60 years R&M_07_2024_ENG

«It all started 60 years ago...»

In 1964, it was impossible to foresee how profoundly our 

everyday lives would change as a result of digitalization 

and thus also the world of communications and data 

networks in the decades that followed. 

However, Hans Reichle and Renato De-Massari already 

knew back then that reliable infrastructures are needed to 

connect people and companies and thus improve 

communication. 

The history of R&M has shaped our lives from the very 

beginning, it continues to fascinate us and we are proud to 

be part of it. 

Peter and Martin Reichle, Owners

Shaping the World of Communication 

for 60 Years 

Foundation 

• The idea: Replace the outdated round 

telephone outlet from the turn of the century 

with a new, installation-friendly socket 

• The prototype swallowed up the entire equity 

capital 

• Significant success: The then PTT issues a 

certificate of authorization, the first order arrives 

• The garages and apartments of the Reichle and 

De-Massari families serve as offices, workshops 

and warehouses; the first employees are the 

two wives 

• New projects follow, the previous secondary 

occupation becomes the main occupation 

(1967) 

3 

It all started 60 years ago… July 2024


The Pioneer Phase 

1964 − 1973 

• It all starts with a new type of 5-pin junction box 

• Other products quickly follow, always with a 

focus on ease of installation 

• First major orders from Swiss industry (Sulzer) 

• Foundation of a general partnership, 

employment of home workers 

• Invitation from the PTT General Directorate to 

the project competition (connection box), with 

successful conclusion 

• The modular connection and distribution box 

with 80 - 160 poles is added to the range 

• Purchase of industrial land for the construction 

of a new head office 

5 



Market Leadership in Switzerland 

1974 − 1983 

• «We don’t do anything that others can do 

better.» - Hans Reichle 

• Support for customers in French-speaking 

Switzerland is now provided by a local 

• New plug-in distribution boards and connection 

systems are developed and successfully 

launched on the market 

• An order in Manchester gives the founders their 

first export experience and motivates them to 

attend English language courses 

• PTT awards a development contract for a new, 

solder-free distribution system 

• Move into the new office and production building 

at Binzstrasse 31 in Wetzikon 

• The first foreign company, R&M Germany, is 

founded in 1982 

7 



Export Setup 

1984 − 1993 

• VS83 Modular exceeds all forecasts and opens 

up new areas of application − the range grows 

fivefold 

• A working group with representatives from 

banks, insurance companies, industry, the 

former PTT and R&M develops a concept for 

universal building cabling for telephony and data 

transmission 

• Appropriate products and solutions are 

developed, tested and launched on the market 

• The KEV87 is the first step towards fiber optic 

technology 

• ISDN heralds the age of digital telephony 

• RJ45 is defined as an international standard 

and quickly becomes established 

• R&M Italia and R&M Polska are founded 

• The new R&M production and logistics center is 

built in Aawisen 

9 



Second Generation - Many Changes 

1994 − 2003 

• «At the age of 60, we want to place operational 

responsibility in younger hands.» − Hans Reichle 

• Renato De-Massari resigns from the Executive 

Board (1996) 

• Takeover of the shares by the Reichle family 

• Martin and Peter Reichle new CEO and COO (1999) 

• Renato De-Massari dies in the summer of 2000 † 

• Foundation of Reichle & De-Massari Far East Ltd. 

• The first fully automated production plant for RJ45 

direct wiring modules goes into operation 

• Foreign expansion continues (Asia, Eastern Europe, 

South America) 

• Production of the E-2000 fiber optic connector 

(Diamond license) begins 

• The new VS Compact distribution board is another 

great success 

11 



Internationalization − New Chairman/CEO 

2004 − 2013 

• R&M focuses on the Swiss, European, Middle East 

and Asian markets with organizations in over 30 

countries 

• Focus on core competencies in economically 

turbulent times, clear segment strategy 

• First external Chairman of the Board of Directors: 

Hans Reichle hands over the office to Swissmem 

President Hans Hess in 2007 

• The new cube in Wetzikon, the first «low exergy» 

office building in Switzerland, is moved into in 2010 

• On August 1, 2012, Michel Riva, the first external 

CEO, takes over the management of R&M 

• The new FO production facility in Sofia is opened in 

the presence of the then President of the Republic 

• R&M focuses its activities entirely on future market 

trends: LAN Cabling, Public Networks and Data 

Center Cabling 

• The new CEO drives forward the internationalization 

of R&M with great enthusiasm 

13 



From Components to Solutions 

2013 − 2024 

• The company now has a global supply chain 

organization with numerous international production 

sites and competence centers 

• inteliPhy is the first system to be introduced for the 

automated control of networks 

• R&M is able to cushion the impact of the 

discontinuation of the minimum euro-franc exchange 

rate thanks to its broad-based location strategy 

• The years of the pandemic can be solidly mastered 

thanks to modern infrastructures and global 

flexibility, R&M is one of the systemically relevant 

companies 

• The largest acquisition in the company’s history 

takes place at the beginning of 2022: the takeover of 

cabinet manufacturer Tecnosteel S.r.l. in Brunello 

• R&M is continuously developing into a provider of 

complete infrastructure solutions for communication 

and data networks and is well equipped for the future 

15 



A Story that Connects 

60 Years of R&M 

• Initially, the focus was on installation-friendly telephone 

outlets with few copper wires 

• 60 years later, we are dealing with complex 

infrastructures that connect thousands of optical fibers 

and are essential for data centers, Fiber to the Home, 

5G and smart buildings. 

• The future belongs to complete network infrastructures 

for the digital era 

• Then as now, it was always about connecting people, 

companies and organizations, without borders and 

without restrictions 

• A healthy corporate culture, in which shared values and 

practiced sustainability play a central role, has always 

been part of the family company’s philosophy 

«We provide network infrastructure for unlimited communication.» 

17 


Along our entire value chain, we want to connect people 

and companies responsibly with our solutions. 

This attitude has been an integral part of our sustainable 

business activities for 60 years. 

Peter and Martin Reichle, Owners

Reichle & De-Massari AG 

Binzstrasse 32 

8620 Wetzikon 

Switzerland 

corpcom@rdm.com 

www.rdm.com 

Company history

60 years R&M_07_2024_ENG

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