Graf Metternich-Quellen Karl Schöttker KG

Graf Metternich-Quellen Karl Schöttker KG is a German mid-sized company in the mineral water and beverage industry, based in Vinsebeck, a district of the town of Steinheim in the Höxter district of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a regional producer that sells its products within a radius of roughly 100 kilometres, covering the regions of Ostwestfalen-Lippe, the Weserbergland and southern Lower Saxony. A defining feature of the company is that its waters are bottled and distributed exclusively in reusable glass bottles. The business traces its origins to 1904, when the Vinsebeck landowner Fritz Graf Wolff-Metternich developed the previously economically unused artesian springs and erected a first production site. The first commercial bottlings followed a year later, in 1905. After the count's death in 1927, his nephew Reichsgraf Wolfgang Wolff-Metternich took over the management of the company, which also included the count's agricultural estate at Vinsebeck Castle. Seeking to spin off the operation, Metternich leased it in 1930 to the Lemgo spirits producer Karl Schöttker GmbH & Co. KG, represented by its owner Karl Schöttker. Schöttker founded a GmbH together with three further investors from Lemgo and invested in the operational infrastructure, renewing production technology and spring catchments. In 1939 Schöttker took over sole management of the company, as the co-shareholders were unwilling to support further investments, and he therefore paid out their shares. The administrative headquarters was located in Lemgo, while the well operation traded under the official name "Reichsgräflich Wolff-Metternich'sche Mineralquellen, Vinsebeck Karl Schöttker, Lemgo in Lippe". In the 1950s the company invested in its first fully automatic bottling line. In 1967 the lease agreements between Wolff-Metternich and Karl Schöttker KG were renegotiated and extended. Schöttker subsequently invested in the construction of a new operating building with new bottling facilities, and also relocated the company headquarters from Lemgo to the then still independent municipality of Vinsebeck, today a district of the town of Steinheim. The GmbH was converted into a KG, and Karl Schöttker withdrew personally from management in order to concentrate on the Lemgo operation and the wholesale business. In 1997 Sofia, the wife of Karl Schöttker, died. As a result, Karl Schöttker withdrew as a limited partner from the company, so that the capital shares and the company had to be reorganised. Andreas Schöttker joined the company and took over the shares of Karl and Sofia Schöttker. The product range includes mineral waters under the Graf Metternich, Graf Metternich Varus-Quelle, Vinsebecker, Delta and Graf Metternich Finest brands, as well as flavoured beverages such as Graf Metternich Orange, Zitrone, ACE, Cola Mix, Cola, Apfelsaftschorle and Sport Power Drink, wellness drinks such as Holunderblüte and Aloe Vera, and the Leicht&Fit line in Orange, Zitrone, Orange-Maracuja and Grapefruit. The company's website also lists fruit spritzers, fruit drinks, sports drinks, cola drinks, the Metterna sport power drink, the Tukan cola mix, the SCHUB energy drink in 0.5-litre format, and the Vinsebecker Delta range. The company presents itself as a regional, family-run mineral water producer with a focus on natural clarity and reusable glass packaging.

The company was originally founded in 1904 by the Vinsebeck landowner Fritz Graf Wolff-Metternich, who developed the previously economically unused artesian springs and erected a first production site. The first commercial bottlings took place a year later, in 1905. After the count's death in 1927, his nephew Reichsgraf Wolfgang Wolff-Metternich took over the management of the company, which also included the count's agricultural estate at Vinsebeck Castle. Metternich sought to spin off the operation and leased it in 1930 to the Lemgo spirits producer Karl Schöttker GmbH & Co. KG, represented by its owner Karl Schöttker. Schöttker founded a GmbH together with three further investors from Lemgo and invested in the operational infrastructure; he renewed the production technology and spring catchments. In 1939 Schöttker took over sole management of the company, as the co-shareholders were unwilling to support further investments, and he therefore paid out their shares. The administrative headquarters was located in Lemgo, while the well operation traded under the official name "Reichsgräflich Wolff-Metternich'sche Mineralquellen, Vinsebeck Karl Schöttker, Lemgo in Lippe". In the 1950s the company invested in its first fully automatic bottling line. In 1967 the lease agreements between Wolff-Metternich and Karl Schöttker KG were renegotiated and extended. Schöttker subsequently invested in the construction of a new operating building with new bottling facilities, and also relocated the company headquarters from Lemgo to the then still independent municipality of Vinsebeck, today a district of the town of Steinheim. The GmbH was converted into a KG, and Karl Schöttker withdrew personally from management in order to concentrate on the Lemgo operation and the wholesale business. In 1997 Sofia, the wife of Karl Schöttker, died. As a result, Karl Schöttker withdrew as a limited partner from the company, so that the capital shares and the company had to be reorganised. Andreas Schöttker joined the company and took over the shares of Karl and Sofia Schöttker. The company is a regional producer that sells its products within a radius of roughly 100 kilometres in the regions of Ostwestfalen-Lippe, the Weserbergland and southern Lower Saxony. Its waters are bottled and distributed exclusively in reusable glass bottles.

• 1997

  Death of Sofia Schöttker; Karl Schöttker withdraws as limited partner; Andreas Schöttker joins and takes over shares.

• 1967

  Lease agreements renegotiated and extended; new operating building with new bottling facilities; headquarters relocated from Lemgo to Vinsebeck; GmbH converted into KG.

• 1950

  Investment in the first fully automatic bottling line (1950s).

• 1939

  Karl Schöttker takes over sole management, paying out co-shareholders.

• 1930

  Leased to Karl Schöttker GmbH & Co. KG; Karl Schöttker founds a GmbH with three investors and invests in infrastructure.

• 1927

  After the founder's death, his nephew Wolfgang Wolff-Metternich takes over management.

• 1905

  First commercial bottlings.

• 1904

  Founded by Fritz Graf Wolff-Metternich in Vinsebeck; artesian springs developed and first production site erected.

Regional, family-run mineral water and beverage producer focusing on natural clarity and reusable glass bottles.

• Graf Metternich mineral water

  Available as Classic, Medium and Naturell.

• Graf Metternich Varus-Quelle

  Available as Classic, Medium and Naturell.

• Vinsebecker

  Quelle Medium and Sprudel Classic.

• Delta

  Brunnen Classic and Quelle Medium.

• Graf Metternich Finest

  Available as Classic, Medium and Naturell.

• Graf Metternich flavoured drinks

  Orange, Zitrone, ACE, Cola Mix, Cola, Apfelsaftschorle, Sport Power Drink.

• Graf Metternich Wellness

  Holunderblüte and Aloe Vera.

• Graf Metternich Leicht&Fit

  Orange, Zitrone, Orange-Maracuja, Grapefruit.

• Metterna sport power drink

  Sport power drink.

• Tukan cola mix

  Cola mix.

• SCHUB energy drink

  Energy drink in 0.5-litre format.

1. 1Graf Metternich - Mineralwasser aus Steinheim - Vinsebeck – Natürlich glasklarer Genuss.graf-metternich-quellen.de
2. 2Graf Metternich-Quellen Karl Schöttker KGwikidata.org
3. 3Graf Metternich-Quellende.wikipedia.org