Targeting the niche market

Volker Borngräber*

Wolfgang Augel**

With over 80 different products Haus Rabenhorst in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate offers an extraordinarily wide range of fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, and non-alcoholic specialty beverages. A further plus is that the company doesn’t use concentrates but only NFC juice, much of which is organic. Yet another unique selling proposition is that Haus Rabenhorst exclusively targets the niche market. Classic orange, apple, and multivitamin juice can be found in the portfolio but are not its main focus, this being a whole host of specialties that include elderberry nectar, wheatgrass cocktail, freshly squeezed pomegranate, goji, and mulberry juices, and Hokkaido squash mix, the majority of which are filled into glass bottles. Variety is also the order of the day when it comes to the glass bottles themselves, these ranging in size from 125 ml to 750 ml. Dr Axel Ruttkat, the plant manager at Haus Rabenhorst, says, “The main aspect with all of our products is that we provide excellent quality. In order to do so we make sure that we use top-quality ingredients and processing systems, take the aspect of sustainability into account on all levels, and utilize the best technical equipment.” It thus comes as no surprise to learn that Haus Rabenhorst has worked in partnership with KHS for several decades. "We’re extremely satisfied with KHS technology,” smiles Dr Ruttkat. “This is demonstrated among other things by our most recent investment in KHS recooling and pasteurizing equipment, which with its gentle, sustainable, and flexible mode of operation leaves absolutely nothing to be desired."

One of the first producers of grape juice worldwide

Nobody could have imagined when Haus Rabenhorst was founded that it would one day become a producer of rather unusual fruit juices, nectars, and mixed juice beverages. The company started out as a winery in 1805. The turn in its history was brought about by the development of pasteurizing technology which meant that non-alcoholic ‘wine’ kept longer. In 1898 Haus Rabenhorst was one of the first companies in the world to start producing grape juice with its Rabenhorst brand. Its product range was gradually extended to include fruit juices and nectars which contained pure juice from fruit grown in Germany, such as blackcurrant and cherry nectar. 

*  Manager, Regional Center North Europe, KHS GmbH, Dortmund, Germany. Phone: +49 231 569 1669

** Sales, Germany, KHS GmbH, Dortmund, Germany. Phone: +49 231 569 1635

Focus on health

Today the Rabenhorst brand is the main pillar of Haus Rabenhorst’s brand range with the widest assortment of products. The biggest seller is and always has been the company’s pioneering red grape juice, Roter Rabenhorster. Rabenhorst Vitesse products are also of considerable importance, with seven varieties of juice geared towards the health of the consumer. There is a Vitesse beverage for nerves and muscles, one for concentration, another for the immune system, and yet others for healthy bones, healthy cells, healthy blood vessels, and a healthy heart. Dr Ruttkat explains. “Our Rabenhorst Vitesse products successfully combine the aspects of health and enjoyment. Indeed, with all of our products we adopt the philosophy of either making them both healthy and pleasant to drink, or specifically market them in the health beverage bracket.” For example, our freshly squeezed Rabenhorst juice range focuses solely on the aspect of health. The most popular beverages in this segment are pure cranberry, pomegranate, and aronia juice. Says Dr Ruttkat, "Pure cranberry juice is difficult to drink due to its high acid content. However, this doesn’t bother the consumer as it is extremely effective. Studies prove that if you drink pure cranberry juice as a tonic for a urinary tract infection for six to eight weeks at our recommended rate of 75 ml a day, the success rate is about 60%.” Incidentally, at 800 metric tons per annum Haus Rabenhorst is currently the largest processor of cranberries in Europe. This again underlines the great expertise consumers believe the company to have in the health beverage segment. 

Focus on the rarer fruits

The Rabenhorst brand range is supplemented by a line of vegetable juices and a number of fruit juices and nectars.  “We also sell classic orange and apple juice – among others – as part of our fruit juice and nectar line,” explains Dr Ruttkat. “However, we treat these as must haves, attaching far greater importance in this area to the rarer fruits such as the blueberry or blackberry.”

Three key brands

In addition to the Rabenhorst brand developed when the industrial production of non-alcoholic beverages was still in its infancy Haus Rabenhorst has two other key brands. Whereas the focus is undoubtedly on the Rabenhorst and Rotbäckchen range in the beverage segment, in food production Drei Pauly takes top priority. Rotbäckchen and Rabenhorst alone account for about 80% of the company’s total sales today.

