A Story worth telling
The roots of the H. Heydt private corn schnapps distillery lie in agriculture, farming and forestry. These activities provided a living for Heinrich Heydt and his family. In the village of Haselünne, with its population in those days of 1,800 inhabitants, Heinrich Heydt was a man of standing and member of the local citizens’ committee.
He managed to combine the hereditary skills of a farmer with the commercial instincts of a modern entrepreneur. He was a man of his time – daring and progressive with a creative streak and an eagerness to build something new but designed to last. The year was 1860.
It was at that time that Heinrich Heydt and his cousin Reinert Heydt decided to set up a distillery. After the premature death of his cousin, Heinrich Heydt founded his own distillery in 1860.
This was the starting point of the family firm that was to become an important business organisation.
The products of this small distillery, which also produced yeast, were initially sold in the local area only. But Heinrich Heydt’s restless commercial instincts and strict approach to quality ensured that the products would soon reach a wider circle of customers.
But Heinrich Heydt did not let the rapid growth of this company go to his head. As a result, he was not affected by the frantic boom that took place just after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, or the slump – and innumerable bankruptcies – that came straight afterwards. The agricultural activities that formed the basis of the distillery's success were not affected, but went on to become a coordinated part of operations. Corn schnapps formed the basis of the distillery's production. Everything that fell by the wayside during the conversion process was returned to the agricultural cycle:the distillery residues, the non-volatile components in the grain - such as fats and protein among other things – and the so-called wash all served as exceptional feed for livestock.
In order to safeguard the firm as a legal entity for the second generation, it was registered as a publicly-listed trading company in 1893.
The year 1894 marked the arrival of the railway in Haselünne, with the completion of the Meppen to Haselünne line. Heinrich Heydt was quick to recognize the advantages offered by this means of transport. It was now possible to transport all the raw materials (grain, coal, barrels, bottles, etc.) to the production plant in a highly cost-efficient way. The railway thus proved to be a business-promoting and profitable means of transport, ideal for moving people, goods and livestock alike.
When Heinrich Heydt died in 1896, his sons Lambert, Franz and Reinhard inherited a healthy business ripe for further development. As a basis for further expansion of the company, its distilling licence – which depended on the amount of farmland owned by the firm – had to be extended. This entailed the purchase of both uncultivated land and working farmland.
The circle of customers continued to grow. The spirits and liqueurs made by the H. Heydt Company began to reach the surrounding areas of Meppen, Lingen, Aschendorf and Hümmling, along with the earldom of Bentheim. The ever-widening network of roads and railways only reached the Emsland region in an irregular and patchy way, however, meaning that many customers still had to rely on slow transport by horse and cart.
He managed to combine the hereditary skills of a farmer with the commercial instincts of a modern entrepreneur. He was a man of his time – daring and progressive with a creative streak and an eagerness to build something new but designed to last. The year was 1860.
It was at that time that Heinrich Heydt and his cousin Reinert Heydt decided to set up a distillery. After the premature death of his cousin, Heinrich Heydt founded his own distillery in 1860.
This was the starting point of the family firm that was to become an important business organisation.
The products of this small distillery, which also produced yeast, were initially sold in the local area only. But Heinrich Heydt’s restless commercial instincts and strict approach to quality ensured that the products would soon reach a wider circle of customers.
But Heinrich Heydt did not let the rapid growth of this company go to his head. As a result, he was not affected by the frantic boom that took place just after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, or the slump – and innumerable bankruptcies – that came straight afterwards. The agricultural activities that formed the basis of the distillery's success were not affected, but went on to become a coordinated part of operations. Corn schnapps formed the basis of the distillery's production. Everything that fell by the wayside during the conversion process was returned to the agricultural cycle:the distillery residues, the non-volatile components in the grain - such as fats and protein among other things – and the so-called wash all served as exceptional feed for livestock.
In order to safeguard the firm as a legal entity for the second generation, it was registered as a publicly-listed trading company in 1893.
The year 1894 marked the arrival of the railway in Haselünne, with the completion of the Meppen to Haselünne line. Heinrich Heydt was quick to recognize the advantages offered by this means of transport. It was now possible to transport all the raw materials (grain, coal, barrels, bottles, etc.) to the production plant in a highly cost-efficient way. The railway thus proved to be a business-promoting and profitable means of transport, ideal for moving people, goods and livestock alike.
