Teekanne facts for kids
| Founded | 16 July 1882, Dresden |
|---|---|
| Headquarters |
,
Germany
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Number of employees
|
1500 |
Teekanne GmbH & Co. KG is a famous German company that sells tea. It is based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The company was started by Rudolf Anders and Eugen Nissle. They were the first to sell tea in tins and create special mixed teas. They also invented the machine that makes tea bags! Today, this family-run company makes about 7.5 billion tea bags every year. That's a lot of tea!
Contents
- How Teekanne Started
- The Name Change
- A Family Business Begins
- New Tea Brands
- Tea for Soldiers
- The First Tea Bag Machine
- A New Generation Takes Over
- Rebuilding After War
- The Double Chamber Tea Bag
- Moving to Düsseldorf
- Even Faster Machines
- Growing Internationally
- Back to Its Roots
- A Famous Face for Teekanne
- A New Production Hall
- Teekanne Family of Companies
- See also
How Teekanne Started
Teekanne began its journey on July 16, 1882, in a city called Dresden. Back then, it had a different name: "R.Seelig & Hille."
The Name Change
In 1888, the company changed its name to "Theekanne." This is an old German way of spelling "Teekanne," which means "teapot." This new name was registered as a trademark. It's one of Germany's oldest trademarks that is still used today!
A Family Business Begins
In 1892, two employees, Eugen Nissle and Rudolf Anders, bought the company. They were the first to sell tea that was already mixed and packaged. Since then, the company has always been owned by the same family.
New Tea Brands
Later, in 1912, Teekanne registered two new tea brands: "Teefix" and "Pompadour."
Tea for Soldiers
During World War I, Teekanne helped out by providing soldiers and people at home with something special called "tea bombs." These were sweet portions of tea packed in small gauze bags. These handmade bags were actually the very first version of the modern tea bag we use today!
The First Tea Bag Machine
A clever employee named Adolf Rambold invented the world's first machine for packing tea bags. It was launched in 1929. This amazing machine, called the "Pompadour" machine, could make 35 gauze tea bags every minute!
A New Generation Takes Over
In 1931, the next generation of the family, Ernst Rudolf Anders and Johannes Nissle, took over the business. Sadly, Ernst Rudolf Anders was on the LZ 129 Hindenburg airship in 1937 and died during the Hindenburg accident in Lakehurst, USA.
Rebuilding After War
During the final days of World War II, Dresden and Teekanne faced tough times and suffered damage. But the company started to rebuild in 1946 in a new, smaller location in Viersen, Germany.
The Double Chamber Tea Bag
In 1948, a new company called "Teepack" was started just to make tea bags. Adolf Rambold became a co-owner. In 1949, he showed off his new, fully automatic tea bag machine called the "Constanta." This machine was super fast, making up to 160 special "double chamber" tea bags every minute! This revolutionary double chamber tea bag was a new invention and was protected by a patent.
Moving to Düsseldorf
In 1957, Teekanne moved its main offices to Düsseldorf.
Even Faster Machines
The "Constanta" machine was improved and a new version called the "Perfecta" was launched. This machine could make an incredible 400 double chamber tea bags in just one minute! These machines are now sold all over the world.
Growing Internationally
Teekanne also started to grow in other countries. In 1951, Teekanne Austria was founded in Salzburg with its own production. In 1996, it took over a popular sugar substitute brand called "Kandisin" in Vienna.
Back to Its Roots
In 1991, Teekanne returned to its original home by buying Teehaus GmbH (which used to be called VEB Kaffee und Tee) in Radebeul, near Dresden. This brought Teekanne back to where it all began!
A Famous Face for Teekanne
In 2006, the famous German tennis player Steffi Graf became the new face and ambassador for the Teekanne brand.
A New Production Hall
Sixty years after production started in Düsseldorf-Heerdt, Teekanne opened a brand new production hall in 2014. It was designed to be very efficient and was considered the most modern production hall in Europe at that time.
Teekanne Family of Companies
The Teekanne Group includes several other companies around the world:
- Teepack Spezialmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG, Düsseldorf, Germany (started in 1948)
- Teekanne Ges.m.b.H, Salzburg, Austria (started in 1951)
- Pompadour Te srl GmbH, Bolzano, Italy (started in 1964)
- Pompadour Iberica S.A, Alicante, Spain (started in 1985)
- Teehaus GmbH, Radebeul/ Dresden, Germany (started in 1991)
- Teekanne Polska, Kraków, Poland (started in 1992)
- Teekanne s.r.o., Prague, Czech Republic (started in 1994)
- Redco Foods Inc., Windsor, Connecticut, United States (started in 1995)
- Junket
- Red Rose Tea (Canada)
- Salada (United States)
See also
In Spanish: Teekanne para niños
