RATIONAL Expands iVario Production Site in Wittenheim

On May 5, 2026, RATIONAL completed and officially opened the facility expansion of its Wittenheim factory in France. The "RATIONAL iVario Business Centre," with its doubled production area, expands the production capacity for the iVario Pro. Simultaneously, it establishes an advanced working environment and a spacious customer experience center for customers and partners. The iVario Pro and its predecessor models have been developed and produced at the Wittenheim factory for over 20 years. From here, RATIONAL supplies equipment and related accessories to over 120 countries worldwide, achieving great success. In 2005, about 500 cooking systems were produced, and by 2025, that number had increased to over 10,000. "This new factory construction is a crucial foundation for meeting the growing global demand in the long term," says Thomas Hock, Chief Product Officer for iVario. The new factory will enable the production of up to 25,000 units per year. Furthermore, the building's design allows for future expansion to over 75,000 units annually. Alongside the iCombi Pro steam convection oven, the iVario Pro is one of our core technologies leading the global market. While the iCombi Pro and iHexagon are manufactured at the Landsberg headquarters in Germany, Wittenheim functions as a specialized site for the iVario Pro. The new factory and the €35 million investment indicate the increasing strategic importance of the iVario Pro, establishing the appropriate structural foundation in the process. This establishes a system at the site that covers the entire iVario value chain, from market and customer development to production and global shipping. In addition to the approximately 10,000-square-meter production area, the new building features a spacious customer experience center with three training centers for cooking demonstrations, product training, and events for customers and partners. The site also includes a modern employee cafeteria and approximately 1,500 square meters of office space with bright, ergonomic workstations. Wittenheim also houses the headquarters of RATIONAL's French sales subsidiary. A total of about 270 people from 11 countries work here, demonstrating the global nature of our company. RATIONAL has placed particular emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainable building design in this new factory. A well-insulated, material-efficient steel structure forms the basis for energy-optimized operations. Heat pumps handle heating and cooling, and an intelligent LED lighting control system, responsive to natural light with individually configured lighting zones, further reduces energy consumption. In addition, a photovoltaic system designed to cover 25% of the current annual electricity consumption has been installed. "This new factory is a significant milestone for the Wittenheim team," says Hock. "It creates a better working environment and underscores the importance of iVario in RATIONAL's product portfolio. It also lays the foundation for us to continue providing the best solutions to chefs and professional kitchens worldwide." For more information on RATIONAL's iVario Pro and our sustainability initiatives, please visit the following websites. iVario Pro – The Game Changer https://www.rational-online.com/ja_jp/ivario-pro/ RATIONAL's Sustainability https://www.rational-online.com/ja_jp/company/sustainability/ Contact for readers regarding article publication: RATIONAL Japan Co., Ltd. TEL: 03-6316-1188 URL: https://www.rational-online.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/RATIONAL.AG X: https://twitter.com/RATIONAL_AG Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RATIONALAG Press inquiries regarding this release: F&R Sales Promote Inc., Saito TEL: 03-3553-7510 Mobile: 090-1738-2669 Mail: saito@fandr.co.jp About RATIONAL The RATIONAL Group is one of the world's leading market and technology leaders in the field of thermal food preparation in professional kitchens. Founded in 1973, the company now has over 2,700 employees, with more than 1,500 active in Germany. RATIONAL has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2000 and is currently included in the MDAX. Our primary corporate goal is to always provide our customers with the greatest possible benefit. RATIONAL is deeply committed to the principle of sustainability. This is reflected in our stance on environmental protection, leadership, and social responsibility. The high standards of RATIONAL's achievements are recognized annually with numerous international awards.