About us

TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION

About us
Tradition meets innovation

Deeply rooted for high growth

Our roots in the haircare and body care sector go back almost 70 years, during which time we have evolved into specialists in the industry.

We are happy to be inspired and enthused by new ideas and trends but, at the same time, we also like to draw on the wealth of experience we have gained over the years.

This is the proving ground which has facilitated the fusion of the old and new and has allowed unique ideas to spring up - tradition meets innovation.

FROM MODEST BEGINNINGS TO A RICH SOURCE OF IDEAS

Hans Schröder laid the foundation stone of our company in 1950 with the production of putty for windows.Characterised by an inexhaustible talent for invention paired with a sure instinct for the market, Hans Schröder Senior gradually developed the initial range of household cleaners to meet changing requirements.

MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS entered the cosmetics industry in 1958 with the invention of the first hairspray in Germany – just in time for the fringe hairstyle trend of the 1960s. This innovative idea quickly evolved into a successful product.

Hans Schröder and his team went on to create more and more haircare and body care products as well as bath additives – leading to the establishment of the first brand in 1968 by the name of “alkmene”. In the 1980s, the production of detergents was completely abandoned to make way for further expansion in the export trade and private label business in the cosmetics sector.

More about our history

Historie

A separate department, our Category Management, specialises in spotting national and international trends and analysing the development of individual product categories. The team takes advice from respected trend forecasting agencies, carries out store checks at home and abroad on a regular basis, and reviews the expectations and wishes of our customers expressed in customer insight analyses. We take the results of this market research and ongoing product range and product life cycle analyses and translate them into products for skin and hair which are commercially viable, innovative and have real chances of success on the market.

The love of innovation is in our DNA, and so the resourcefulness and the courage to venture into new territory continue at the MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS GROUP to this day.

Impressions of our employees

Our employees tell us why tradition and innovation go well together.

Bettina Bohnsack

Teamlead Central Office &
Assistant to the Management Finance & Controlling

#01

Where do you see the tradition at M&S and where do you see the innovation?

"I have been with the MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS GROUP since my apprenticeship in 1998 and have therefore experienced the development of the last few years at first hand. The number of employees has more than tripled during this time. Despite this fact, the cohesiveness of the team has not changed. I see innovation on the one hand in production, in the use of and investment in new technologies. But also in communication with employees. The communication with the employees creates equality and is, in my opinion, part of the innovation at M&S."

Daniel Rackl

Teamlead Engineering

#02

Where do you see the tradition at M&S and where do you see the innovation?

"I have been part of the M&S Cosmetics Group since 2020 and have learnt everything that goes into the production of cosmetic products. Much more than you might think at first glance. In order to make production as efficient as possible, Mann & Schröder relies heavily on innovative production concepts. New camera technology in the machines and the latest trends in robotics are just some of the things my team does every day. We manage this with an open and flexible mindset towards innovations and improvements. We live in a time in which rapid change is the order of the day. It is therefore important to consolidate traditional values. I would like to mention two aspects in particular at this point. Firstly, the company management is 100% in favour of the compatibility of family and career. This means that private needs are not neglected. The second aspect concerns how we treat our employees. Each team member is recognised and supported as an individual. Strengths and weaknesses are taken into account and an individual development programme is set up."

Juliane Schmid

Category Management

#03

Where do you see the tradition at M&S and where do you see the innovation?

“As a long-standing employee, I appreciate the fact that MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS is still a family-run business in the third generation and is committed to Germany as a manufacturing base. We may be true to our roots but we always have our finger on the pulse in order to keep in step with the times. My job routinely involves spotting the trends of tomorrow. This is the basis on which we develop creative formulas and innovative products.“

Learn more about the M&S COSMETICS GROUP

Product development

Career

History