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Four Generations of Dedication
Dr. Paul Lohmann ®, a specialty metal and mineral salts manufacturer, was founded in 1886 on the premises of an abandoned chemical factory near the town of Hamelin, Germany. Hamelin is best known from the children’s tale, “The Pied Piper”, and this famous story plays out each day thanks to a clock, or glockenspiel, on the side of one of the town’s historic buildings. DPLs story, and that of its founder, also unfold in this charming locale.
In its early years, Dr. Paul Lohmann managed his company directly, and in addition to establishing the factory, applied for his first trademark for nutritional supplements in 1902. By 1910, his first brand “Ra-Fa” (from the German words for Pied Piper) was for an array of products including medicines, chemical products, essential oils, and casting compounds used in dentistry. Within a year, these iron preparations received an award from the German Pharmacists’ Association, and Dr. Paul Lohmann turned over control of the company to his son, Rudolf Lohmann.
Under Rudolf’s term, Dr. Paul Lohmann® continued to grow and develop new products and obtained a patent for “Lohmanna”, a soluble calcium compound that fortifies milk products for the elderly and children alike.
Through the 1940s, DPL saw great change as a result of WW2. Roughly half the company’s 40 employees were called up to serve in the army, and in December of 1945, the factory suffered damage from airstrikes. By 1946, DPL had re-opened and also added a second location on the Hamelin dockside.
In 1955 the company moved to Kirchohsen, just a few weeks after Dr. Paul Lohmann passed away. Dr. Ekkehard Lohmann, his grandson, would take over management six years later. Dr. Ekkehard Lohmann saw the founding of a new factory in Lüneburg where DPL first began manufacturing magnesium salts. Also under his leadership, DPL celebrated its 100th Anniversary.
Jürgen and Hans-Martin Lohmann, Paul’s great-grandchildren, began managing the company in 1998. Under their direction, DPL expanded with offices in Singapore and New York, integrated Boehringer Ingelheim facilities in France, and earned several important certifications from the Chemical Industry Association.
With a flexible, innovative spirit, DPL has a history of responding to the changing needs of its business partners and clients, creating new solutions for modern manufacturing.