Change in Management at Werner & Mertz

Martin Hötzel made responsible for consumer business in Germany

Sales professional and industry expert Martin Hötzel has been the managing director of the Werner & Mertz subsidiary Erdal-Rex GmbH since 1 July. In this position he assumes responsibility for the cleaning products manufacturer’s German business in consumer brands, including the trusted brands Frosch, emsal and Erdal. The 58-year-old manager succeeds René Bowitz, who is leaving the company of his own accord after 18 years.

“Martin Hötzel knows our industry and trade partners very well. We are pleased that he will contribute his experience to the joint development of our quality brands,” says Werner & Mertz owner Reinhard Schneider.

Hötzel has more than 20 years’ management experience in the consumer goods industry. His core competencies are in corporate managment, sales development and expansion, and market positioning. From 2019 to 2022 Hötzel was CEO of the candy manufacturer Goldeck. Earlier he managed the Warsteiner Group, served as general manager of Capri Sun and as managing director of  Red Bull Deutschland.

“So far I have worked with brands, which, like Frosch, occupy a special position in their category and contribute to making the lives of people better, more attractive and more enjoyable,” says Hötzel.

The Erdal and emsal brands are market leaders in their respective product groups in Germany. The best-known and most successful brand in the Mainz family business, however, is Frosch, which entered the market in 1986, an eco pioneer from the very beginning. Since then it has become one of the most widely established umbrella brands in Europe and the leading brand by a clear margin in ecological cleaning products. Frosch stands for effective, verifiably resource-conserving products that are powerful and high quality. These attributes generate consumer trust. For more than 20 years, Frosch has been named “Most Trusted Brand” in the category of household cleaning products in the Trusted Brands study conducted by Reader’s Digest.

“I’m taking over an ideally positioned division. My predecessor and the motivated team have done  excellent work in past years. Our brands enjoy above-average consumer loyalty and are asked for by name in retail stores. We will build on that. Our goal is to further expand the brand reach in Germany by focusing clearly on our strengths. Not only are we a pioneer in sustainability, but also  a leader in quality and performance with outstanding test results,“ says Hötzel about his outlook for the future.