Rosta has served industry worldwide for close to 80 years and counting

The company's global headquarters

Since it was founded 35 years ago, Rosta Inc. has offered its world-renowned rubber-suspension solutions for industrial equipment to Canadian businesses. In a global context, this is a tradition that goes back 79 years – more than three-quarters of a century of manufacturing leading machinery components for organizations around the world. But Rosta has not always been the success it is today; like all large international corporations, its history stems from some humble beginnings.

A new kind of element

The Rosta story began in 1944 – the year that Ernest Rohr, an entrepreneur based in the Swiss village of Staufen, was commissioned to develop a simple, efficient solution for supporting axles in truck trailers. Rohr created a new kind of rubber spring element, which he designed to support, dampen, and suspend vehicle axles. After he patented this alternative to standard axle suspension, he founded a new business, which his family owned and operated. He christened the enterprise with a unique name, Rosta, a blend of his surname (Rohr) with his hometown’s name (Staufen).

The company expanded rapidly over the next ten years: the growth was so fast that the headquarters had to relocate to a bigger facility in Hunzenschwil in 1955. Rosta soon expanded internationally too, and its rubber-suspension solutions became the worldwide standard for general mechanical engineering.

In the late 1980s, Rosta finally opened its Canadian affiliate, Rosta Inc., in Goodwood, Ont. This branch continues today to operate as a sales and distribution entity for Rosta rubber-suspension elements. Rosta Inc. has succeeded through a wide network of sales staff who know how to satisfy the requirements of end users from coast to coast.

The parent company still resides in its global headquarters in Hunzenschwil, and it continues to thrive in Canada while remaining a global force in rubber-suspension, oscillating-conveyor, and tensioning technology. Rosta exports more than 90 per cent of its products and owns six subsidiaries around the world, with dozens of distribution partners. Rosta holds strong influence over a wide international networks, with additional locations in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Australia, China, and the United States.

To learn more, contact Rosta.

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