Complex Railway Kitchens. Seamlessly Delivered.
Interview with Manfred Rücker
Designing a kitchen is a complex task that requires careful planning, technical knowl edge, and a deep understanding of functionality and ergonomics. Every detail – from the arrangement of equipment to storage solutions and workflow optimization – must be precisely coordinated to create an efficient, safe, and practical working environment. A well-designed kitchen not only improves productivity but also ensures comfort, hygiene, and reliability in everyday use. The challenge becomes even greater when kitchens are designed for trains. Air flow, refrigeration, every system must be designed on limited space and very harsh outside conditions. Stahl Bahnküchentechnik GmbH is a highly sought-after international partner for railway kitchens.
European Business: Mr. Rücker, Stahl Bahnküchentechnik is one of the world’s most successful providers of highly complex rail way kitchens. Could you please outline the most important mile stones of the company’s history?
Manfred Rücker: I’ve been work ing in the industry for 26 years now. In 2015, based on my ex perience, I started my own busi ness, Bahn Küchentechnik, as a one-man show. Today, leading train manufacturers such as Sie mens, Hitachi and Alstom rely on our expertise and competence. Last year, we moved into a new building on a greenfield site. The company has grown steadily over time, so we needed more space.
European Business: What was your personal motivation behind setting up the company?
Manfred Rücker: Before Stahl, I was an employee for more than ten years, during which time I basically built up the business from scratch. And I always loved my job and the complexity involved. Railway kitchens are extremely complex and are often underesti mated. Unlike conventional kitch ens, they must operate within extremely limited spaces while meeting strict safety, weight and technical regulations. In addition, they must withstand constant movement, vibrations, and chang ing operating conditions without compromising functionality or durability. As a result, planning railway kitchens requires a highly specialized and individual approach. Each railway kitchen is unique. It interfaces with the floor, side walls, ceiling and electrical connections. This is a complex is sue that is often underestimated by our customers. We have probably constructed around 1,000 modules, and each one is unique. This means, we are constantly reinventing things, which is what I really like about my job and what motivates me every single day.
European Business: What is the company’s current structure like
Manfred Rücker: We are a team of three shareholders and two managing directors, with 32 employees on the payroll. In addition, we have partnerships with several companies that are working according to our high-quality standards. We have increased revenues from 1 million EUR to nearly 15 million, with exports accounting for over 50%. Our most important international market is North America.
European Business: Exportation plays an important role. What does the market look like?
Manfred Rücker: We operate in a niche market with only a few competitors. Interestingly, there are three competitors in our country and six worldwide. Currently, we are the company with the largest contracts.
European Business: Let’s talk about the portfolio itself. What are its main features?
Manfred Rücker: Stahl Bahnküchen is a system provider offering complete kitchen solutions for the railway industry. Our product portfolio includes freezers, chillers, ovens and coffee machines. We use special plug-and-play systems so devices can be swapped out quickly and easily. Our sophisticated control cabinets start at 20,000 EUR, with prices going up to 40,000 or 50,000 EUR per kitchen. As a
system provider, we also handle the entire testing process. We test refrigeration units by simulating
ambient temperatures; at the end, everything works out perfectly.
European Business: Stahl Bahnküchentechnik is one of the world’s leading suppliers. What sets the company apart?
Manfred Rücker: We combine technical know-how, experience, outstanding certified quality and short decision-making processes. We currently have two of the world’s largest orders. The German ICE amounts to 95 trains. Such a project takes years to realize. These trains will run for around 30 years, so we must be prepared to deliver reliably and provide spare parts. It is important that we design everything ourselves in 3D, and that whatever we can build ourselves, we build ourselves. However, what really matters is that the entire documentation comes from a single source.
European Business: Are there any plans for the future?
Manfred Rücker: We are fully booked until 2030; however, I have a few ideas in mind. A large part of our business involves modifying components and I believe that using more digital technology could improve several processes. Furthermore, we are considering diversifying our products and customer base to be more independent. We are constantly striving to improve our work. For this reason, I like to travel by train. I look at the kitchens in trains all over the world to find out what works really well and where problems lie. This is a good method for getting new ideas for work.