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Over 100 Years

Today, our business is moulded fibre packaging for eggs and fruit, but that is not where we began. The following selection of milestones describes the journey of a company founded a century ago by three very innovative brothers.

In the course of over 100 years, Hartmann has grown from a small supplier of machinery for making paper bags to an international supplier of moulded fibre packaging and a long line of retail and consumer marketing services. From an early point in time, Hartmann was a leader in promoting sustainability in its packaging products as well as in its manufacturing and business processes.

However, innovation has always been the driving force with Hartmann, pioneering most of the attractive and protective egg carton designs we are used to seeing in supermarkets today. The innovative streak came from the creative mind and engineering skills of Carl Hartmann.

Here are some examples of his projects that attained lesser importance than the ones that led to the Hartmann we know today.

• In 1918, he developed the Trio motorbike with an automatic gear shift. That really rocked!

• In 1931 he invented the milk carton. OK, perhaps not a carton, more like a paper bag.

• A year later he developed a system for automatic packaging of butter. Look, no sticky fingers!

• In 1948, he designed a machine to separate egg whites from yolks. Not used by proper cooks, though. They do it with one hand! These remarkable feats and our over one hundred years of history mean a lot to us. Nevertheless, the future we share with you means even more.

1917

Brødrene Hartmann A/S (Hartmann Brothers) was founded by three brothers – Carl, Louis and Gunnar Hartmann. Based on their father’s paper bag machinery factory in Lyngby near Copenhagen, Denmark, this modest company was the start of a century of innovation.

The packing machinery developed by Carl laid the foundation of what we know today as Hartmann technology. It also laid the foundation for the practical and sustainable packaging for sensitive products that remain the heart and soul of the company today.

1922

The real interest in the new company focuses on the machinery needed to make paper bags rather than the bags themselves.

Five years after its incorporation, the company was exporting machinery to other countries in Europe, Africa and South America.


 

1929
By now, the drive to innovate had spread from machinery for making paper bags to complete plants for liquid packaging as well as filling and packing equipment. World patents spawned the spirit for internationalisation with HERMETON and SATONA cartons based on paper.
1937

Carl Hartmann, the inventor, innovator and engineer, was constantly playing with new ideas. His ability to see new opportunities before anyone else led to the sale of the HERMETON and SATONA businesses, replacing them with something completely new – the opportunity of being the first to produce moulded pulp packaging in Europe. The idea arose when Carl Hartmann met an American who was carrying a moulded fibre tray under his arm. He was looking for a European company that could make egg trays under licence. In 1937, production was initiated based on Carl’s patented much improved machinery.

In 1937, Hartmann moved to new and bigger locations in Lyngby.

 

1946
After the end of World War 2, Hartmann established its first international subsidiary in England, the Hartmann Fibre Company, in order to manufacture and sell egg packaging.

1962

The Scandinavian Packaging Company built a new warehouse in the town of Tønder close to the German border and the E45 motorway to Germany and Europe.

The warehouse under construction.

The warehouse under construction.

The warehouse under construction.

The warehouse under construction.

1965

In 1965, the first egg packaging made from 100% waste paper was manufactured. After use, the packaging could be recycled to save raw materials, reduce carbon emissions, and mitigate the increasing problem of waste disposal. Our customers have been using moulded fibre packaging made from grey pulp from 100% waste paper since 1965.

1966


The warehouse was supplemented by a brand-new production facility in Tønder.

1973
Production finally relocates from the Copenhagen area in the east of Denmark to the town of Tønder in southern Jutland close to the German border.

The factory is the largest and most modern factory in Europe for the production of egg trays and other moulded fibre products.

At the same time, an innovative after-pressed egg carton with room for 10 eggs sees the light of day in Tønder.

1976

Sustainability is about more than recyclable paper. In 1976, Hartmann is one of the first companies to install a biological water treatment plant as part of its commitment to health and the environment. The new water treatment plant spawns numerous sustainability initiatives in the following years.

