Retsch more than 100 years of innovation

About us

The company was founded in 1915 by F. Kurt Retsch. A few years later he registered his first patent in grinding technology: a mortar grinder that became famous worldwide as the “RETSCH Mill”.

This innovation replaced tiresome manual grinding with hand mortars which was the standard in laboratories at the time and earned RETSCH an excellent reputation in the international science and research community.

Today RETSCH is the leading solution provider for size reduction and particle sizing technology with subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan, India, South Africa, France, Italy, Benelux, Russia, UK and Thailand and an export share of 80%.

RETSCH’s philosophy is based on customer orientation and leading edge technology. This is reflected in instruments whose high-quality components are designed for perfect interaction. RETSCH products not only guarantee representative and reproducible results for grinding and particle analysis but also allow for easy and comfortable operation.

Since 1990 RETSCH has been part of the continuously growing VERDER group and formed the core of the group’s Scientific Division

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History

1915
The company is founded by F. Kurt Retsch in Düsseldorf.

1952
Engineer Dirk Sijsling assumes management responsibility for F. Kurt Retsch KG. The production of laboratory equipment becomes more and more important.

1963
Retsch intensifies its cooperation with universities and institutes to ensure that their equipment is always up to the latest technological standards. By the end of the sixties, the export share has increased to 35%.

1989
André Verder and Frans Bakker take over the F. Kurt Retsch GmbH shares in equal parts. Gradually Retsch manages the transition from a family business to an internationally active company.

1998
Foundation of Retsch Technology as a profit center under the roof of Retsch.

2000
Foundation of Retsch Technology as an independent company.

2003
Launch of the latest product generation ZM 200 / PM 100 / PM 200

2006 - 2010
Subsidiaries in China, Italy, South Korea, Norway and Russia are opened

2013
Retsch revolutionalizes grinding with an entirely new type of mill: the High Energy Ball Mill Emax.

1923
The company's first own piece of laboratory equipment is developed, a mortar mill, which becomes known as the Retsch Mill and is synonymous with the concept of easier and better laboratory work.

1959
Retsch enlarges the equipment program for sieve shakers, sample dividers and magnetic mixers. The wider production program needs more room, and so the company moves to Haan.

1976
The company moves to new offices in Haan, which with continual enlargements, is where the company sits today.

1993
A subsidiary in United Kingdom is opened.

1999
A subsidiary in Japan is opened. André Verder becomes the sole owner of the Retsch company.
2001
A subsidiary in the USA is opened.

2005
The headquarters in Haan, Germany, are rebuilt and modernized. The extended application laboratory is put into operation.
2012
Relocation to new headquarters

2015
Retsch celebrates its 100th anniversary and expands its products range with a line of big crushers and grinders, Retsch XL.

RETSCH is part of VERDER SCIENTIFIC, which is a division of the continuously growing VERDER group.

Learn about our ESG goals and the VERDER DNA that guides our entire team toward sustainable success and customer satisfaction.

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ESG - Making an impact

The Verder Group enables progress through a clear focus on our enviroment, our social surroundings and on solid governance.

Environmental

Enable reduced ecological footprints
Energy-neutral own buildings
Implement ISO 14001 in our production facilities
Recycle & re-use in all our facilities
Greener travel
Water consumption management
A tree for every employee

Social

Enable peoples progress & wellbeing
Safe & secure working environment
Fruits & sports initiatives
Increase & improve digital learning
Support inclusive teams
Donate to charity for children & education
Sponsor our local communities on education & sports

Governance

Enable responsible conduct
Train 100% of our people yearly on our Purpose & DNA
Train 100% of our people on Verder’s CoBP every 3 years
Train relevant people yearly on compliance topics
Pragmatic reporting on ESG and as of 2025 CSRD report yearly published

The Verder DNA

Passion We are committed to what we do – that’s why our work gives us satisfaction and has an impact on our lives.
Improve With the company’s best interest at heart, we encourage each other to try new ways and learn from our mistakes.
Detail We go to the source of everything to make sure we get the whole picture and make fact-based decisions.
Responsibility By taking ownership, we tackle problems and work hard to find the best solutions.
Family We work together as a family by communicating with each other honestly and openly.