History
Over 120 years of existence and over 600 crew members
65+
Countries
27.000+
Satisfied customers
600+
Crew members
20+
Certificates
8
Locations
120 years
Existence
The Hela success story begins on May 13, 1905 in Hamburg Barmbek. The young Otto Hermann Laue, a merchant in Hamburg, takes over the limited partnership Carl H. Rose & Co. The 1879 born the son of a farmer from Schafau in Prussia, already begins to 1893 as an apprentice to Carl Heinrich Rose in the store at Bachstrasse 155, where he learns the trade in medicinal herbs and chemicals from scratch.
1906 He changes the company name to Hermann Laue, or Hela for short. The young entrepreneur states that the purpose of the company is to trade in spices.
1928 Hermann Laue moves the company headquarters to Kampstraße in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel district.
Spices and spice salts for the butcher's store are produced and traded in the new premises. The new location is an excellent strategic choice, as it is in the immediate vicinity of the Hamburg abattoir.
During the war years 1939-1945 the spice trade is severely restricted. However, Hermann Laue continues to sell in his store on a small scale during this time.
1946 Hermann Laue starts producing blended spices again.
Sons Dr. Kurt Laue and Rudolf Laue join the company. 1949 joined his father's business and with a great deal of innovative spirit, foresight and Hamburg business acumen, the company continued to develop.
The name Hela becomes a brand. The company focuses on the sale of spice blends for meat and sausage production. However, customers from the catering industry also begin to appreciate the outstanding quality of Hermann Laue's spices.
After the death of his father in 1954 his sons divide the management between them. Rudolf Laue is responsible for purchasing and sales. His brother Kurt takes over the commercial management.
In the year 1963 the famous Hela spiced ketchup hits German supermarket shelves for the first time. It remains an absolute cult classic to this day - in private kitchens, at barbecues and in restaurants.
1972 The foundation stone is laid for a new building in the Schanzenviertel. One year later, the new building is put into operation.
Beginning of the 70s The steady internationalization of the company begins in the following years. Today, Hela is represented by subsidiaries in Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada, Australia, China, Chile, Brazil and the Netherlands.
At the same time, under the leadership of Martha Laue, the wife of company owner Dr. Kurt Laue, product development is constantly expanded and the development of market innovations, such as coated spices and seasoning oils, is driven forward.
When his brother Rudolf Laue dies, Kurt Laue is the sole chairman of the company for several years.
1983 Kurt Laue dies and his son Björn Laue takes over the management of the company. He further expands the internationalization and market penetration of the company.
In order to create capacity for the strong growth, the 1989 The relocation of the company headquarters from Hamburg city center to the current location in Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein.
In the year 2008 the ultra-modern Hela Technikum is created as a new innovation center and the heart of product development.
2010 Björn Laue's eldest son Alexander Laue joins the company. Since 2013 he is Managing Director of the Hela International division. He thus heralds the transition of the company from the third to the fourth generation of the family.
In 2018 two additional production and storage halls with a total area of 1,810 square meters are built at the Ahrensburg site.
2019 Hela presents itself across all sales channels with a fresh, modernized brand image.
With a new, dynamic brand logo, the international brand claim "Your taste. Our Mission" and a packaging relaunch for the entire range, which also guarantees modernity and high brand recognition. The communication and corporate design also undergo a significant redesign.
In 2019 Hela is also named top brand in the ketchup category for the fifth time by Lebensmittel Zeitung, which honors the 100 most successful brands in the food trade every year.
In the year 2022 a significant milestone in the company's history was reached: the launch of our webshop.
After more than 100 years as a pure B2B company, we ventured into the B2C sector. This step not only marks an expansion of our sales channels, but also a new era of customer proximity and digital innovation.
In the year 2024 Hela reached another milestone as part of the "Hela 2025" program. The modernization and expansion of the existing plant structure was successfully driven forward. A central element is the new logistics center at the Ahrensburg site, which increases the efficiency of logistics processes and improves shipping performance in order to meet market requirements.
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