Entrepreneurial Independence Secured under Austrian Ownership
The buyback of RWA company shares previously held by BayWa has been successfully completed following intensive negotiations. As a result, responsibility for the company now lies entirely in Austrian hands. This strategic step enhances flexibility and enables a consistent focus on core markets.
In the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives, the cooperative network of RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria and the Lagerhaus cooperatives is sending a strong signal of unity. Due to the economic developments of its long-standing partner BayWa, a contractual agreement on the repurchase of the shares was reached at the end of 2024 and successfully finalized on May 2, 2025, in close coordination with banking partners. Following this transaction, RWA is once again owned by the Lagerhaus cooperatives – and thus 100% Austrian-owned.
Responsibility Brought Back to Austria
“Together, we reacted swiftly and with unity to BayWa’s changed situation and brought the responsibility for our company back to Austria. We have demonstrated that lived values, shared will, and cooperative solidarity can lead to good solutions even in challenging times. Now it is time to live up to this responsibility, do our homework, and align the company with a future-focused strategy. It’s clear that this won’t be an easy path, and it will take determined – at times even bold – decisions,” says RWA CEO Johannes Schuster. He adds: “It is especially in difficult times that the importance of reliable partners and cooperative cohesion becomes evident. Our sincere thanks go to all partners and contributors inside and outside our network for making this success possible.”
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Michael Göschelbauer also emphasizes: “With the buyback of the shares, we are sending a clear signal of responsibility for our cooperative independence. This decision was made with foresight, in the interest of RWA’s long-term stability and its strong regional foundations.”
Following the completion of the transaction, the full disentanglement from BayWa is now underway – for example, in the IT sector. This process is expected to take about two years. “At the same time, it offers a major opportunity to rethink our company and make it fit for the future. We will identify areas for growth and development, expand them strategically, and lead RWA as the umbrella organization of the Lagerhaus cooperatives with a steady hand,” Schuster explains.
RWA will remain a shareholder in BayWa – a decision intended to support the stabilization of a long-standing partner during a challenging period. “RWA has benefited from its entrepreneurial development and, in particular, its internationalization through the longstanding strategic alliance with BayWa,” Schuster affirms, stressing the continued, trust-based dialogue with BayWa.
About RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria
RWA operates as a producer, service provider, and trading company in the sectors of agriculture, technology, energy, building materials, and home & garden. As the umbrella organization of the Lagerhaus cooperatives in Austria, RWA provides them with a comprehensive range of services in these areas. In addition, RWA holds numerous investments and subsidiaries in Austria and selected Eastern European countries.