A Strategic Co-Packing-Partner for Complex Formulations
Interview with Günter Spiekermann, Head of Sales and Marketing
In addition to producing its own milk-based mixed drinks for the German market, Münsterland J. Lülf GmbH has, as part of its comprehensive restructuring process, successfully positioned itself as a strong co-packing partner for other beverage companies across Europe and the rest of the world. In his interview with European Business, Head of Sales and Marketing Günter Spiekermann explained which trailblazing partnerships have emerged along the way.
European Business: After more than 120 years in the market, Münsterländische Margarine-Werke J. Lülf GmbH had to file for bankruptcy in 2017– a process that ultimately led to the formation of today’s Münsterland J. Lülf GmbH. How has the company repositioned itself since then?
Günter Spiekermann: We quickly understood that the market for our standard brand was largely saturated. So if we wanted to become successful again and return to a stable growth trajectory, we had to refocus on our company’s core capabilities in an intensely competitive market environment. Luckily, we could rely on the extensive know-how we had built up in beverage processing – particularly milk-based drinks under sterile conditions. It became obvious to us that, with this depth of expertise, our modern production facilities, and our in-house pilot and R&D department, we could be an ideal partner for other beverage companies looking to leverage our resources and knowledge. Today, more than 80% of our business is in co-packing, with the vast majority of products destined for export markets from the UK and Spain to Israel and the Arab world.
European Business: What kind of market position are you aiming for?
Günter Spiekermann: Without fail, we strive for an exceptionally high level of service – we constantly look for solutions, not problems. At the same time, we are able to handle complex formulations and are highly scalable. We can bring customized products onto the line starting at volumes of just 10,000 liters, while also achieving throughputs of up to 60,000 liters per day. This allows us to grow consistently alongside our customers. We work with start-ups as well as with global corporations. It is not uncommon for young companies to approach us when they are ready to take the next step in scaling their operations – often because their existing co-packing partner has reached their natural limits at that point.
European Business: What role does knowledge transfer between you and your partners play in this process?
Günter Spiekermann: Even when we are faced with exceptionally demanding requirements, our answer is almost never, “That won’t work.” As long as something is physically feasible, we find a way to implement it in a targeted and effective manner. Currently for example, sugar tax legislation poses a major challenge for many of our customers. For us, however, it is essentially no problem to adapt a product’s formulation in such a way that its flavor profile remains unchanged while fully complying with the new legal requirements. Naturally, our company also benefits from such close collaborations. One of our customers is based in the UK, where new trends often emerge well ahead of the rest of Europe – giving us valuable early insights into future market developments.
European Business: How important is sustainability for you, your customers, and end consumers?
Günter Spiekermann: Once our company had reached solid ground again after the bankruptcy proceedings were over, sustainability moved to the very top of our agenda. Today, we work with Clean Labels, are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, and also hold Fairtrade certification. Naturally, our production processes remain energy-intensive – we require large amounts of water, steam, and high temperatures. That said, we invest more than 1 million EUR per year into the production as well as energy efficiency of our facilities. Another key pillar of our sustainability strategy is our packaging expertise, which is unique in Europe.
European Business: What is it that sets your capabilities apart in this regard?
Günter Spiekermann: In addition to milk-based beverages in glass bottles and aluminum cans, we are the only manufacturer in Europe that can fill milk products on an industrial basis in specific aluminium bottles, where even the cap is made almost entirely of aluminium. One of our British customers already uses this solution – we fill around 10 million units per year for them. Thanks to a closed recycling loop, this approach delivers particularly strong sustainability benefits. There is no downcycling involved; instead, with a recycled content of over 70%, the collected containers can be directly turned into new aluminum cans and bottles.
European Business: What’s ahead in the coming years?
Günter Spiekermann: In June 2025, our company was acquired by Kerga Group, an Ireland based Food & Beverage investor. We are very excited to work with an experienced partner to realize our ambitious future plans together.
In recent years, we have already achieved impressive growth – expanding from approximately 40 employees immediately after we had to declare bankruptcy to almost 80 staff today. The people who work for us are our most important asset, not least because our know-how-driven USP is at the heart of everything we do. Together with our partners, we continuously develop new products and are driven by our ambition to act as an innovative workbench ahead of the competition. What excites us most is growing alongside our partners. One of our customers is among the leading players in the UK iced coffee market; another is the number two coffee brand in the Nordic countries. As for ourselves, we have worked our way up from the amateur leagues – and now we’re knocking on the door of the Premier League, ready to take on the Champions League in no time.