Selected Business Interests

Through its current business activities, the House of Julius Meinl continues to make entrepreneurial use of the knowledge and insight of consumers, consumer goods and real estate that it has gained over its six generations in business.

Julius Meinl am Graben

Located in the heart of Vienna, Julius Meinl am Graben is the one food store that remains in the hands of the family following the sale of the rest of the food retail business that began in 1998.

KEX Confectionery

KEX Confectionery was created following the acquisition in 2010 of Kandia Dulce, a leading Romanian producer of confectionery whose leading brands are “Magura” and “Rom”. Today the group encompasses also Heidi Chocolat and the Niemetz business in Austria – makers of the famous Schwedenbomben.

Julius Meinl Living

Julius Meinl Living develops and operates aparthotels. Currently the company has two properties, “The Julius, Prague” a flagship property in Prague and the Escala Hotel & Suites in Budapest. Further properties will be added across central and eastern Europe, in particular.

Julius Meinl Private Wealth

Julius Meinl Private Wealth is a regulated financial intermediary in the Czech Republic, providing to its clients a range of intermediary services.

Selected Other Investments

Going back to the foundation of its business activities in 1862, the Meinl Family has been a family not just of merchants, but of long term investors also.

Business History

1862

Julius Meinl I’s grocery shop begins to trade

1874

Julius Meinl I agrees a debt restructuring with his creditors

1877

Julius Meinl I begins to sell fresh roasted coffee from his shop

1892

Julius Meinl II joins the family business

1900

Julius Meinl has 11 shops in Vienna plus 5 warehouses in the suburbs and 40 “depots” in the Austrian provinces

1907

Julius Meinl workers get Sundays off work

1910

Julius Meinl I’s remaining debts are finally paid off

1913

Julius Meinl I retires. Julius Meinl II takes over the business

1914

Julius Meinl has 115 shops in three countries plus a total of 185 “depots”

1923

Foundation of the forerunner of Meinl Bank, the ‘Spar- und Kreditverein der Angestellten und Freunde der Julius Meinl AG’

1924

Julius Meinl introduces for the first time the Meinl Moor logo, designed by Joseph Binder

1931

Julius Meinl reduced the 5 day working week from 48 hours to 43, with pay for 45 hours

1933

Julius Meinl II restricts his role to that of President of the Board of Directors; Julius Meinl III joins management

1933

The Austrian Government passes the Lex Meinl Preventing Julius Meinl from opening further stores

1935

Julius Meinl reduced the 5 day working week from 43 hours to 40, on full pay

1935

Julius Meinl acquires the 79 stores of Brüder Kunz and a shareholding in Wiener Öl-Werke AG

1936

Julius Meinl acquires Continentale Bank AG

1937

Julius Meinl acquires Konservenfabrik Gourmet KG and has 572 stores plus 600 depots in 8 countries

1938

Following the Anschluss of Austria the Nazi regime replaces the managing director of Julius Meinl

1938

Julius Meinl III steps down and goes into exile in England

1939

Rationing as part of the war economy fundamentally changes Julius Meinl’s business

1940

Julius Meinl becomes obliged to supply the Wehrmacht

1944

Julius Meinl has almost a hundred production sites and around 700 stores

1944

Julius Meinl II dies. His adoptive son, Fritz Meinl becomes President of the Board of Directors

1945

Julius Meinl operations in newly communist central and esastern European countries are sequestered by their governments

1947

Julius Meinl III returns to Austria and becomes President of the Board of Directors

1956

Foundation of Meinl Bank

1980s

Julius Meinl remains one of two dominant food retail businesses in Austria

1987

Julius Meinl III dies and Julius Meinl IV becomes President of the Board of Directors of Julius Meinl

1987

Julius Meinl V becomes Chairman of the Management Board of Meinl Bank (effectively CEO)

1989

Fall of Berlin Wall – Meinl Bank positions itself to expand across central and eastern Europe

1990s

Julius Meinl’s share of the Austrian food retail market falls to c6% as it struggles to keep pace with new competitors

1990s

Julius Meinl reestablises food retail activities across central and eastern Europe

1996

Together with Invesco, Meinl Bank founds a central and Eastern European private equity fund called Fulcrum I Equity

1997

Together with Caledonia Investments, Meinl Bank founds the entity that becomes Meinl European Land

1998

Decision to sell food retailing activities in Austria and beyond (excluding Julius Meinl am Graben)

1999

Julius Meinl sells its food production activities

2002

Meinl European Land is floated on the Vienna Stock Exchange

2005

Julius Meinl Coffee moves to a new main roasting facility in Vicenza, Italy

2007

Flotation of Meinl Airports International and Meinl International Power

2007

Fulcrum I Equity sells Kandia Excelent to Cadbury Schweppes

2008

End of Meinl Bank’s involvement with Meinl European Land. The company becomes Atrium European Real Estate

2010

Kandia Excelent, now renamed Kandia Dulce, is re-acquired and becomes the nucleus of KEX Confectionery

2011

Foundation of Fulcrum as a principal investor in and developer of shopping centres in in central and eastern Europe

2012

Kandia Dulce acquires Supreme Group

2013

KEX Confectionery acquires Niemetz in Austria and Heidi in Romania

2015

Niemetz moves to a new, purpose built factory for its Schwedenbomben

2018

Julius Meinl Living acquires its first aparthotel property in Prague

2019

Julius Meinl Living agrees to acquire a second property, in Belgrade