WUPPERTAL & MUNICH, Germany—Thomas Riedel, founder and owner of Riedel Communications and the Riedel Group, has announced the acquisition of ARRI, a legendary Munich-based manufacturer of camera and lighting technology for motion pictures and live entertainment.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Rumors that the company might be up for sale have been circulating since last summer when a Bloomberg reported a possible sale.
“My entrepreneurial path has been closely tied to ARRI for years,” said Thomas Riedel in a statement. “This acquisition represents the most significant personal milestone of my career so far. I have great respect for this exceptional brand, its outstanding products, and its strong team. At the same time, I see tremendous potential and am confident that, together, we can position ARRI for long-term stability and future success.”
Founded in 1917, ARRI has been family-owned ever since and has played a legendary role in the cinema production and professional film technology, having been recognized with 20 scientific and technical awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “For more than a century, ARRI has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, and the highest quality. This success story will now continue and remain in German ownership,” said Dr. Walter Stahl, Managing Director of ARRI GmbH and member of the founding family.
Thomas Riedel’s bid for the company was chosen in a competitive international process, ARRI reported. It is the largest acquisition of Riedel's career to date.
The Riedel Group is a globally recognized specialist in advanced audio, video, and data technology, delivering infrastructure solutions for many of the world’s most demanding broadcast, live event, and sports productions.
Through the acquisition of ARRI, Thomas Riedel said he plans to establish a close strategic alignment between ARRI and the Riedel Group, expanding its expertise across the entire production chain — from camera optics to distribution. ARRI’s ecosystem of camera, lighting, and systems technology perfectly complements the Riedel Group’s existing portfolio and opens up new technological and strategic market opportunities for both companies.
In announcing the deal, the two companies said that they aim to unlock new areas of growth, especially in live entertainment and sports. By combining their respective technologies, the companies plan to develop integrated solutions that open new creative and technical possibilities for customers. As the first joint milestone of this collaboration, ARRI will debut its camera technology at the Eurovision Song Contest, where Riedel serves as the technology provider and NEP oversees production.
Under the new ownership of Thomas Riedel, ARRI’s existing management team will continue to lead the company. The company will retain independent operations and remain headquartered in Munich.
“Thomas Riedel has built a first-generation family business and stands for entrepreneurial continuity and long-term thinking,” said Chris Richter, managing director of ARRI. “We look forward to working with a successful entrepreneur and to the resulting market opportunities and access — both in existing and new markets.”
“The Riedel Group brings highly complementary technologies and extensive expertise in live production to this partnership,” added David Bermbach, managing director of ARRI. “This strengthens our strategic direction as a ‘Trusted Technology Leader for the Next Generation of Media & Entertainment.’”
Named after its founders August Arnold and Robert Richter, ARRI was established in Munich, Germany, where the headquarters is still located today. Other subsidiaries are in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia.
The ARRI Group consists of the business units Camera Systems, Lighting, and Rental. More information is available at www.arri.com.
