"Well-being for the whole family!"
Interview with Stefan Schwarz, CEO of Dr. Niedermaier Pharma GmbH
Dietary supplements have been a booming market for years. Quality, composition, and, as with all dietary supplements, good bioavailability of the ingredients are essential. We spoke with CEO Stefan Schwarz about a revolutionary patent and a company with visions.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Schwarz, next year Dr. Niedermaier GmbH celebrates its 85th company anniversary. How did the company start back then and where does it stand today?
Stefan Schwarz: The founder Dr. Hans Niedermaier was a pharmacist and started off – I almost want to say quite 'classically' – with the production of a cardiac tonic. However, his real passion was the field of digestion: He researched intensively on this subject and more or less accidentally discovered the principle of cascade fermentation. This is a multi-stage fermentation process that breaks down food in such a way that the body can optimally absorb and utilize it. The manufacturing process was patented by his daughter Cordula, and over the years she has built a very successful company with a variety of products based on this principle. Eight years ago, we moved to our very modern administrative and production site here in Hohenbrunn – another important milestone in further enhancing the quality of our production processes.
With another location in Switzerland, we are now active and known beyond the borders of Germany; we sell our products all over the world.
Wirtschaftsforum: Last year, Dr. Niedermaier GmbH completed the transition from a family-owned to a management-run company. What changes has this step brought about?
Stefan Schwarz: With Ufenau Capital Partners from Switzerland, we now have a strong strategic investor in the background. This does not change our corporate culture and our claim to care for people's health with our products, but we now have completely different possibilities: Ufenau pursues a buy-and-build strategy, meaning it buys medium-sized companies or smaller family businesses to expand their product portfolio and possibly also generate synergies within the group, for example, when it comes to cross-selling. In this context, we have recently acquired another corporate group in the dietary supplement sector, the Sinoplasan Group. Located near Stuttgart, they are very strong in the production of dietary supplements in capsule form and certified according to IFS. Here, we see great synergy potential for the future.
Wirtschaftsforum: You yourself have been on board since June 2023. Originally, you come from the financial sector – where do you want to take the company, what are your goals for the coming period?
Stefan Schwarz: Synergy, strategy, finances, corporate growth – these are indeed my topics. We now need to consider: Where do we come from and where do we want to go? Cascade fermentation is what we've grown with. We have two different patents with our liquids and the plan is to focus on our existing product portfolio based on our strengths and to further expand them. Very important for me and the entire company group is the topic of research and development. Our patents are real milestones in this context, as we have been far ahead of our time with them. Fermented products are currently experiencing a hype and other manufacturers are just starting to enter this field, while we have been involved with it for a long time and recognized early on that food can be broken down by microorganisms and enzymes. In our Regulat essence, this happens in several stages with the particularly effective and patented cascade fermentation. We need to build on this. Especially important for the development of new products, besides the new resources now available to us, are strategic partnerships, including with universities, which we want to drive forward even more in the future. For the coming year, we plan to launch two to three new products.
Wirtschaftsforum: What kind of products are you thinking of in particular?
Stefan Schwarz: Top of our to-do list is health prevention for the whole family. We are currently working on a kind of ‘Family Drink’, into which we will incorporate our fermented product and with which from children to grandparents the whole family should be optimally provided for. Furthermore, we are researching, in collaboration with universities, products to enhance quality of life and are also dealing with the trend of longevity in this context.
Wirtschaftsforum: What personally appeals to you about your work?
Stefan Schwarz: On the one hand, I find our products and their effects incredibly fascinating. On the other hand, it appeals to me that I can employ my personal interests and skills for the company. Strategically healthy growth is my goal.