When Heinrich Heydt died in 1896, his sons Lambert, Franz and Reinhard inherited a healthy business ripe for further development. As a basis for further expansion of the company, its distilling licence – which depended on the amount of farmland owned by the firm – had to be extended. This entailed the purchase of both uncultivated land and working farmland.
The circle of customers continued to grow. The spirits and liqueurs made by the H. Heydt Company began to reach the surrounding areas of Meppen, Lingen, Aschendorf and Hümmling, along with the earldom of Bentheim. The ever-widening network of roads and railways only reached the Emsland region in an irregular and patchy way, however, meaning that many customers still had to rely on slow transport by horse and cart.
This process of organic growth was rudely interrupted by the First World War of 1914-18 and the subsequent total collapse of the German currency. Currency stabilization in November 1923 brought back some semblance of order, but the resulting pressure on the economy and lack of monetary supply made themselves felt on the H. Heydt Company. The firm’s new chairman Hubert Heydt was thus faced with a difficult task as he took control. The slowly-improving transport network allowed the company to cultivate closer contacts with its customers, while ensuring faster deliveries. The company bought its first delivery truck in 1924, making H. Heydt the first firm in Haselünne to transport its goods in this way. The vehicle fleet was soon expanded. Motorization considerably enlarged the company’s clientele, bringing such areas as Oldenburger Münsterland, Bremen and, particularly, Osnabrück within range. “Alter Heydt”, “HKT” and other Heydt brands were already a guarantee of consistent quality.
This was confirmed by numerous exhibitions in Bremen, Osnabrück, Lingen and Nordhorn, along with the corresponding gold medals, diplomas and certificates. Development came to an abrupt halt with the Second World War. Requisition of the vehicle fleet was followed by further interference in the company’s operations. The remains of the firm’s assets were then further diminished by the post-war misery, occupation and currency devaluation that followed. But the owners’ entrepreneurial spirit was still intact. Recovery after currency reform was difficult, as the company lacked the required plant equipment. All available assets were mobilized in the service of the company, with an ex-army truck to provide transport. All effort was expended on the rebuilding and expansion of the production plant. The post-war period and rate of development were not comparable to the period before 1939. Motorization and automation began to play a role.
At the same time, the market for liqueurs and spirits finally began to awake from its enforced torpor, with a steady growth in demand for these products. A period marked by the presence on the market of low-quality, illegally-distilled hooch gave way to discriminating consumers with a renewed taste for quality. The long-trusted HKT range of herbal and digestive liqueurs was joined by the new “Alter Kurfürst” brand, which soon found its own public, and the firm's workforce grew from year to year. The company’s available floorspace became too small, giving rise to an urgent need for a new production plant and administration building.
Hubert Heydt was now being run by its fourth generation of managers. The existing range of spirits was steadily matched more closely to the desires of the firm's customers, with the addition of new products. Recent years have seen the acquisition of several attractive brands of spirits, a move designed to form a basis for the successful further development of the company in the future. As Hubert Heydt puts it:
”There’s still a lot to be done!”
This was confirmed by numerous exhibitions in Bremen, Osnabrück, Lingen and Nordhorn, along with the corresponding gold medals, diplomas and certificates. Development came to an abrupt halt with the Second World War. Requisition of the vehicle fleet was followed by further interference in the company’s operations. The remains of the firm’s assets were then further diminished by the post-war misery, occupation and currency devaluation that followed. But the owners’ entrepreneurial spirit was still intact. Recovery after currency reform was difficult, as the company lacked the required plant equipment. All available assets were mobilized in the service of the company, with an ex-army truck to provide transport. All effort was expended on the rebuilding and expansion of the production plant. The post-war period and rate of development were not comparable to the period before 1939. Motorization and automation began to play a role.
At the same time, the market for liqueurs and spirits finally began to awake from its enforced torpor, with a steady growth in demand for these products. A period marked by the presence on the market of low-quality, illegally-distilled hooch gave way to discriminating consumers with a renewed taste for quality. The long-trusted HKT range of herbal and digestive liqueurs was joined by the new “Alter Kurfürst” brand, which soon found its own public, and the firm's workforce grew from year to year. The company’s available floorspace became too small, giving rise to an urgent need for a new production plant and administration building.
Hubert Heydt was now being run by its fourth generation of managers. The existing range of spirits was steadily matched more closely to the desires of the firm's customers, with the addition of new products. Recent years have seen the acquisition of several attractive brands of spirits, a move designed to form a basis for the successful further development of the company in the future. As Hubert Heydt puts it:
”There’s still a lot to be done!”