SONNENTOR Kräuterhandelsgesellschaft mbH

SONNENTOR was founded in 1988 by Johannes Gutmann, who was only 23 years old at the time. The young entrepreneur had an unusual business idea: he wanted to market the herbal specialties of the organic farmers in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria, where he was born and grew up, nationally and internationally under the logo of the laughing sun - a medieval symbol of life and light with 24 rays that still adorns many farms today. He was therefore far ahead of the current organic trend. From the very beginning, a key feature of his idea was the extensive processing of raw materials directly on the organic farm in order to enable small farms to survive and also to be able to use the experience and care of the farmers, thereby achieving the highest level of responsibility and transparency for the consumer.

Ecology and economy - complementary partners Manual work and tradition contribute to the outstanding quality of SONNENTOR's coffee and herbal blends, and we want to keep it that way. Specialization and manual work are the most obvious and simplest countermeasures to the downward spiral of production and prices in agriculture. As a company, we assume regional responsibility for the Waldviertel and refrain from automating work steps in order to allow the farmers and residents to participate in our value chain. For SONNENTOR, fair trade starts right here at home. We currently employ around 170 people. In addition, around 150 controlled contract organic farmers from the Waldviertel and Eastern Austria as well as globally recognized and certified organic companies supply the constantly growing company.

At home in the Waldviertel, on the road worldwide But SONNENTOR Kräuterhandels GmbH is no longer only active on the Austrian market: its main sales markets include Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The organic brand products are also sold beyond the borders of Europe. The herbal tea, coffee and spice blends are also available in Canada, Japan, Bali, Australia and New Zealand. In total, SONNENTOR specialties are shipped to over 50 countries - the export share is now almost 80%. SONNENTOR has also been operating a branch in Cejkovice (Czech Republic) since 1992, in Rhegin (Romania) since 2006 and there has also been a cultivation project in Albania since 2007. Here, products are not only sold, but due to the favorable climatic conditions, herbs are also grown that would not grow in the Waldviertel. As a traditional yet innovative company, SONNENTOR manages to combine organic cultivation, fair trade and natural enjoyment.

We bear social and ecological responsibility The SONNENTOR business idea is based on the idea of preserving and utilizing the smallest farming structures that have always existed in the Waldviertel. To this day, this business model is the basis for the unbroken success of the brand. Years of consistent social and ecological commitment earned the organic professional the Austrian Climate Protection Award in the 'Agriculture and Trade' category in 2011.

Climate protection has been a matter of course from the very beginning and is firmly anchored in the company's philosophy. Whether this is practiced in the biodegradable films, the newly constructed zero-energy office and event building or in the two new photovoltaic systems - SONNENTOR relies on conscious action. Significant steps have also been taken in the right direction in the area of mobility, as an electric filling station has been available to everyone free of charge since August 2010 and two electric cars will be added to the fleet this year. This and other environmentally friendly measures are very important to us, because we want to be able to look ourselves and our next generation in the eye with a clear conscience. Our motto is to treat each other and our environment with care.

The results of our work are also reflected in many awards: 2008 TRIGOS (award for particularly responsible companies) Several times awarded the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce Innovation Prize

2010 Nestor Gold Neuland Award from ecoplus International Milestone - Dr. Erwin Pröll Future Prize Austria's Leading Companies - Lower Austria and nationwide recognized as a leading company (by PwC, KSV1870 and the WirtschaftsBlatt)

2011 Austria's Leading Companies recognized as a leading company nationwide (by PwC, KSV 1870 and the WirtschaftsBlatt) Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young Austrian Climate Protection Award in the 'Agriculture and Trade' category