History
Our roots: Frubella, the family-run company
It all began with the foundation of a traditional grocery store in Epe by Franz Leo Niehoff. Together with his wife, affectionately known as ‘Oma Epe’, he established what became the foundation of today’s family-run company.
The grocery store was expanded to include a coffee roasting house next door.
In 1945 Franz Leo Niehoff made way for the next generation and handed over the grocery store and coffee roasting house to his eldest son Franz Niehoff.
In 1949 the coffee roasting house was separated from the grocery store and managed as an independent business. The entire family was involved in keeping the business running.
The success story continued in Haltern am See: Leo and Willi Niehoff established a second coffee roasting house, and this was also where juice production began. After a few years Willi took over the roasting house and Leo specialised in producing juice, which also bore his name.
Our family also benefited from the post-war so-called ‘economic miracle’ in Germany. In the 1960s juice production was handed over to Leo’s brother Fritz, who made the company famous under the name ‘Niehoff fruit juices’. Juice production continued in Epe but was closed down in Haltern as Leo Niehoff focused on working as an intermediary for raw goods.
The true family nature of the company becomes especially clear in the 1960s: all the brothers (Franz, Leo, Fritz and Willi) established Epexi (Epe- Export-Import), which was then renamed in the 1970s, subsequently operating as Frubella GmbH.The principle focus of the business was the trade and purchasing/sales of fruit juices.
The next generation joins the family business: Leo, Jochem and Ulrich Niehoff start working at Frubella GmbH. 1980s
The subsequent generation has also inherited the fruit gene. From 2009 onwards Anna-Lena, Max and Lukas enthusiastically join the family company, one after the other.