Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Ehlert, next year marks the 100th anniversary of the company. Reason enough to look back. What were special milestones during this time?

Philipp Ehlert: My great-grandfather founded the first specialty store for butcher shops in Gütersloh in 1924. He imported natural casings, preserved them, and distributed them to local butcheries. The salt needed for preservation was the second important product in the range, later spices were added. Customer inquiries were always the driver for continuous development. After World War II, refrigeration technology emerged and through contacts with manufacturers of other tools and products, we also included tools and gloves in our assortment.

Wirtschaftsforum: Did the expansion of the product range continue?

Philipp Ehlert: Yes. By the mid-1970s, Ehlert was a full-range supplier of meats and sausages. When my father took over the management in 1980, supported by my mother, a new segment was established with disposable clothing. For the first time, in addition to standard products, we also offered customer-specific spice mixes. Various location changes accompanied the dynamic development.

Wirtschaftsforum: What do the product range and company structure look like today?

Philipp Ehlert: Hygiene protective clothing, HACCP-compliant workwear, spice mixes, packaging materials, and hand knives are the main product groups. Since 2013, we have been located in Verl with a logistics building plus production, where 96 employees work. The turnover has been steadily increased over the past years and today stands at 65 million EUR.

Wirtschaftsforum: Where do you see the company in the market with this setup?

Philipp Ehlert: Our roots are in traditional butcher's supplies. Today, there are not many pure butcher's supplies wholesalers left; in this niche, we are leaders. As a supply specialist for the food industry, we hold a unique position in terms of assortment, service, and performance. Competitors often focus only on certain sub-areas, for example, offering only cleaning products.

Wirtschaftsforum: How have the Covid crisis and the war in Ukraine influenced development?

Philipp Ehlert: Corona has greatly fueled the demand for disposable clothing. Purchase and sales prices increased significantly due to scarcity, in some cases by 300%. Our primary goal has always been to continue serving our regular customers reliably. Regarding the war and the associated energy prices, we are not affected by extreme cost increases, as the production of spice mixes is not particularly energy-intensive.

Wirtschaftsforum: Do you currently see any particular trends?

Philipp Ehlert: Food safety is an issue we have been dealing with for a long time and will continue to address in the future. New is the question of the future of food. What role will insects or in-vitro meat play? Clearly, we are two young managing directors who are open to new ideas and want to make a difference.

Wirtschaftsforum: What about innovations at Ehlert himself?

Philipp Ehlert: Product innovations occur less with us than with our suppliers. Internally, we have recently pushed a knife management tool; a digital tool to document the use of tools in production and to initiate processes like repairs or reordering.

Wirtschaftsforum: Is there a key to success beyond the professional full service?

Philipp Ehlert: It is the customer focus of a family business. Our task is to procure the things the customer really needs. Therefore, we need to listen to them, be in close exchange and put their needs at the center. Trade is change; that is the reality and we will have to adapt to it in the future as well. Our goal is to contribute to the production of high-quality food in Europe.