Eika

Eika is a German candle brand with roots going back to 1824, when Franz Berta, a merchant and master chandler from an Italian immigrant family, founded a candle-making business in Fulda under the name Berta. The company was an early industrial user of stearin and paraffin and grew into one of Europe's largest candle manufacturers, supplying all major retail chains. Over the decades it passed through family hands and corporate changes: in 1889 Max Eickenscheidt became a partner, and in 1921 the business split into Bertas Wachswarenfabrik Robert Berta and Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt AG, the latter using the Eicka brand from 1935. After being sold to the Neuss oil and fats merchant Leo Brand during the economic crisis of World War II, the brand name was simplified to Eika in 1963, and the company was run by the Brand family for three generations. By 2001 Eika was one of the three leading companies in the German candle industry, with sales of about 70 million Deutsche Mark and roughly 170 employees producing some 20,000 tonnes of wax goods annually. The product range covered around 1,000 items made from wax, paraffin and stearin, from decorative and scented candles to grave and tealights, and Eika candles carried the RAL "Gütezeichen Kerzen" quality mark. In 2007 the company researched replacing increasingly expensive paraffin with renewable raw materials such as coconut fat and palm oil, but rising vegetable raw-material prices contributed to a first insolvency in early 2008. A Swiss investor, Cukierman Rasenberger Toschek AG, acquired the business and continued production; Mark Toschek became managing director, and in 2008 the subsidiary Juwel Kerzen Ltd. & Co. KG was founded in Fulda for distribution to certain customers. Eika later employed around 160 people again and opened an online shop in October 2010. In November 2012 Eika filed for insolvency a second time, despite positive figures, after a court unexpectedly granted a former investor's demand for immediate repayment of its funds. The company was taken over on 1 April 2013 by Bolsius Deutschland GmbH of Essen, and Eika Kerzen GmbH became a wholly owned Bolsius subsidiary. The Eika plant at its original Fulda headquarters was closed on 1 April 2015 and Eika Kerzen GmbH was subsequently liquidated; production moved to Bolsius sites in the Netherlands and Poland, while the EIKA brand name continued under Bolsius. Two former Eika employees founded A & K Kerzenverkauf Fulda GmbH in October 2015, a wholesale and retail candle business with a shop that offered EIKA products, but this trading business was liquidated in 2019. Today Eika exists as a candle brand within the Bolsius Group, a company with more than 150 years of candle-making tradition that designs products in the Netherlands and manufactures in Europe. Bolsius has integrated the EIKA product programme into its portfolio, and the brand benefits from Bolsius's broader sustainability and quality positioning, including Bolsius's 2023 certification as a B Corp.

