Thomas Riedel Acquires ARRIThomas Riedel, founder and owner of Riedel Communications and the Riedel Group, has acquired ARRI, the Munich-based manufacturer of camera and lighting technology for motion picture and live entertainment. The entrepreneur from Wuppertal was chosen by a competitive international process because of his concept for a new home for ARRI, marking the largest acquisition of his career to date. The acquisition is designed 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. Founded in 1917, the family-owned ARRI has 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," says Dr. Walter Stahl, managing director of ARRI GmbH and member of the founding family. According to an official statement, "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." ARRI's existing management team will continue to lead the company, which 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," says 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," adds David Bermbach, managing director of ARRI. "This strengthens our strategic direction as a 'Trusted Technology Leader for the Next Generation of Media & Entertainment'." "My entrepreneurial path has been closely tied to ARRI for years," says Thomas Riedel. "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." 
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