Further Development: The Second Generation And A World in Flux (1975-2002) - Adalbert Raps: A Pioneer In The Spice Industry During Turbulent Times

Adalbert Raps passed away in 1975. His estate was used to create the Adalbert Raps Foundation. After his death, his nephew Horst Kühne and long-time companion Waldemar Pfeiffer took over the management of RAPS and continued on the course for innovation and internationalisation. The course for success continued at the site on “Am Goldenen Feld” (see photo). In 1977, contacts abroad evolved into the first foreign subsidiaries, for example in France, Austria and Switzerland.

By this time, consumers were demanding ever more variety. RAPS decided to keep up with the times: Diet trends were addressed in the RAPS seminars and reflected in new products. The capacity limits at “Am Goldenen Feld” were soon reached.
The new plant on Adalbert-Raps-Strasse took up production in 1980, and a coating system was commissioned here in 1982. The processing method became increasingly important in the food industry and points the way ahead for RAPS and its products to this day.
With its Marinox product line, RAPS entered into the marinades business in 1983. The complex development of the new liquid division soon yielded fruit: The range of marinades in Germany now makes up roughly 30% of goods sold, particularly during the summer months and at the beginning of barbecue season.

RAPS spent years working on an extraction facility without chemical solvents. The day finally came in 1992, when the CO2 extraction facility, which releases the important flavour carriers from the spice by means of supercritical CO2, was commissioned, enabling a previously unattained natural flavour intensity that comes close to the natural spice.

Waldemar Pfeiffer (third from right on the photo) and Horst Kühne (first on right on the photo) shaped the development of RAPS together for many years. When Waldemar Pfeiffer died unexpectedly in 1994, he left a huge gap. Horst Kühne was faced with the task of reshaping the future of RAPS once again. One pillar was the foundation of an advisory committee. The three-person committee was part of a long-term strategy by which RAPS repositioned itself for the future, in particular with regard to the management personnel.

"My father, Horst Kühne, heavily promoted internationalisation and customer focus. His main focus was on the outside, while Waldemar Pfeiffer’s was on the inside, that is the products, the raw materials and the technology that made the success of RAPS possible. They complemented each other perfectly" – Frank Kühne

Shortly afterwards, fate caught up with Horst Kühne as well. The main shareholder and managing director developed Parkinson’s disease. In close coordination with his family, Horst Kühne appointed an additional managing director from outside the family and slowly initiated the next generational change. In 2005, he finally withdrew from operational business at RAPS completely, but remained closely connected to the company and the staff until his death in 2017.

1957-1975

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