RONDO at 70 years - Sheeting and shaping dough is what the company does

The production of pastry products has been around since Roman and Egyptian times, however, production on an industrial scale did not really become commonplace until the early-mid 20th Century.

For 70 years RONDO has been developing and producing high-quality machines and systems for the production of all types of pastry. As a Swiss company, it is fully aware of just how important quality, innovation and reliability really are. "Dough-how" is the term which was coined for their unique combination of know-how and experience in dough processing and today it is appreciated by thousands of producers all over the world, from small artisanal bakeries all the way up to big industrial producers.

RONDO – a brief history
On May 1st 1948 Gustav. A. Seewer founded the engineering workshop he proudly named "Konstruktions-Werkstätte Burgdorf", laying the foundation for what today is known as the RONDO Group. Just 5 years' later in 1953, Seewer took out a patent on the first dough sheeter, his own invention. Rapid expansion then followed with the Rondo brand becoming increasingly well known for its engineering prowess in the industry by setting up its first agency outside Switzerland, specifically in Germany, followed very soon with outlets in the USA and later still, France.

RONDO's formidable years can be identified as the 1970s and 1980s when the design and manufacture of pastry production equipment was recognised as being unrivalled and when demand was at all time high with further branches being built in Italy, Canada, England and Malaysia. Today, the facility in Burgdorf in Switzerland remains as the company headquarters.

When Ruedi Seewer, eldest son of the company's founder, took over control in 1981, Rondo developed its first electronic dough sheeter the Compas which went on to facilitate considerably the work of thousands of bakers across the world. This electronic wizardry was created just 6 years after IBM famously launched its first personal computer, an outstanding revolution in itself.

By 1998 the growth of the group's subsidiaries and sales offices was enormous and the Seewer family finally retired from operational business with Robert Rohrer, who for many years previously headed up the sales activities, stepped up to the plate as CEO.

The year 2000 saw the acquisition by RONDO of a new business partner, "Doge Company" in Italy to enable it to gain access to the growing industrial bakery market, after which the company changed its name to "Rondo Doge"

The company's seemingly inexorable expansion continued through to 2013 with new machines such as:

• The Polyline and Starline make-up lines
• The Smartline universal feeding line
• The MLC modular laminating system
• The ASTec hygiene design characterised by very easy cleaning, simple maintenance and ease of inspection
• The new 4th generation Compas 3000HD – this machine had been a byword on the market for more than 25 years!

In 2013, Rondo finally runs out of space at its HQ in Burgdorf! So a second production location was added and the Dough-how Center enlarged to twice its original size.

After Robert Rohrer retired as RONDO's Chairman of the Administrative Board and 40 years' service he handed over the reins to, Dr.-Ing. Michael P. Witzak as CEO.

Refusing to stand still in the market, RONDO's innovative designers' seemingly inexhaustible ideas continue to be pumped out like a burst water main and presented at iba 2015 the incredible, industrial croissant system RONDO CS with a capacity of up to 150,000 croissants per hour.

With 2016 seeing the industrial EVO feed line and 2017 the advent of the RONDObot – an extraordinarily capable automaton that would not look out of place in a heavy engineering factory but demonstrating the deftness and gentleness of a fairy princess in its processing of various dough products, RONDO'S 70th anniversary, star-studded celebration was further enhanced at iba 2018.

And the icing on the cake in the wake of RONDO's 70 years' experience of know-how, innovation and success?
RONDO is proud to announce its winning of the prestigious award at the IBA 2018 with the Anniversary Artisana Breadline. The line is designed purely for the high-volume production of premium quality artisanal baked goods in many different sizes and shapes. For the gentle, weight-accurate processing of highly hydrogenated or rested doughs, the Artisana scores with numerous innovative solutions.