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Rutronik mourns the passing of its Founder and President, Helmut Rudel
Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH bids a sad farewell to Helmut Rudel, Rutronik's founder and president. He passed away at the age of 87 after a brief illness. His life's work, which earned him the Baden-Württemberg Founder's Prize in July 2025, continues to influence the company. He remained part of the Management team until the very end.
It is with great sadness that the Management and employees of Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH bid farewell to its founder and president, Helmut Rudel, who passed away last weekend at the age of 87.
He was a visionary entrepreneur with extraordinary foresight, drive, and social responsibility. By founding Rutronik in 1973, he established what is now one of Europe's leading distributors of electronic components. His life's work is characterized by innovation, entrepreneurial courage, and an understanding of the needs of customers, partners, and employees.
In July, Helmut Rudel received the 2025 Baden-Württemberg Founder's Prize from the Sparkassenverband Baden-Württemberg in recognition of his impressive lifetime achievements and lasting contributions to the economy.
Until recently, he was closely associated with Rutronik as a member of the Management and Advisory Boards and as a source of inspiration. In addition to Rutronik, he was committed to the region where the company is headquartered. He significantly shaped its economic strength as a large apprenticing company with social responsibility.
"With his passing, we have lost an extraordinary entrepreneur and a person who shaped Rutronik like no other. His legacy will live on in the values he embodied, the structures he created, and the memories of those who knew and worked with him. - Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. We will honor his memory."
The Management and employees of Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH
A small, private service for immediate family members and relatives will be held. An Online Condolence Book is available.
About Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH
Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH was founded in 1973 and for more than five decades the independent family-owned company based in Ispringen (Germany) stands for sustainable growth with a focus on high-growth future markets. In the fiscal year 2023, its around 1,900 employees generated sales of 1.24 billion euros, serving more than 40,000 customers.
With more than 80 offices worldwide and logistics centers in Austin (Texas), Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Rutronik ensures comprehensive customer support in Europe, Asia, and North America. The company focuses on high-growth future markets that will shape the world of electronics tomorrow. These are Advanced Materials, Advanced Measurement, Processing & Analytics, Advanced Robotics, Automation, Biotechnology, Energy & Power, Future Mobility, IIoT & Internet of Everything, Industry 4.0, Medical & Healthcare, and Transportation, Logistics & Supply Chain.
To serve customers in these future markets, the RUTRONIK AUTOMOTIVE, RUTRONIK EMBEDDED, RUTRONIK IT ELECTRONICS, RUTRONIK POWER, RUTRONIK SMART, and RUTRONIK SYSTEM SOLUTIONS initiatives bundle expertise, specific product portfolios, and consultancy support. In this regard, Rutronik relies on customized solutions that are tailored to the respective needs. The services range from competent technical support in product development and Design-Ins, through the diverse product portfolio of leading manufacturers, to the company's software and hardware solutions with partly patented Rutronik IP.
Customized logistics systems, reliable supply chain management, and logistics centers worldwide ensure on-time delivery. The Rutronik24 e-commerce platform completes Rutronik's range of services.
Further information is available at www.rutronik.com.