Gelita Group gets unity in name

28/06/05 The renaming of Deutsche Gelatine-Fabriken Stoess AG (DGF STOESS AG) to GELITA AG has now been completed. This change of name was decided at the Shareholders' Meeting on April 28, 2005 and is now effective, subsequent to having been published in the commercial register.

This was in fact the final step in a process started in 2002 to develop a Global Corporate Identity and to reposition the company, which has been producing quality gelatine under the name GELITA for over 70 years.

The manufacturer of gelatine and collagen hydrolysate, whose roots go back to the year 1875, has achieved world market leadership in its core business of gelatine through growth and acquisition. Since 2002, all of its subsidiary companies throughout the world have been operating under the name GELITA, hence presenting a uniform front to customers and suppliers alike. Although the change will mean that an established and traditional name will disappear after some 130 years, the advantages provided by the new form on international markets and the accompanying simplification of procedures outweigh this by far.

Over the past business year, the company has been able to maintain and consolidate its position as world market leader in gelatine, with about 27% market share, in spite of having to deal with difficult market conditions. An increase in sales of 3.2 % over the previous year was achieved although the profit situation remained unsatisfactory.

According to company spokesman Michael Teppner, competition has increased considerably over the past year. In Europe in particular, the expansion of the EU to include a number of East European countries had considerable effect on the raw materials supply situation, with consequent dramatic increases in price. Regulations imposed by individual countries also caused distortion of the competitive situation and made it all the more difficult for the company to adapt appropriately to market development.

For the current year, GELITA Group expects to increase turnover and keep profits. According to Michael Teppner, the major goal of the company will be to substantially increase the inherent value of the brand name GELITA and to make it the hallmark for quality gelatine throughout the world.