Better Living with a Plant-Based Diet
Interview with Stefan Cohrs and Michael Rudnick, Managing Directors of Naturawerk Gebr. Hiller GmbH & Co. KG
Since its founding in 1901, Naturawerk® has been guided by the philosophy that a plant-based, natural diet is the healthier and more sustainable way of life. As one of the first official manufacturers in the health food industry, Naturawerk® has been producing and selling meat substitute products and functional supplements since then. Today, the active, healthy, and sustainable way of life with a natural, plant-based diet has become accepted in society. Therefore, many retailers and brands now trust the longstanding expertise and quality of Naturawerk®.
As a pioneer and founding member of the health food industry in Germany, Naturawerk Gebr. Hiller GmbH & Co. KG has developed extensive expertise in the field of natural, plant-based foods over the years.
"Our continuously grown knowledge through high continuity in our special fields distinguishes us," says Managing Director Michael Rudnick. "Since our foundation, we have been developing products with the aim of supporting various functionalities in the body using natural foods. Coupled with a long-term orientation and close relationships with our customers and suppliers, we have been successful in the market for 120 years."
Nutritional Relationships
On December 28, 1901, Naturawerk was officially founded by the brothers Georg and Hans Hiller to supply the 16 health food stores in Germany that existed at the time. Georg Hiller already had a profound knowledge of nutritional relationships and was an advocate and pioneer of a healthy lifestyle.
"With this knowledge, he significantly contributed to the positive development of the reform movement," adds Managing Director Stefan Cohrs. "The best natural, unrefined raw materials were the foundation for Naturawerk's rapid success and continue to be so today." The Natura range includes vegan foods, natural and largely organic, as well as various kitchen aids from sweet to savory, ready-made and semi-prepared. This includes various ready-made mixes for quick yet healthy cooking, various seasonings, sauces, puddings and desserts, as well as alternative sweeteners, egg replacement products, or binding and gelling agents.
Naturawerk has also been developing and producing dietary supplements for many years, which are offered under the Sanatura brand. For example, the Sanatura fruit cubes have been a popular product in health food stores for decades. "Our focus in dietary supplements is on gut health," explains Stefan Cohrs. "In this area, we have developed strong know-how and manufacture with a high degree of production depth. This also enables us to continuously bring innovative products to the market. A few months ago, we launched Mifloran® Weight Control, a new dietary supplement in the field of sensible weight management. Mifloran® Weight Control has a positive effect on the entire gut environment for lasting success. The function of the gut microbiome is improved, which leads to weight reduction given some patience and time."
With the trend towards conscious and natural nutrition and the increasing number of vegans in the population, the demand for dietary supplements has also risen. This has enabled the company not only to grow with its own brands but also to receive an increasing number of private label inquiries. "We also have innovations for the Natura brand in the pipeline," says Michael Rudnick. "These include, for example, oat drinks enriched with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. The topic of functional foods has also always been part of Naturawerk's DNA."
Asserting Presence in the Market
At its peak, there were over 3,000 health food stores in Germany, but today there are just under 1,000. Meanwhile, the drugstore sector has strongly developed, and Naturawerk is represented in drugstore markets with private labels. Additionally, the number of organic specialty retailers is growing.
"Our continuous quality and reliability, as well as our flexibility toward customers and business partners, are strengths that have allowed us to assert ourselves in the market for decades," notes Stefan Cohrs. "We are proud that we have always been able to remain competitive despite our size and that our contractual partners have always remained loyal. At times, we feel like a pike in a carp pond."
Another reason for Naturawerk's sustainability is the fact that it has remained a family business to this day. Long-term development combined with high flexibility and freedom for creative solutions ensures high continuity for partners and customers, as well as for the employees. "The family is an important part of our corporate culture," explains Michael Rudnick. "We support people through all phases of life. People identify with us and can rely on us. We want this to continue in the future. Our core goals are clearly defined. The focus will primarily be on further growth. We are currently addressing the increased demands that food manufacturers face today. With plant-based nutrition as part of our philosophy, we have always contributed to sustainability. Now, it's about reducing our own CO2 footprint. Digitalization is another issue. We also see potential for optimization in how we present ourselves externally, and we are making progress step by step."