Lambertz Group
From a regional supplier to an international bakery groupThe first phase for Lambertz started on 5th September 1688.
Lambertz was given the licence to set up a bakery at Aachen market. In a similar way to the speed of technical progress, Lambertz' product range has changed more radically over the past 20 years than the previous 300 years.
Lambertz has developed from a small niche supplier to one of the leading German manufacturers of long-life bakery products.
Since 1978, when Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker took over the company at the age of 27, Lambertz' revenue has risen from DM 16 million to €500 million.
This growth has been generated by our efforts in a market in which large international groups also operate. In this sense, we have the advantage of the fine reputation of the Lambertz traditional brand and the company's innovative power.
Lambertz now records over 50% of its turnover from items that were not in the range in 1997. A key strategic decision was entering the market for dominoes in 1978, which launched the specialisation in “Printe”. Previously Lambertz was simply a manufacturer of “Printen” and these were seasonal items. Henry Lambertz invented the herb “Printe” in 1820. The first bakery product in Germany to be covered in chocolate, the chocolate “Printe”, was also developed by our company.
With revenue of DM 16 million (around €8.2 million) we invested DM 6 million (around €3.1 million) in a new domino system. At that time, there were many suppliers in this market but no real brands. Lambertz jumped into this gap.
Since then, sales have risen from a few hundred tonnes (1978) to over 800 tonnes (2004).
Dominoes were key to expanding the autumn/Christmas range. Other specialities were added over time: filled hearts, hearts/stars/pretzels, nut waffles, cinnamon stars and butter almond biscuits.
For the 300th anniversary in 1988, the Lambertz brand – now THE manufacturer of West German gingerbread – had completed its seasonal range. But expanding the distribution basis was key to increasing revenue, and we succeeded in maintaining the brand's premium image.