Rotbäckchen boosts sales by 800% in just five years

To again cite Dr Ruttkat: “If you look at the history of Haus Rabenhorst, the development of the Rotbäckchen brand in 1952 was surely one of its greatest milestones.” In launching the “rosy cheeks” brand Haus Rabenhorst introduced a product for children to the market whose key message is kids' health combined with a good dose of tender loving care. For many years the only product in the range was Rotbäckchen Klassik, a beverage comprising several different fruit juices enriched with iron then only sold in health food stores and pharmacies. In 2008 Rotbäckchen opened up new distribution channels by being sold through organic food and drugstores, and food retailers. Parallel to broadening its sales horizons the Rotbäckchen range was also carefully and successively extended. The classic juice is now also available in versions for a robust immune system (Immunstark), strong bones (Knochenstark), school learners (Lernstark), calm and strength (Ruhe und Kraft), and as a spritzer. States Dr Ruttkat, “In extending the product line and channels of distribution we've trod just the right path. This is demonstrated by an enormous growth in sales, which in the last five years was over 800% for Rotbäckchen alone.” Another success factor is the new brand strategy which goes hand in hand with stronger advertising campaigns. This has led to a significant increase in the product’s popularity, with the fair-haired girl with her blue headscarf and rosy cheeks on the Rotbäckchen label currently recognized by over 80% of the German population. 

Highest demands made of raw ingredients, with 70% organic

It's interesting to note that only fruit grown organically is used in the production of Rotbäckchen. This principle has been in force at Haus Rabenhorst since 1969 – long before the introduction of official organic regulations. At present the amount of organic produce used is approximately 70%. “We always ensure that our raw ingredients are of the best quality,” explains Dr Ruttkat, “applying demanding standards that usually considerably beat current statutes. For instance, the law states that the maximum amount of radioactivity per kilogram of raw materials must not exceed 600 Becquerel. We, however, only use raw ingredients whose Becquerel level per kilogram is below 20. Long-standing partnerships with our suppliers enable us to meet quality demands as high as these.”

No end of awards

These high quality demands are manifested in the company’s many awards. The multivitamin juice brand 11 plus 11 gelb, for example, was proclaimed test winner at the beginning of 2012 by the consumer magazine Stiftung Warentest. In the past five years Haus Rabenhorst was presented with the German prize of honor by the DLG or German Agricultural Society four times as the best producer of fruit juices in Rhineland-Palatinate. Just recently Rotbäckchen won the 2012 brand award – and in 2010 the company was given Rhineland-Palatinate’s environmental prize for its sustainable methods of economy. Dr Ruttkat is pleased. “Each and every one of our many awards shows us that we’re on the right track – and that because of this our team must never become complacent and slacken off.”

One of the 15 best-selling fruit juice producers in Germany

Steadily increasing sales figures also demonstrate that the company’s product portfolio is just as good as its sales channels and marketing activities. The health food store is still its chief sales outlet, yet sales figures in pharmacies, drugstores, and food retailers are also constantly on the rise. “While various other fruit juice companies are having to cope with falling sales, in the past few years in particular ours have steeply and permanently risen,” smiles Dr Ruttkat. “Since 2008 our turnover has dynamically grown to 30 million euros, making us one of the 15 best-selling fruit juice producers in Germany.”

Exports also extremely successful

A steady growth in exports, too, illustrates that top quality is also rewarded outside Germany. The company is active with its premium products in over 20 countries, the most successful places in Europe for brands by Haus Rabenhorst being Slovenia, Hungary, Great Britain, and Switzerland. Beyond Europe the present focus is primarily directed towards the markets of Asia, with activities here starting over 20 years ago in Hong Kong. At the moment there are plans afoot to extend the distribution area within Asia. “We aim to build up our exports considerably in the coming years,” claims Dr Ruttkat. “We’re also generally aiming for growth rates that go into top single or low double figures in the next few years.” 

Top machine and line quality all part of the process

This means that the company’s machine and line technology has to be suitably prepared to meet these targets. Egon Roos, Haus Rabenhorst’s plant engineering manager, says, “We focus on intelligent, technically sophisticated systems which are extremely flexible and future proof while meeting our demands for a sustainable concept. Our new KHS recooling and pasteurizing technology satisfies these requirements in all respects.” 

One recooler for two lines

The Innopas PIISC primarily used as a recooler is currently connected up to a filling line for 0.7 and 0.75-liter bottles. With a capacity of 20,000 bottles per hour it’s the company’s highest performer, as products filled into 0.7 and 0.75-liter bottles account for most of Haus Rabenhorst’s sales. Plans for next year envisage the Innopas PIISC being used to recool and pasteurize several smaller glass bottle variants holding 0.125, 0.33, 0.45, and 0.5 liters, for example, alongside the aforementioned bottle sizes. These freshly filled ‘little’ bottles will be fed to the Innopas PIISC from a second line straight after the filling process, to which the containers will return after being recooled and pasteurized. Once these plans have been implemented, the Innopas PIISC will then also replace a second outdated machine. “This will have a further positive effect on our energy and water consumption,  and on the ease of operation and our maintenance costs,” predicts Roos.

