From Hesse to 80 countries across the globe.
NATURAL PROD UCT BRA ND OF THE M O N T H
‘Stains exist everywhere in the world’ Many of us associate stain remover with a small, triangular bottle: the Dr. Beckmann Stain Devil. From acrylic paint to toothpaste, as specialists for all types of stains, the Dr. Beckmann Stain Devils are today available in over 80 countries across the globe. A fascinating story is behind it, however, one which starts in a Berlin pharmacy in 1934.
over 50 different items. In order to adapt his unique products to each market perfectly, Heiner Beckmann regularly travels to various different countries to check how his brand is being presented on the shelves – from the UK all the way to China.
TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE I PHOTOS: DELTA PRONATURE
Who doesn’t know of the ever-reliable brand Dr. Beckmann? The company delta pronatura, which is owner-led by Heiner Beckmann and Gerhard Krauss of the third generation, proudly stands behind it. Its origins go back to a Berlin pharmacy in 1934, which moved to Hesse after the war. Very early on, the company, with its inhouse laboratory, started to specialise in brands and products within the healthcare sector, and distributed them across Germany. The jump to laundry care happened in 1971, when the so-called ‘Offenbacher Fleckenteufel’ was acquired. The founder’s grandson, Heiner Beckmann, had dreams of the big, wide world. When he joined the company in 1974, the 14 | Issue 81 | December 2019
university-educated pharmacist was certain: “Stains exist everywhere in the world, and that’s why these special products can conquer the global market.” Initially, nobody shared his vision, but his pioneer spirit soon succeeded. The international break-through happened in 1984. The ban of phosphates in laundry products resulted in stains not being fully removed anymore. Heiner Beckmann and his colleagues thus worked at full speed on a solution, finding it in the form of Dr. Beckmann ‘Fleckensalz’ stain remover for laundry. It hit home fairly quickly, and the product turned into the international success that we know today. The product range by Dr. Beckmann has grown gradually, and today it includes
“To grasp the consumer’s product requirements and to quickly develop new formulas accordingly in our lab – that’s the competitive advantage, which our family business knows how to use,” he claims. Today, sustainability plays a major role at Beckmann and the lab is constantly looking for alternative ingredients. An elaborate process, considering neither the product’s efficiency nor consistency can be compromised. But it’s possible: for example, in the hob cleaner, the polishing agent has been replaced by ground apricot seeds. The most recent project is the transition of all product bottles to plastic that comes from recycled household waste. www.dr-beckmann.de