From
startup
to global
player.
Our company history is full of fascinating stories on the long road from start-up to global player. Full of ups and downs, ingredients and additives, ideas and visions, courageous and sometimes risky steps. Here we would like to thank all the many people inside and outside our company family, without whose trust, efforts and creativity this story would never have been possible.
1981
Getting into the fat business with Berg+Schmidt.
True to the ancient wisdom of not putting all your eggs in one basket, Volkmar Wywiol tried to expand his product portfolio through shares in smaller companies. He became a shareholder in fat dealer Berg+Schmidt, whose owner he knew from previous business relationships. Just five years later he took over the company.
1988
Getting started in the enzyme business. With more courage than knowledge.
The Stern-Wywiol now had revenues of about DM 20 million (€ 10 mill.). An old business friend, chemist Dr. Helmut Uhlig, brought the promising possibilities of enzymes to Volkmar Wywiol’s attention. He had heard the word before, and immediately grasped the opportunity. The founding of SternEnzym was a daring step for someone as clueless on the subject as he was, but he had the professional assistance of an expert. Today enzymes are core building blocks for the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe.
1990
Do it right, do it yourself! The acquisition of Mühlenchemie.
Enzyme mixing takes a special compounding technique, and the existing contract manufacturer had quality issues. The entrepreneurial spirit is “Do it yourself!” A good tip, a couple of glasses of wine and personal contacts led to the purchase of Mühlenchemie. This small pioneer in enzymes and flour treatment for mills, headquartered in Frankfurt at the time, is today a subsidiary of our Group and the world market leader. Every year we improve more than 100 million tonnes of flour.
1995
Hydrosol? Hydrocolloid? We’re in!
A former colleague offered Volkmar Wywiol shares in his company. The small Hydrosol company specialised in hydrocolloidal functional systems. Volkmar Wywiol got curious. A purchase price was quickly agreed on – and so the Group added another small company with less than a million in revenues. Again the difficult beginnings with new products in new markets. Russia, as an unknown export market, was the next exciting challenge. Today Hydrosol is one of the world’s leading vendors of solutions for stabilising and texturing dairy, deli, meat and fish products.
1999
We build the compounding plant of the future: STERNMAID.
The little Ahrensburg production site was bursting at the seams of its rented space. In Wittenburg in northern Germany we built the compounding plant of the future, that went into operation in 1999 as an autonomous unit. It manufactures powdered ingredient compounds and functional systems for our own companies, and for third parties as a contract manufacturer.
It started small with seven employees, of whom two were trainees. Today the company has over 350 employees in two operating units, working in shifts, and specialises in compounding, granulating, coating and packaging food ingredients and nutritional supplements.
2003
DeutscheBack conquers the world.
It was our miller customers who got us started extending our customer solutions to the final ready-to-bake product. We founded DeutscheBack as a partner for the bread and baked goods industry, and it quickly grew into a specialist company of worldwide importance.
2004
SternLife and HERZA, and the protein bar.
With the merger of HERZA Schokolade in Norderstedt, specialist for chocolate pieces, and SternLife, functional foods developer, two different cultures clashed and enriched each other. Their entry into the booming protein bar market was a masterful performance. Alongside the traditional chocolate pieces for muesli and ice cream, the plant set up a modern production line for bars, which SternLife markets.
Today more than 100 million bars leave the plant every year, and more production capacity is on the way.
Today more than 100 million bars leave the plant every year, and more production capacity is on the way.
2006
Vitamins promote growth: Founding of SternVitamin.
Mühlenchemie’s portfolio had long included the fortification of flour with important vitamins and other micronutrients. But customers in other categories were also asking for vitamins, so it made sense to set up SternVitamin as a specialist company, with its own applications technology and experts to serve that demand. In a world dominated by big, established vitamin suppliers, SternVitamin was soon able to thrive as an independent, flexible specialist company with custom solutions.
2010
The perfect final touch: OlbrichtArom.
Customers expect an ingredients group to offer full service with comprehensive consulting and refined formulations. Flavourings are the cherry on top, for turning good foods into great products. With the acquisition of the small but expert OlbrichtArom company, we entered the very individual business of flavouring development and consulting.
2020
Premiere for the Plant Based Pioneers: Planteneers is founded.
Hydrosol had its first successes with plant-based meat and dairy alternatives in 2013. Six years later it was decided to give the steadily growing business with plant-based foods its own brand. Since then, with the vegan alternatives we develop in our “Plant Based Competence Center” we are among the pioneers. Our quality is top-notch, with well-known veggie burgers like Beyond Meat and Impossible Food. In 2021 we presented the world’s first digital product configurator for plant-based alternatives.