August Storck
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Axel Oberwelland (owner) |
| Products | Sweets |
Number of employees | 6100 |
| Website | www |
August Storck KG (German pronunciation: [ˈaʊɡʊst ˈʃtoːɐ̯k]), doing business as Storck, is a German confectionery producer with headquarters in Berlin, owned by Axel Oberwelland. The main facility of Storck in Germany is in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, with another located in Skanderborg, Denmark, and one in Ohrdruf, Germany. In 2022, the company was the second largest confectionery producer in Germany in terms of sales, and number 13 in the world.[1][2]
History
[edit]Foundation 1903–1950
[edit]The company was founded in 1903 by August Storck, who later changed his name to August Oberwelland.[3] He was the owner of the Oberwellandhof in Werther (Westphalia) and opened the Werther candy factory. With only three employees, the factory supplied candy to retailers in the surrounding area. The First World War had a negative impact on development.[4]
In 1921, the management of the company was passed on to Hugo Oberwelland, the youngest son of the founder, who was ill at the time. In 1934, the "1 Pfennig Riesen" came onto the market, which according to the company was the first branded candy in Germany. By 1937, the number of employees had risen to 71, products were distributed throughout the country, and in 1938 the first branch opened in Schötmar. After the Second World War additional investments were made.[4][5]
From 11 September 1942 to 7 September 1943, Storck operated a Frauenarbeitslager (Women's labor camp) in Werther. The camp was part of the Strafgefangenenlager Oberems (Oberems prison camp).[6]
Move to Halle and introduction of brands 1950–1990
[edit]After the war, a new factory was built in neighbouring Halle (Westphalia), which was considered to be an "industrial plant in the countryside" when it was built.[7] By reforesting the area, voluntary compensatory measures were implemented, which since then has been made a requirement in planning approval procedures and development plans in Germany. The factory received a rail connection to the Haller Willem railway line. Storck bought its own tank wagons for the transport of raw materials and closed freight wagons for the transport of finished goods.[4]
In 1949, the "Storck 2 Pfennig Riesen" came onto the market. In 1950, Storck introduced a performance-related bonus for employees. In the course of the Wirtschaftswundejahren (Economic miracle), both the number of employees and the production volume increased. In 1953, exports and in 1954, chocolate production began. In 1958, Storck introduced social benefits for employees. The second generation change took place in 1971, when Klaus Oberwelland took over the management of the company. In 1975, Storck introduced a company pension plan.[4][5]
From 1962 onwards, the company developed many of its most important brands to this day within two decades with nimm2 (1962), Merci (1965), Campino (1966), Werther's Original (1969, sold in Germany until 1998 under the name Werthers Echte) and Toffifee (1973). Storck later took over the Dickmann company (1981) and developed the Knoppers brand (1983).[4][5]
Brands
[edit]These are the most well-known products and the corresponding year in which they launched:
- Bendicks
- Campino (1966)
- Château chocolate, produced for Aldi[8][9]
- Chocolat Pavot (English: Chocolate Poppy) (2003)
- Kaufrüchtchen (English: Chewy Little Fruits)
- Knoppers (1983)[10]
- Mamba
- Merci (1965)
- Merci Crocant (English: Crispy Thank You) (1994)
- Merci Petits (English: Little Thank Yous) (formerly Merci Pur)
- Milkfuls
- Minis zuckerfrei (English: Sugar-free Minis)
- Moser-Roth chocolate (1902), revived 2007 and produced exclusively for Aldi[11]
- Nimm2 (English: Take2) (1962)
- Nimm2 Lachgummi (English: Take2 Laughing Chews) (1996)
- Nimm2 soft (2005)
- Riesen (English: Giants) (1930s; chocolate-covered version, late 1980s)
- Toffifee (known in the US as Toffifay) (1973)
- Werther's Original (1969)
- Dickmann's (Schokokuss)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Umsatz der führenden Süßwarenhersteller weltweit 2022".
- ^ "Umsatz der führenden Süßwarenhersteller weltweit 2023". Statista (in German). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Süßwarenhersteller: Das bittere Nasch-Erbe von Storck-Chef Axel Oberwelland". Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Redaktion, BÖRSE ONLINE (30 July 2021). "Axel Oberwelland: Der Herr der Bonbons - der unbekannte Milliardär". www.boerse-online.de (in German). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Startseite". www.westfalen-regional.de (in German). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ Isernhinke, Karina (2015). Das Strafgefangenenlager Oberems: das nationalsozialistische Lagersystem im Gebiet des heutigen Kreises Gütersloh. Veröffentlichungen aus dem Kreisarchiv Gütersloh (1. Aufl ed.). Gütersloh: Verl. für Regionalgeschichte. ISBN 978-3-89534-893-8.
- ^ Donath, Nicole. "Storck: Hinter den Kulissen des größten Arbeitgebers in Halle". Neue Westfälische (in German). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Salmonellen: Aldi ruft Schokolade zurück". Spiegel Online. 19 December 2001. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ "Unsere Marken – CHATEAU bei ALDI Nord". www.aldi-nord.de (in German). Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Selwood, Daniel (15 August 2017). "German confectioner Storck to launch Knoppers brand in UK". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "ALDI - Milk Chocolate - Moser Roth Chocolate & Caramel Chocolate". ALDI UK. 11 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2023.