Process reliability right from the start

The Innopas PIISC is a machine that has been assembled from the KHS module system according to Haus Rabenhorst's exact specifications. As early as at the project stage KHS simulated the recooling and pasteurizing process for each individual product in conjunction with the glass bottle used, supplying precise calculations. In doing so it was important to take the various viscosities of the individual beverages into full account. All of the values calculated were then rechecked when the machine went into operation. A regular control of the defaults by temperature sensors now ensures total reliability during operation. 

Very fast installation

Dr Ruttkat again speaks. “The extraordinary range of products produced at Haus Rabenhorst alone means that it makes extremely specific demands of its technical systems. We see KHS as a partner who perfectly caters for our specific needs at all times and who always has the best interests of our company at heart." The project was implemented extremely fast during annual company shutdown. Says Roos, “We were able to start running our large bottle line at full capacity as soon as we resumed production.” 

KHS machines in the Innopas SC series that can be used as pasteurizers and recoolers are designed so that the individual components fit into one container. This not only reduces transportation costs and shortens shipping times;  preassembled modules also facilitate the setup of each machine at the beverage plant and ensure that installation is a speedy process. 

Optimized heat and water balance

In the Innopas SC concept high process quality is a given thanks to faultless in-circuit spraying during recooling and/or pasteurization, among other features. KHS clamp nozzles, which are given extra stability through anti-twist protection, produce a very precise spraying pattern. An overlap of the water sprays between the individual recooler and pasteurizer heating zones is thus largely avoided. This optimizes the heat balance within the machine, thereby considerably reducing the consumption of fresh water. 

Another process benefit is that the tank volume on each Innopas SC is adapted to suit the task on hand. By specifically adjusting the tank volume to suit the requirements of the individual company only the amount of water needed for each recooling and pasteurizing process is circulated. Roos explains. “All told, we’re talking about a 20% saving in energy and fresh water compared to the previous setup which results solely from connecting the Innopas PIISC up to our large bottle line.”

Suitable for both recooling and pasteurization

At the time of writing the Innopas PIISC in operation at Haus Rabenhorst is almost exclusively used as a recooler. Pasteurization only takes place downstream of the spritzer filling process which at present has a low sales share. Says Dr Ruttkat, “What’s most important to us is that we’re prepared for all future eventualities with the Innopas PIISC.”

Double-deck design for maximum flexibility

The fact that the Innopas PIISC is designed as a double-deck machine ensures that it is extremely flexible in its utilization. The Innopas SC concept enables vertical separation on different decks. If required, products can be easily changed over using automatic program settings, with information on bottle or product changes on the filler immediately forwarded to the Innopas PIISC. When the last bottle in a batch enters the machine, where products are separated on one level a gap is automatically created between the old and new product, so that the process changeover takes place without recooling or pasteurization being interrupted. 

Conveying technology also extremely satisfactory

When investing in the new recooling and pasteurizing concept the conveyors between the filler, Innopas PIISC, and labeler were also replaced. “Thanks to our new conveyor technology and its innovative control concept we've reduced noise emissions on our glass bottle line considerably and at the same time boosted the bottle throughput on the line,” Roos proclaims. Dr Ruttkat adds, “The clear conclusion regarding our new technical system is that as usual we’re extremely satisfied with KHS’ performance.”

Regular maintenance, KHS spare parts, and specific upgrades extend the machine service life

This satisfaction is also partly ensured by that fact that the KHS systems in use at Haus Rabenhorst have a particularly long service life. The filling system on the large bottle line, for instance, is one of the first glass bottle hot filling systems manufactured by KHS. It has been in operation since the start of the 1990s, with regular servicing by KHS engineers and the use of KHS spare parts specifically helping to extend the filler’s service life. Just recently the machinery was upgraded to include the latest in control technology, securing the unlimited availability of spare parts for the coming years. Operational reliability is also further improved, as is the ease of operation; in addition, operators have access to more information on the filling processes than has been the case to date. Says Roos, “KHS also provided us with all kinds of advice prior to deciding whether to upgrade our filling system or not. We finally reached the decision here together that an upgrade was well worth it for the high filling quality.”

The aim: to be a leader in quality and innovation

Equipped with technology from KHS Haus Rabenhorst aims to continue its success story. This success is also largely rooted in the fact that employees strongly identify with ‘their’ company, according to Dr Ruttkat. “Our horizontal hierarchies especially give us great flexibility,” he says. “For instance, we recently managed to develop and market a seasonal product within just two weeks.” This speed successfully complements the company’s policy of targeting niche market, providing quality, and acting sustainably, helping Haus Rabenhorst to meet its aim of future success and leadership in both quality and innovation.