Hero Group facts for kids
| Private | |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Founder | Gustav Henckell Gustav Zeiler |
| Headquarters | Lenzburg (Aargau), Switzerland |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
Dr Arend Oetker (Honorary Chairman), Dr Hasso Kaempfe (Chairman of the Board of Directors), Rob Versloot (CEO) |
| Products | Baby & Toddler Food, Baby & Toddler Milk, Jams, Healthy Snacks |
| Revenue |  CHF 1.26 billion (2015) |
|
Number of employees
|
4,300 (2015) |
The Hero Group is a big food company from Switzerland. It's a private company, meaning its shares aren't traded on a public stock market. Hero makes and sells many popular foods like baby formula, baby food, jams, and healthy snacks. In 2015, the company earned over 1.26 billion Swiss Francs and had 4,300 employees worldwide.
Contents
About the Hero Group
In 1995, Dr. Arend Oetker bought most of Hero's shares. He decided to focus the company on selling well-known brands. Any parts of the business that didn't fit this plan were sold off. At the same time, Hero started to grow and expand into many new countries.
Today, Hero makes products in its main food categories. The company mostly operates in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Central Asia.
Hero Group History
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How Hero Started (1886-1910)
Hero began in 1886. Two friends, Gustav Henckell and Gustav Zeiler, started a company called Henckell & Zeiler, Conservenfabrik Lenzburg. Their goal was to process fruits and vegetables. Henckell knew a lot about making preserves, and Zeiler was a fruit farmer.
In 1889, Gustav Zeiler sadly passed away. Carl Roth joined the company as a full partner. The company's name changed to Henckell & Roth.
The "Hero" brand name was first used in 1910. It came from the first two letters of the partners' names: Henckell and Roth. The name also sounded like the letters H, R, and O, which looked like the shape of tin cans.
Growing the Business (1910-1939)
Between 1910 and 1939, Hero grew a lot. They set up or bought five companies in Switzerland. Their products also became popular in other countries. Hero opened companies in the Netherlands in 1914 and Spain in 1922.
By 1922, Hero made 31 different kinds of preserves. These ranged from small 500-gram jars to very large 55-kilogram wooden tubs. In 1914, Hero's shares were sold on the stock exchange. This was also the year Carl Roth passed away.
World War II and New Products (1940-1945)
During World War II, it was hard to get supplies. Hero encouraged Swiss families to wash and return empty containers so they could be used again. Sugar was also hard to find. Because of this, Hero created a new preserve with less sugar and more fruit. This became one of their most popular brands, called Hero Delicia. This special jam has 60% fruit.
In early 1942, Gustav Henckell, one of the founders, passed away.
Post-War Success and Expansion (1946-1994)
After the war, Hero launched many new products that are still popular today. These "Hero Classics" include:
- Tinned ravioli (1948)
- Fruit juices (1963)
- Rösti (1968)
In 1949, Hero also started a company in Brazil. Hero expanded its baby food business. They launched Hero Baby in Spain in 1985. They also bought companies in Germany and France in 1990.
In 1986, Hero celebrated its 100th birthday! As part of the celebration, the company bought a preserve factory in the Netherlands.
New Ownership and Global Growth (1995-2014)
In 1995, a German company called Schwartau International GmbH bought most of Hero. This company was owned by Dr. Arend Oetker. A year later, Hero started a joint company with McCormick in North America to make food decoration products. Hero also sold off some parts of its business that didn't fit its new focus.
In 2002, Hero bought most of Schwartau. In 2003, Hero stopped selling its shares on the Swiss Stock Exchange. Hero grew into Turkey and the Middle East by buying an Egyptian jam company called Vitrac. They also started a joint company with Ülker Group to make baby food in Turkey.
Hero also entered the Swiss baby food market by buying the Adapta and Galactina brands. They expanded into Eastern Europe by buying the Sunar brand in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 2005, Hero bought the Beech-Nut baby food business in the United States. They also set up a big research center for baby food in Spain.
In 2006, Hero bought Semper, a top baby food maker in Scandinavia. A year later, they added the Friso brand (now Hero Baby) to their baby food products. Hero also bought the Juvela gluten-free business in the UK, which helped them grow in healthy food products. Hero expanded into Russia and started selling organic baby food in the UK by buying Organix. They also entered the Belgian market.
In 2009, a new baby food factory opened in Turkey. In 2010, Hero started making products at its new Beech-Nut baby food factory in the US. In 2014, Hero took full ownership of its business in Turkey. All products there are now sold under the Hero Baby brand.
Modern Hero (2011-Present)
In 2011, Hero Group finished building its new main office and factory in Lenzburg, Switzerland. This was just in time for the company's 125th anniversary. Before this, their offices and factories were right next to the Lenzburg train station.
In 2012, Rob Versloot from the Netherlands became the new CEO of the Hero Group.
In December 2015, Hero Group started a new joint company with Kiviks Marquand. This company makes Queensberry jams, which are very popular in Brazil.
