Long-established company Zentis was founded in the centre of Aachen, less than five minutes’ walk from that city’s venerable cathedral. Franz Zentis opened his colonial wares and food store on Adalbertsteinweg on 20 June 1893.

FAMOS was soon on everyone’s lips. At first it was supplied only to smaller shops and bakeries in the region, but soon it became a permanent ingredient at many baking establishments, who used it as a fruity filling in their delicious baked goods. A love of experimentation continued to drive the company. Soon there were more fruity creations on the market and a success story was born.

Zentis’ pioneering spirit and passion for fruit remained unbroken in the second generation.

Consumers’ demand for sweet things motivated Zentis developers. Delicious confectionery was added to the range. Fruity sweets, delicious chocolates and juicy marzipan made of tasty almonds were all added to what the company offered. Today, Zentis offers tempting marzipan delicacies as well as a wide range of marzipan raw mixtures for the baked goods and confectionery industry.

The company was a pioneer and kept up with the times with its sweet spreads. New flavours and product concepts such as hazelnut spread were added to the range. There was a switch to plastic packaging in the middle of the 1970s: the new packaging was ground-breaking and made it easier for customers to shop, store and dispose of it.

When the way to Eastern Europe opened up in the 1990s, Zentis tapped into new markets for itself and its partners in the dairy, baking and confectionery industry, beginning in Poland in 1997. Zentis expanded into Hungary in 2000 and Russia in 2003. A further milestone towards globalisation was the move to the USA in 2007. Factories in California and Pennsylvania followed in 2012.