Stefan Voelkel finally hands over the juicer to the next generation
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After 45 years in the management of Europe's number one organic juice brand, Stefan Voelkel (67) is going into (un)retirement. Since January 1, 2026, the fourth-generation family business in Wendland has been managed solely by his sons Boris, Jacob and Jurek. Stefan Voelkel's departure from the management completes a handover process that was initiated back in 2011 with the conversion of the company into responsible ownership. At that time, the Voelkel sons waived their inheritance and the GmbH now belongs to two so-called purpose foundations. Stefan Voelkel will remain with the market leader in organic retail in an advisory capacity and in the role of chairman of the foundation.
"I couldn't imagine a better time to enter a new phase of my life," explains the new retiree. "2025 is the most successful year in the 90-year history of our company. The trees that my sons have planted in their respective areas in recent years are currently bearing strong and healthy fruit. Voelkel is doing better than ever. We are known as the locomotive of the organic sector and are driving full steam ahead on stable tracks into the future. Looking back, if there's one thing I'm really proud of, it's the fact that my mother and I have managed to pass on our passion for making juice to our four grown-up sons." Jacob Voelkel is responsible for production, technology, storage, QA & QM, Boris Voelkel for purchasing and Jurek for marketing and sales. The fourth son, David, works in the technical department.
Even though this success would probably be enough for most fathers, Stefan Voelkel can sew many more awards onto his white coat: this includes taking over the management of the company from his father Harm at the age of 20 and growing what he himself describes as a "small organic juice store" from 17 employees back then to 450 today. For 2025, the manufacturer from the north-east of Lower Saxony, with around 250 products, is once again expecting double-digit sales growth compared to the previous year. Voelkel is the largest 100% organic juice producer in Europe. In 1980, the product range still consisted mainly of apple, orange and some vegetable juices, but Stefan Voelkel's flair for trends and creativity ensured a level of innovation that is otherwise more typical of start-ups. Born in the attic of the juicery, the Pevestorf native was already experimenting with the currently extremely popular products kombucha, apple cider vinegar and smoothies in the 1980s. Stefan Voelkel was one of the first to launch organic lemonades on the market with the "BioZisch" brand. Countless innovations followed. "Don't get your hopes up," he said with a wink to the assembled workforce as he said goodbye. "I'm sure I'll come around with the occasional idea."
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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