The success of the Rohnfried brand was visible to pigeon fanciers around the world at this year's Pigeon Fancier Olympics, held in January in Poznan. The Röhnfried team was represented by seven pigeons from five farms in Germany and Belgium.
The first documentary record of the trademark dates back to 1949. The trademark was registered at the time by Gottfried Röhner of Froschhausen, under the name "Gottfried Röhner Chemical-Pharmaceutical Laboratory" based in Südhessen. He thus created a brand, under which he manufactured individual products for poultry and pigeons and promoted them in target markets. With many pigeon fanciers in the region, after the Second World War, the products were successful and pigeon fanci
In the late 1970s, Gottfried Röhner, whose wife Helene died in the meantime, decided to sell his entire business. Dr. Hesse Tierpharma GmbH & Co. KG, in Hohenlockstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, took over the brand, products, recipes and customers.
„With Röhnfried Dr. Hesse Tierpharma GmbH & Co. KG has caught wings! ”
"We, Dr. Hesse Tierpharma, were looking for other ways and products at the time to launch a new office outside the pharmaceutical industry," recalls Hans-Peter Schwarzkopf (aged 82), one of the the three founders of the company. In this way I came across Gottfried Röhner's veterinary business and after the purchase I acquired the right to use 120 trademarks, one of which was Röhnfried. "ers quickly assimilated them as useful.
La început erau medicamente pentru animale
“As a young man,” he tells us, “I volunteered at Bayer in Leverkusen and already then I became aware of the opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. Returning home, I quickly decided to become independent in this industry. I borrowed 20,000 German marks from my father and in 1959 I founded the company together with the veterinarian Dr. Kurt Hesse, respectively another partner. I was 23 then. "
Structural changes in setting new priorities
Dr. Hesse Tierpharma had many registered products for poultry and large animals at that time. Healing of animals with medicines was new and was well received in the rural area of Schleswig-Holstein, with its many small farms. "With the structural changes in agriculture in the 1970s," continues Hans Peter Schwarzkopf, "and with the imposition of conditions tightened by pharmaceutical legislation, specifications were made, which we did not want to meet financially, which motivated to find new priorities. ”
The basis for today's export activity
With the takeover of the Röhnfried brand, Dr. Hesse's company took off. The brand became more and more famous, after which there were requests from abroad, forming the basis for today's export activity. "I have officially traveled around the world with Röhnfried and visited almost 40 countries," adds H.P. Schwarzkopf. "Gaining conversations with other pigeon breeders and what gives me satisfaction today is my pigeon farm. A co-worker, who raised pigeons himself, advised me "if you want to participate in the conversation, you have to raise pigeons too." That was good advice. "
A new partner takes over the business
In 1981, a new colleague Friedel Gyllensvärd, the grandfather of the current main associate, Dominik Gyllensvärd, entered the business. He accepted the offer of a partnership on the occasion of a meeting, as he was only looking for a supplier. He bought the whole company without hesitation. In 2013, the new partners decided to reorganize Dr. Hesse Tierpharma and accelerate exports. A development, which in 2018 reached its climax, through the construction of new office space and an investment of millions of euros in new facilities.
Establishment of the Röhnfried Racing Team
With his entry, Friedel Gyllensvärd has acquired many world-renowned top breeders as references. Just a few examples: Heinz-Willi Ritz, William Geerts, Serge van Elsacker, Flor Engels, Van Hove-Uytterhoeven, Gaby Vandenabeele, Hans Eijerkamp and his sons, etc. Friedel Gyllensvärd founded Röhnfried Racing Team, which is highly regarded as a young player today. To be part of the team you always need your own success story, associated with enthusiasm and faith in modern Röhnfried concepts.
Top breeders from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are now part of the Röhnfried Racing Team, but there are also Röhnfried racing teams in Poland and China. The name globally represents healthy, strong and successful pigeons. Their lines go back to internationally recognized names such as Heremans-Ceusters, Gaby Vandenabeele, the famous Janssen brothers, Cyriel Verbeeck and other big breeders.
Gervit W and Taubengold
Contemporary witnesses to Röhnfried's success are products such as: Gervit W, Avipharm and Taubengold. Although the proportions have improved over the decades, the name and recipes come from Gottfried Röhner
Today's motto: activating immunity and vitality
Biologist Alfred Berger, one of the two current directors and at the same time a very famous breeder, adds: “From the very beginning, the veterinarian Dr. Hesse developed products for pigeons, focusing on veterinary medicine products. Finally, we combined all the products for pigeons and poultry under the famous Röhnfried brand. In 2000, the company began to find and develop new ways of development. While in the past medicines and antibiotics have had a considerable impact on pigeons' weekly schedules, today principles for health maintenance are used and recommended. We do not want to get sick, that is, we rely on a preventive approach. Our motto: lowering the pressure of infection in a natural way, strengthening immunity and activating vitality. "
This motto is reflected in the new concepts behind the Röhnfried product range. An example is the "7-point travel plan" as a supply concept for rapid regeneration and increased performance. There is a modern health management system for more success and many other concepts. All this has in common a carefully selected and compatible product base, including personal advice.
Alfred Berger associates the Röhnfried company with a personal story.
"Froschhausene, next door to Seligenstadt, and is actually my mother's hometown. My parents, being passionate breeders of purebred pigeons and poultry themselves, got to know Gottfried Röhner personally and appreciated their Röhnfried products. It can be said that through my current activity as general manager of Dr. Hesse Tierpharma in Hohenlockstedt and active partner of the Röhnfried Racing Team, the circle is closed. "