MartinBauer

Expertise and passion for botanical products

Since 1930 we have tailored our botanical products to the product application needs of our customers from the global tea, beverage and food industries.

All our products reflect our passion and love for nature and come from responsibly sourced, high-quality botanicals that are processed using rigorous certified methods.

> 20

With more than 20 manufacturing sites and sales units worldwide, we keep our finger on the pulse of our local markets and trends.

> 90

We have more than 90 years of experience in herbal products. Each of our products is infused with that expertise.

> 2.300

More than 2,300 employees worldwide — many of them with decades of experience — work at MartinBauer to maintain your competitive edge.

> 600

We generate a consolidated turnover of more than € 600 million.  

Ninety years ago Martin Bauer sowed a visionary seed. Thanks to the passion for business and love of nature of Martin Bauer and his descendants, in the meantime that seed has grown into a group of companies with around 3,800 employees.

Bauer's original idea has motivated us to work with our customers and suppliers to inspire people all over the world by providing the best products from nature's garden.

We look back with pride and gratitude – and we look forward with a calm head and a stout heart.

It comes naturally

On the occasion of our 90th anniversary, paper and textile artist Sabine Neubauer presents It comes naturally, an exhibition that takes visitors on a special journey of discovery. Neubauer explores the history of the family business, its precious natural products, and its principles of quality and sustainability. “I feel a connection to the company’s founding father Martin Bauer, with whom I share a love and respect for nature,” says Neubauer. “He was passionate about the essence of plants; I have a passionate interest in plant fibers and how they can be transformed into something new.”

 

MartinBauer and his love of herbs

 

Martin Bauer discovered his passion for hunting and collecting wild herbs at an early age. A farmer’s son, he was dabbling in herbs in the Bavarian hinterland, when he came up with the idea of turning his passion into a source of income. Riding his bicycle, he delivered his first batches of wild herbs to pharmacies, drugstores, hospitals and health food shops. He soon started growing his own herbs in his fields.
In 1930, at the age of 28, Martin Bauer built an herb processing plant, which later turned into a multinational enterprise. Soon he not only grew herbs, but also started to buy and reprocess them.

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Martin Bauer became strongly invested in the quality of his products.

Since business success had outgrown the labor supplied by the family, the company started using a tobacco-cutting machine in the 1930s.

In the 1950s, Martin Bauer’s son-in-law Hans Wedel joined the company, ushering in its expansion. Herbal and fruit infusions became the company’s core products. Later on, the product range was expanded to include medicinal teas and mixtures.

In the 1960s, the company grew rapidly thanks to a special fine-cutting method for tea in bags. The modern cutting system turned out 10 tons of fine herbs every day, enough for filling five million tea bags. The company had come a long way from the early days when the family members laboriously cut small batches by hand.

Even at a ripe old age, the ever modest Martin Bauer lent a helping hand in his company.
His passion lives on in his descendants, adding more chapters to the modern fairy tale of an unassuming youngster-turned-global-entrepreneur.

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Our global sites

We operate more than 20 manufacturing sites and sales units around the world.

Subsequent company milestones

  • 1980

    Extracts

    1980 – Plantextrakt is launched. The company specializes in making extracts for food products

    1986 – Birkenweg is acquired. The company specializes in making phytopharmaceutical extracts

  • 1993

    PhytoLab

    1993 – PhytoLab is formed as a spinoff from the MartinBauer laboratory

  • 1994

    Eastern Europe

    1994 – A Polish company is privatized and subsequently renamed Phytopharm Kleka

    1994 – The Russian company Krasnogorskleksredstva is privatized (deconsolidated in 2022)

    1997 – All Central and Eastern European activities related to development, manufacture and pharmaceutical distribution of herbal medicinal products are grouped in the Europlant Group division

    2011 – The Ukrainian company Liktravy is acquired

  • 1996

    North America

    1996 – MartinBauer USA is launched

    2008 – Kentea USA is acquired

    2019 – BI Nutraceuticals USA is acquired

    2020 – Core Botanica USA is acquired

  • 1998

    Europe/Middle East

    1998 – The Paul Müggenburg group is acquired

    1998 – MartinBauer Alveslohe becomes an important site for botanicals

    1998 – Plantafarm Spain becomes an important site for the Group

    1999 – The Italian company D. Ulrich, founded in 1854, is acquired and subsequently renamed MartinBauer Italy

    2004 – MartinBauer Turkey is launched

    2019 – MartinBauer Croatia is launched

  • 2010

    Asia

    2010 – A joint venture is formed with Chinese tea producer ShanShan Tea. In 2014, a majority stake is acquired in the JV, subsequently renamed MartinBauer Plant Extracts

    2013 – MartinBauer China is launched

    2017 – MartinBauer Japan is launched

    2018 – MartinBauer Hayleys, Sri Lanka is acquired

  • 2013

    Latin America

    2013 – MartinBauer Brazil is launched

    2016 – MartinBauer Argentina is launched

    2017 – A stake is acquired in the Brazilian company São Mateus

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