It all started with honey cake
This was a consumer favourite back in the 1830s and 1840s. The delicious honey cake made by the master baker Heinrich Coppenrath junior not only appealed greatly to those with a sweet tooth in his native Emsland in Lower Saxony, it also found its way onto the tea tables of various high ranking and royal families. But that was not the end of the story; thanks to their skill, hard work and spirit of enterprise, the Coppenrath family extended their range of products and managed to find customers for their popular confections throughout the whole country. And what started as a small rural bake house developed into a successful major bakery business.
Today, the quality of Coppenrath products is appreciated worldwide. The company managed by Andreas Coppenrath, representing the sixth generation of the Coppenrath family, now employs 300 personnel who make sure that up to 120 tonnes of our baked goods are ready for delivery every day.
History is our tradition
Corporate philosophy
The baking of fine pastry runs in the family of the Coppenraths. For already six generations we have devoted ourselves to the baking and confectionist trade, to the fabrication of the finest baking delicacies. In the course of nearly two centuries, we have not only acquired a certain measure of experience but also of responsibility.
Responsibility for the quality of our products, which are made by utilizing all of our expertise, good recipes and choice ingredients. Responsibility for the satisfaction of our trading partners and customers, who can rely on our technology and logistics. And responsibility for the well-being of our employees, who take on the daily task of making sure we measure up to our reputation.
Today, we are delivering our fine pastries worldwide. Yet, we never forget our roots. To be actively and wholeheartedly involved, to honor the old and, at the same time, dare to try the new – is our conviction and characterizes us as a family business; it sets us apart from many anonymous large-scale corporations. And I can give you my personal word of honor on this.
Andreas Coppenrath
Coppenrath family bakery: our guiding principles
Coppenrath has been run by one and the same family since 1825. We prepare all sorts of seasonal and classic baked goods at our production site located in Groß-Hesepe in Saxony. What particularly characterise us are our flexibility, our policy of customer proximity and our aspiration to make products of the very highest quality.
We may be a medium-sized enterprise but working in accordance with our motto – ‘Preserve the past but dare to be new’ – we have managed to build up a large-sized reputation in the marketplace. The standards we apply to all our business activities are:
satisfaction of all employees
meeting the wishes and needs of the consumers and customers
delivering first-rate product quality
The environmentally friendly and energy efficient production of our pastries
Our employees play an essential role in the success of our business. The following principles should, therefore, be a guideline for all employees so we can secure our future success together.
- Employees = our most valuable capital
- Leadership = the key to success
- The success of our customers = our success
- First-rate quality = securing the future
- Environmental protection = a challenge for everyone
- Willingness for change = securing the future
Our employees deserve the highest appreciation. Our company expects and promotes peak performances from our staff. This requires a willingness to perform, taking joy in active and thoughtful participation and in making decisions. Every decision process must be open for better arguments. Good cooperation, personal contact and team spirit are vital for the fulfillment of our tasks. Our dealing with each other is open, direct and familiar. Our thoughts and actions are characterized by our effort to be honest and truthful.
Good work and performance depend on the reciprocal flow of information. Only an informed employee sees the full picture and is able to make right decisions.
The people in leadership have a special responsibility. People who lead others must already have learned to lead themselves. Clear goals for the company and for the employees are required to work successfully.
Leading means: being an example, kindling enthusiasm, taking an interest in the needs of employees, clearing a space for ideas and one’s own decisions but also being open for criticism.
Leading also incorporates: creating trust, promoting an identification with the work and developing a sense of self-worth in the employee. Accomplishments should be acknowledged, mistakes discussed as a group and not “dramatized”.
The wishes of customers and the needs of consumers are important to us. The success of our company depends upon meeting these demands. For this reason we believe good consultation and perfect service is important. Only personal contact with our customers helps us recognize their wishes and lets us establish a relationship that is based on a partnership and founded on mutual trust and honesty. Our demeanor should be pleasant and friendly. Everyone dealing with our company should sense the positive spirit within our company.
First-rate quality of our products is one of the decisive factors for our company’s success and secures our competitiveness for the future. Therefore, quality in all areas is a requirement since quality in our work ensures quality in our products.
Quality means much more than meeting existing demands; it means an alert and conscious state of mind during work and improving one’s own performance. The person who works well will also be satisfied with his or her performance.
Everyone is called to align their knowledge and behavior accordingly. Feasible plans are implemented immediately, and the aspect of environmental protection has priority for long-term decisions. This requires future-oriented thinking.
We want to try everything in our power to create a clean and healthy work environment.
In order to secure our future and preserve our employment, we are willing to take new and courageous paths. Companies that do not react to changes in our society and in our markets will not endure. We do not wait for success, we search for it. Everyone must be willing to learn and change. Only the person who keeps a clear view of what is important and essential for the job, who keeps eyes and ears open for other employees and colleagues, will be successful and gain a sense of well-being.
