1835
Foundation of a bakery in Grabow, Marktstraße 19 by Johann Bollhagen, production of baked goods, pretzels, waffles, spice nuts. Sold in own shop and on market stalls.
1860
The business is taken over by his brother, Friedrich Bollhagen. Production of baked goods and gingerbread switched to machines.
1902
Take-over by Gustav Friedrich Ritter, renamed in “Bollhagensche Pfeffernuss- und Biskuitfabrik”. First production using electric and gas motors. A continuous oven was purchased. Production of top quality baked goods and gingerbread (Grabower Leckerli, Feine Schokoladenherzen). Deliveries to large cities, Stettin, Hamburg, Lübeck, Berlin and Magdeburg. Exports to Switzerland and USA, Austria and Canada.
1945
Managed by a trust fund; initial production of general baked goods and children’s foods, then production of simple baked goods such as lemon biscuits, vanilla rings and cinnamon stars.
1951
Made public property under the name “VEB Grabower Dauerbackwaren”. Deliveries to the northern region of the DDR initially by train, from 1960 onwards with own lorries.
1954
Waffles are produced again and filled (fruit waffles, milk-cream waffles). The first marshmallows are produced semi-automatically.
1964
Production of the marshmallows is further automated.
1978
Relocation to the new building in Kiebitzweg. This allowed industrial continuous ovens for baked goods and waffles and an industrial production line for marshmallows to be put into operation.
1981
The production assortment ranges from marshmallow products through refreshment and ice-cream wafers right up to and including baking mixes, sugar coins and butter almond biscuits.
1991
Take-over by the Schiesser Group. Now called “Grabower Dauerbackwaren GmbH”. Production range is switched to marshmallow products, installation of several lines for large and small marshmallow products with chocolate.
1994
Today’s owner enters the market by taking over the company Ruhrkrone in Herten, North-Rhine Westphalia. Production of marshmallow products and soft waffles for wholesalers.
1995
Take-over of the company Stüss&Co. in Quentel, partial restructuring of the sales strategy from stall operators to the food retail trade.
1996
Take-over by the current owner Otto Lithardt from bankruptcy proceedings. Now called “Grabower Süsswaren GmbH”. Commissioning of cream waffle and waffle processing systems. Installation of further marshmallow systems.
1997
Purchase of the company Schulze, Borgholzhausen. Integration of their assortment into the foam sugar segment and annual market waffles into the Grabower sales system.
1999
Take-over of the company Tomala Waffelspezialitäten, Kühren near Leipzig. Integration of their assortment into the foam sugar segment and into the Grabower sales system. Wafer roll and wafer speciality production systems established.
2001
Take-over of Wolf Süsswaren in Altenschönbach, Bavaria Adoption of the baked goods and waffle mixes into the Grabower sales system. Production expanded and modernised.
2002
Take-over of the Weese Gebäckfabrik in Itzehoe, Schleswig Holstein. Integration of the baked goods and wafer roll assortment into the Grabower sales system. Integration of the production equipment at the Altenschönbach plant. Coordination of the export activities in the baked goods segment of the Wolf and Weese brands.
2002
Take-over of the company Wolf Süsswaren in Arnstadt, Thüringen Development of the production facilities for cream waffles, wafer rolls and semi-finished wafer products for own use at the various production plants.
2003
Purchase of the company Maaß Keksfabrik in Lübeck, Schleswig Holstein. Integration of the north German baked goods specialist into the Grabower sales system. Integration of the production of seasonal baked goods into the Arnstadt plant.
2003
Purchase of the confectionary company Stech in Mecklenburg. Development and modernisation of the production of tree cakes. Integration of the production at the Kühren plant and integration of the assortment into the Grabower sales system.
2004
Purchase of the crispbread lines from the company Kamps, Bremen and Munich. Start of marketing activities for (Lieken) crispbread by Grabower Süsswaren. Relocation of the production facilities to the Arnstadt plant. Modernisation and development of the crispbread production. Integration of the assortment into the Grabower sales system.
2005
Purchase of the company Schmalz (Juchem-Group) Eppelborn. Relocation of the production facilities to the Arnstadt plant. Streamlining of the assortment and integration of the articles into the Grabower sales system.
2005
Take-over of the production lines of the company Döbelner Süsswaren, Saxony. Integration of parts of the production equipment at the various plants belonging to Grabower Süsswaren Holding.
