Andreas Gross

When and how did you join Rädlinger Primus Line? What made you decide to join the company back then – and what keeps you here to this day?

A fellow student had seen a job advert from Rädlinger at the University of Passau at the end of 2012 and thought it would be right up my street. At the time, I only knew Rädlinger from road construction and had not really paid any attention to the advert for quite some time, as I was not even aware that Rädlinger Primus Line existed at all, let alone that it operated internationally. 

What convinced me at the time was that the product was already well developed, but sales and marketing were still in their infancy. In my previous role in the US, sales and marketing were prioritised first, and only then was the product developed – often to the chagrin of customers and staff. The potential at Rädlinger Primus Line and the opportunities were already enormous back then, and they still are today.

Which moments or projects do you particularly enjoy looking back on?

When it really matters, we have a team and a network of partners that is extremely capable. When a landslide struck Messina in 2015, cutting off the drinking water supply for 220,000 people, the Italian Civil Protection Agency needed a quick and reliable solution to restore the water supply in rough terrain. Our Italian partner had offered their support; the local engineer – with whom we still work – had carried out the planning and design over several night shifts; we had prepared around one kilometre of material in record time and provided support with a member of staff on site. This meant the town could be supplied with drinking water again in no time at all.

In your view, what has changed the most – technically, organisationally and/or on a personal level?

The organisation has grown significantly in recent years. In 2013, the production facilities were mostly used on a project-specific basis; since then, capacity utilisation has increased considerably. 

From the second half of the year until the end of 2025, we had customer visits almost every week, and the production and associated quality assurance – unique worldwide – is the reason why many visitors choose Primus Line^®. 

The new warehouse also allows us to increase storage capacity, enabling us to respond more quickly to customer projects and shorten delivery times. 

With its manuals – covering design, installation and operation – the Primus Line^® system is the best-documented system in the world and offers professional engineering support to our partners.

Which developments in your field were real milestones for you?

The establishment of overseas branches in the USA, Australia and Canada.

The establishment of a globally active sales and engineering team that works closely with customers, understands the language and mindset of the respective market, and masters the technical challenges. 

Technically challenging projects, e.g. a high-pressure pipeline in Piedmont operating at 43 bar; inner-city pipeline rehabilitation in Brisbane carried out exclusively during night shifts over several weeks; the installation of a 2.6-kilometre-long section in Denmark; and the rehabilitation of approximately 11 kilometres of asbestos cement pipes in Mexico.

Which skills or values from your early days are still important today, and why?

Curiosity and openness are still important because there are still many regions, markets and applications for Primus Line^® that have not yet been tapped into.

You are now an expert in your field. What does experience mean to you in your day-to-day work?

For me, experience means making sound and pragmatic decisions every day with the customer and the company in mind, whilst also making the best possible use of my extensive network – both external and internal.

When you think about the future development of the company and/or the product, what are you particularly looking forward to?

The further development of the product towards larger diameters.