.

1. 2024Neuwied production site modernization completed

   The company completed extensive modernization and sustainability-related upgrades at its Neuwied facility.

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2. 2021Angiokard Medizintechnik acquired

   L&R expanded its customized procedure-tray business by acquiring Angiokard Medizintechnik.

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3. 2018Swisslastic and Venosan interests acquired

   L&R acquired Swisslastic AG St. Gallen and majority interests in Venosan businesses in Brazil, China, and Canada.

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4. 2016Varitex acquired and Lohmann College refurbished

   L&R acquired Varitex N.V. and refurbished Lohmann College for training and conference use.

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5. 2014Solaris acquired

   L&R acquired Solaris Inc., a specialist in lymphology and compression hosiery.

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6. 2013L&R China established

   L&R established a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary after earlier activity through the Topamed joint venture.

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7. 1998Lohmann and Rauscher merge

   The German Lohmann Medical business merged with Austrian Rauscher to form Lohmann & Rauscher International.

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8. 1991Koester acquired

   Lohmann acquired Koester GmbH & Co. KG, adding closure, adhesive, and hygiene-technology capabilities.

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9. 1987OR Set Systems introduced

   Lohmann launched preassembled operating-room sets known as Kitpacks to support standardized operating-room preparation.

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10. 1961Rosidal compression bandage launched

    The company introduced Rosidal, which later developed into a family of compression-therapy products.

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11. 1930Cellona introduced

    Lohmann launched Cellona, a pre-formed plaster-of-Paris bandage intended to simplify plastering procedures.

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12. 1900Lohmann opens Fahr am Rhein factory

    Lohmann established factory facilities in Fahr am Rhein, now part of Neuwied, and expanded its range of dressings and bandages.

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13. 1899Rauscher established in Vienna

    The Rauscher family business was founded in Vienna as a producer and distributor of surgical dressings and nursing-care supplies.

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14. 1851Julius Lüscher business registered

    Julius Lüscher registered a trading enterprise in Frankfurt am Main, forming the historical starting point of the Lohmann business.

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mid-range to premium

• CellonaImmobilization and orthopedic products1930

  Cellona is a ready-to-use, pre-formed plaster-of-Paris bandage introduced in 1930. Its pre-shaped format was intended to make plastering and immobilization techniques simpler and more efficient. It is one of the historically significant product lines associated with Lohmann’s development of specialized medical bandages.

• RosidalCompression therapy1961

  Rosidal began as a compression bandage launched in 1961 and subsequently developed into a broader product family. The line is associated with compression treatment for phlebological and lymphological applications and reflects L&R’s long-standing focus on medical compression systems.

• OR Set Systems and KitpacksSurgical procedure sets1987

  L&R’s OR Set Systems, commonly known as Kitpacks, are preassembled sets of operating-room supplies designed to standardize and streamline preparation for surgical procedures. The concept extends the company’s dressing and supply expertise into procedure-specific clinical logistics.

• Compression and lymphology solutionsCompression therapy

  L&R supplies compression-related products for phlebological and lymphological care, including bandages and compression hosiery. The group strengthened this category through acquisitions involving Solaris, Varitex, Swisslastic, and Venosan-related businesses.

• Customized medical procedure traysMedical procedure supplies

  Customized procedure trays and surgical sets are assembled for defined clinical applications, including cardiology, anesthesia, intensive care, angiography, and cardiac surgery. L&R expanded this capability through its acquisition of Angiokard Medizintechnik in 2021.

• 2024Modernize Neuwied production facilitiesOther

  L&R undertook a long-term upgrade of its Neuwied production infrastructure.

  What changed. The company completed a twelve-month modernization program covering a 960-square-meter building complex and incorporating environmental-sustainability improvements.

  Aftermath. The upgraded facility was brought to modern operating standards and continued to support L&R’s German production base.

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• 2023Close Friedeburg operation and transfer productionStrategy

  Rising energy, transportation, and raw-material costs reduced the competitiveness of surgical-set production at the Friedeburg site.

  What changed. L&R closed the Angiokard operation at the end of 2023 and transferred production processes to its Slavkov facility in the Czech Republic.

  Aftermath. Approximately 100 of the site’s 115 employees were affected by the closure, while the company retained the relevant production capability elsewhere in its network.

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• 2021Acquire Angiokard MedizintechnikM&A

  Angiokard specialized in customized procedure trays and surgical sets for cardiology, anesthesia, intensive care, angiography, and related fields.

  What changed. L&R acquired Angiokard Medizintechnik GmbH from its previous ownership context.

  Aftermath. The acquisition expanded L&R’s customized medical-procedure and surgical-set capabilities, although the Friedeburg operation later closed and production moved to Slavkov.

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• 2013Establish wholly owned Chinese subsidiaryStrategy

  L&R had entered the Chinese market through the Topamed joint venture.

  What changed. The company established L&R China, with locations in Shanghai and Beijing.

  Aftermath. The move gave L&R a direct corporate presence in China and supported its international operating model.

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• 1998Merge Lohmann Medical and RauscherM&A

  The German Lohmann medical-device business and the Austrian Rauscher family company operated as complementary healthcare suppliers with long corporate histories.

  What changed. The businesses merged to create Lohmann & Rauscher International GmbH & Co. KG, with headquarters functions in Rengsdorf and Vienna.

  Aftermath. The merger created the present cross-border group and provided the platform for subsequent international expansion and acquisitions.

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• 2024Lohmann & Rauscher modernizes Neuwied production site

  The company completed a twelve-month modernization program at its Neuwied production location. The work covered a 960-square-meter building complex and was intended to bring the facility up to modern standards while improving environmental sustainability.

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• 2023Angiokard production transferred after Friedeburg closure

  L&R closed the Angiokard Medizintechnik operation in Friedeburg at the end of 2023 and transferred production of surgical sets to its facility in Slavkov, Czech Republic. The company attributed the decision to rising energy, transport, and raw-material costs and reduced competitiveness.

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• 2021Lohmann & Rauscher acquires Angiokard Medizintechnik

  L&R acquired Angiokard Medizintechnik GmbH, a German provider of customized procedure trays for cardiology, anesthesia, intensive care, angiography, and related medical settings.

  M&A
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• 2020Lohmann Therapie-Systeme enters licensing partnership with Livzon Pharma

  Lohmann & Rauscher entered a licensing partnership with Livzon Pharma through Lohmann Therapie-Systeme.

  M&AOther
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• 2019L&R acquires assets of Medical Textile Ariegeois

  L&R acquired assets of the French medical-textile business Medical Textile Ariegeois, extending its position in specialized medical textile products.

  M&A
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• 2018L&R acquires Swisslastic and related Venosan interests

  Salzmann AG St. Gallen sold Swisslastic AG St. Gallen and majority interests in Venosan businesses in Brazil, China, and Canada to L&R.

  M&A
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• 2013L&R expands Chinese operations

  After entering the Chinese market through the Topamed joint venture, L&R established its own subsidiary, L&R China, with operations based in Shanghai and Beijing.

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1. Lohmann & Rauscher