Eika was founded in 1824 in Fulda by Franz Berta (1805–1871), a merchant and master chandler from an Italian immigrant family, under the firm name Berta. It was one of the first manufacturers to use the newly discovered raw materials stearin and paraffin for industrial candle production. In 1889 Franz Emil Berta (1838–1897) took his son-in-law Max Eickenscheidt from Kray as a partner. In 1921 the firm Franz Emil Berta split into Bertas Wachswarenfabrik Robert Berta and Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt AG, the latter using the Eicka brand from 1935. During the economic crisis of World War II the company was sold to the Neuss oil and fats merchant Leo Brand, who kept the brand name but simplified its spelling to Eika in 1963. In 1959 the company was renamed Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt GmbH. For over three generations Eika was run as a family business by the Brand family. By 2001 the company, with sales of about 70 million Deutsche Mark, was one of the three leading companies in the German candle industry, producing roughly 20,000 tonnes of wax goods annually with about 170 employees. In 2007, after years of research, Eika planned to replace paraffin, which had become more expensive due to rising crude oil prices, with renewable raw materials such as coconut fat and palm oil; a new plant was to be built for this product innovation. However, prices for vegetable raw materials also rose significantly. In early 2008 Eika had to file for insolvency. A buyer was found in the Swiss investor Cukierman Rasenberger Toschek AG, which continued production. The acquisition was to be financed through a fund. Mark Toschek became the new managing director. In the interim phase the one-sided and seasonal dependence on the Christmas business was resolved. In 2008 Juwel Kerzen Ltd. & Co. KG was founded as a 100-percent subsidiary based in Fulda for the distribution of Eika products to certain customers. In the meantime Eika employed around 160 people again and opened an online shop in October 2010 as an additional sales channel. In November 2012 the company had to file for insolvency again despite positive figures, because a court surprisingly granted a former investor's demand for immediate repayment of his funds. The Gütersloh entrepreneur Robin Lohmann, or his fund ACI Real Estate, had participated in the takeover fund in 2008 with 12.7 million euros but demanded his money back after the Lehman collapse. The legal dispute continued even after the company's demise in 2015. The company was taken over on 1 April 2013 by Bolsius Deutschland GmbH of Essen. For this purpose Eika Kerzen GmbH was founded as a wholly owned Bolsius subsidiary. The Eika plant at its original headquarters in Fulda was closed on 1 April 2015 and EIKA Kerzen GmbH was subsequently liquidated. Production was relocated to Bolsius production sites in the Netherlands and Poland, and the brand name continues to be used by Bolsius. Two former Eika employees founded A & K Kerzenverkauf Fulda GmbH in October 2015 in Fulda, a wholesale and retail candle business with a shop in which they offered EIKA products. This trading business was liquidated again in 2019. The product range of EIKA Kerzen GmbH at the time comprised around 1,000 different products made of wax, paraffin and stearin, ranging from decorative and scented candles to grave and tealights. Eika candles carried the "Gütezeichen Kerzen" (quality mark for candles) of the RAL. Today the EIKA brand is part of the Bolsius Group, which has a tradition of more than 150 years of candle making, designs products in the Netherlands and manufactures in Europe, and became a certified B Corp in 2023.

• 2023

  Bolsius, owner of the EIKA brand, becomes a certified B Corp.

• 2019

  A & K Kerzenverkauf Fulda GmbH is liquidated.

• 2015

  The Eika plant in Fulda closes on 1 April; Eika Kerzen GmbH is liquidated; production moves to Bolsius sites in the Netherlands and Poland.

• 2015

  Two former Eika employees found A & K Kerzenverkauf Fulda GmbH, offering EIKA products.

• 2013

  Bolsius Deutschland GmbH takes over Eika on 1 April; Eika Kerzen GmbH becomes a wholly owned Bolsius subsidiary.

• 2012

  Eika files for insolvency a second time despite positive figures.

• 2010

  Eika opens an online shop as an additional sales channel.

• 2008

  Eika files for insolvency; Swiss investor Cukierman Rasenberger Toschek AG acquires it; Juwel Kerzen Ltd. & Co. KG is founded.

• 2007

  Eika researches replacing paraffin with renewable raw materials such as coconut fat and palm oil.

• 2001

  Eika is one of the three leading German candle companies, with about 70 million DM in sales and 170 employees.

• 1963

  The brand spelling is simplified to Eika.

• 1959

  The company is renamed Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt GmbH.

• 1935

  Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt AG begins using the Eicka brand.

• 1921

  The firm splits into Bertas Wachswarenfabrik Robert Berta and Fuldaer Wachswerke Eickenscheidt AG.

• 1889

  Max Eickenscheidt becomes a partner in Franz Emil Berta.

• 1824

  Franz Berta founds the candle business in Fulda under the name Berta.

Historic German candle brand known for quality and broad retail distribution; now part of Bolsius's European candle portfolio.

• Decorative candles

• Scented candles

• Grave candles

• Tealights

• Wax, paraffin and stearin candles

1. 1Startseite | Bolsius Consumerbolsius.de
2. 2Unsere Geschichte | Bolsius Consumerbolsius.de
3. 3Eika Kerzen – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Eika – Wikidatawikidata.org