Pfanni facts for kids
Pfanni is a German company that makes food, mostly from potatoes. They are known for making "kitchen-ready" potato products. This means the food is easy to prepare at home. Pfanni is part of a bigger company called Unilever since the year 2000.
Contents
The Story of Pfanni
How Pfanni Started
Pfanni was started on September 2, 1949. A man named Werner Eckart created the company in Munich, Germany. His father, John Eckart, had already been making preserved foods since 1868.
Growing Bigger
Pfanni grew quickly. By 1964, the company made over 50 million German Marks. This amount grew to 80 million Marks by 1965. At that time, Pfanni had 1,300 workers. They used about 150,000 tonnes of potatoes every year.
Becoming Part of a Larger Family
In 1993, Pfanni was sold to a company called CPC Germany. This company later changed its name to Bestfoods Corporation. Another well-known brand, Knorr, was also part of Bestfoods. Then, in 2000, a very large company called Unilever bought Bestfoods. This is how Pfanni became part of Unilever.
Today, Unilever sells many Pfanni potato products. These include potato dumplings, dough for dumplings, mashed potatoes, and gnocchi. They also make easy-to-prepare meals called TV dinners.
What Happened to the Old Factory?
Pfanni moved its main operations to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 1996. The huge old factory in Munich’s Berg am Laim area became a famous place for fun. It was called Kunstpark Ost. It had over 30 dance clubs and many well-known nightclubs. Later, from 2003 to 2016, this party area was managed by new groups. They called it Kultfabrik.
In the same year, the Potato Museum opened on the old factory grounds. This museum teaches people about potatoes. It is supported by the Otto Eckart Foundation. Otto Eckart is the son of the Pfanni founder. He used to be the CEO and owner of Pfanni before it was sold. Now, he leads the foundation that helps the museum.
Where Pfanni Is Today
Pfanni's main office is now in Stavenhagen. They also have another factory in Cloppenburg, which is in Lower Saxony. This factory was bought from another food company. Its production later moved to Addrup.
The Pfanni Tower
In the Emstekerfeld area of Cloppenburg, there is a tall tower. It is 76 meters high and reminds people of Pfanni. The tower was built in 1963 for a different company's factory. That company stopped making products in 1965. Pfanni then took over the factory. The tower, which was used for drying food, was renamed the "Pfanni Tower." It has become a symbol of the city.