1980

It is decided to merge the Scandinavian Packaging Company with Brødrene Hartmann A/S with the latter serving as the corporate name.

1984

The innovative Plus Pack® egg carton for four, six, ten and twelve eggs is introduced with a novel appearance targeting consumers who are looking for a rural appearance signalling farm freshness.

1992
Hartmann acquires a factory in Hungary.

1994

Hartmann is awarded an ISO 9000 certification for its quality management system. This is followed two years later by an ISO 14001 environmental management certification.

Hartmann is committed to ensure continuous compliance with international quality and environment management standards. Today, all Hartmann production sites in Europe are certified in accordance with the ISO quality management and environmental management standards.

 

1998

Hartmann is the first to introduce labelled egg boxes. This is big news in the egg industry, bringing a new opportunity to attract consumers at the point of sale. The label is adhered to the top, front and rear side of the egg box, enabling egg producers to brand their eggs and target consumers in an entirely new way.

1999
Hartmann acquires factories in Koprivnica, Croatia, and in Netanya, Israel.

Koprivnica, Croatia

Netanya, Israel

2002

A new production plant is established in Brantford, Ontario (Canada)
2003

The imagic® egg carton brings new Hartmann magic to the market with an unprecedented high shelf visibility. Striking colours, three different sizes and an emotional design with high-quality graphics make an immediate impression in supermarkets around the world.

Hartmann joins the United Nations Global Compact in the same year in the belief that a flourishing society and economy fundamentally require respect for human rights under the rule of law. In short, business cannot thrive in societies that fail.

Hartmann is committed to integrating the Global Compact and its principles in its strategy, culture and daily business operations, and to annual reporting about its progress and advocating Global Compact initiatives.

2007
Hartman signs the "Caring for Climate" agreement that endeavours to help prevent a climate change crisis by mobilising a critical mass of business leaders to implement and recommend climate change solutions and policies.
2012

2012 brings even more magic from Hartmann with the introduction of the imagic2® egg carton. The innovative shape and smooth surface of this revolutionary egg carton, together with an innovative closing mechanism and even greater visual appeal, quickly become a favourite among egg producers marketing premium egg brands.

2015

Hartmann is named National Champion in the prestigious European Business Awards category "Environmental and Corporate Sustainability".

The award is given for excellence, best practice and innovation in responsible use of resources and FSC® certification, climate strategy with carbon dioxide targets and energy reductions, carbon-neutral products for customers, a social responsibility initiative and safety.

2015-2016

Hartmann acquires Sanovo Greenpack with four factories in Argentina and Brazil. The leader in the moulded fibre packaging sector in Brazil and Argentina, Sanovo Greenpack offers best in class, high quality moulded fibre egg packaging with a wide choice of cartons and trays.  The company also offers a wide range of best-in-class, coloured fruit trays for apples, melons and other fruits. In 2016, construction of two new factories was completed – one in Argentina and the other in Brazil.

2017
2017 sees the commissioning of a new factory in Rolla, Missouri, USA. The facility will provide production capacity in addition to the Brantford facility in Ontario, Canada, and also increase distribution efficiencies. The over 300,000 sq. m. facility produces moulded fibre eco-friendly egg cartons from recycled newspaper sourced from the Midwest and distributes the products nationally. In 2020 the facility began its second significant expansion to supply a greater variety of egg cartons.

2020 -2021

2020 is with no doubt one that goes down in history as an extraordinary year. Hartmann invests in even better global production. And what an impressive list of investments: a brand-new plant in Brazil, significant capacity expansions at plants in Europe, and a huge rollout in the US.

Not to mention acquiring the largest pulp moulding plant in India. In 2021, Hartmann buys a major plant, Gotek-Litar JSC, in Russia.

To sum up, we’re in a great place to satisfy the continued high demand for sustainable, paper-based egg cartons and fruit packaging.

… To Be Continued

Dear Reader,
What you’ve just read is history. We look forward to an even
brighter and more innovative future together with you