Schneider story

Created in the past, made for the future

The path of the company was not predetermined from the outset for the current owner and Managing Director Christian Schneider. After completing his studies, he first gained experience at one of the world's largest internet auction houses. In the early 2000s, e-commerce had a spirit all its own, in contrast to traditional industries: it was more dynamic, fast-paced and risk-taking, but at the same time, decisions were often made from above, over the heads of employees. It was only after travelling around the world that the future successor to the company had his eyes opened. On an extensive tour of 140 countries, he saw with his own eyes how many nations buy and appreciate Schneider writing instruments. In addition, the desire to define and implement his own corporate strategy—consistent, long-term and sustainable—began to grow within him. The family business offered exactly the right place for this vision.

But in a world where less and less is written by hand, writing instruments have to fight to maintain their place. “It's harder to sell a sustainable product than a cheap one,” explains Christian Schneider. “But the pressure on the world is growing. Fortunately, there is also a growing group of people who are striving to live more sustainably. People who invest in products like ours because we have the same goal in mind: to leave a world worth living in for future generations.” Short delivery routes, environmentally friendly materials and inks, and a sincere commitment to sustainability throughout the company are therefore an integral part of the company's policy.

Sustainable entrepreneurship between generations and innovation

When you pick up a Schneider writing instrument, you are holding the result of many years of courage, passion, curiosity and experience: after “the excellent Schneider refill” became an absolute bestseller in the early 1950s, the grandfather of the present Schneider generation drove product development forward so that complete writing instruments could be totally manufactured inhouse. His son internationalised the business and opened up global sales markets. Since 2008, Christian Schneider, the grandson of the company's founder, has been steering the fortunes of this traditional brand through times of great transformation—whether social, technological or economic.

At the same time, entrepreneurial success has always gone hand in hand with a high sense of responsibility: towards the company, towards its employees, and towards treating nature and the environment with respect. This value-oriented corporate philosophy has been passed down from generation to generation and is now being carried into the future by siblings Christian Schneider and Martina Schneider under the motto #theschneiderway.

"Sustainability is not something you can just tick off a list. It is a constant process.”

Martina Schneider
Head of Human Resources

“Innovation arises when you create a climate of openness, sympathy and inspiration.”

Christian Schneider
Managing Director

“A family business is a special legacy. Each generation has to face its own challenges,” says Martina Schneider, who works as the company's Human Resources Manager and authorised signatory. She notes with regret that in politics, long-term goals are quickly discarded when governments change—especially with regard to the transformation towards a more sustainable society. That is why she greatly appreciates being able to do things differently in her sphere of influence. “Of course, the company is constantly evolving, but everything follows a certain consistency. We pursue a consistent strategy based on shared values. That just feels right.” And the results are impressive: whether it's the Job highlighter, the Reco ballpoint pen, the Breeze rollerball pen or the Line-Up fineliner, more and more product series already carry the Blue Angel, one of the best-known environmental labels. However, this commitment goes beyond the product level. With campaigns such as the bicycle initiative or the Schneider charity run, social commitment and fun come together in a welcome combination that inspires and enthuses many employees and people in the region. “In terms of sustainable entrepreneurship, some may see our diverse activities as just a drop in the ocean, but every drop has an ultimate impact and paves the way,” adds Martina Schneider, as optimistic as she is enthusiastic. Because even if it takes a lot of time, money and effort, one thing is certain for her: “In the long run, it pays off. Maybe not always in revenue but in authenticity.”

With #theschneiderway, Schneider is sending a clear sign to the outside world about responsible entrepreneurship, but this powerful motto draws its strength from within. It is all the employees as a team who bring the hashtag to life through their efforts, ideas, enthusiasm and motivation. The strength of a shared philosophy is reflected in the high level of identification with Schneider as an employer and the low staff turnover. In times of skilled labour shortages, a credible corporate vision can thus become a convincing criterion in the search for new employees. As Head of Human Resources, Martina Schneider enjoys being close to the workforce: “For me, people are what matters most in the company. They make us unique.” This is one of the reasons why development and production take place almost exclusively in Germany. Employees see each other every day, exchange ideas on an equal footing, listen to each other and quickly notice when something is wrong. This is the basis of a corporate culture characterised by openness, transparency and partnership. “We offer our employees the opportunity to realise their full potential and make an active contribution. That's why we are always happy to hear new ideas that can lead to powerful innovations.” In the next pages, three members of the Research and Development department reveal what this looks like in reality

“My vision is to create a 100% compostable ballpoint pen, producible in large series.”

Patrick Wintermantel works as a Technical Manager at Schneider and is responsible for development and production. When he joined the company in 2013, he was particularly attracted by the high level of vertical integration—around 90% of production. This describes the proportion of a writing instrument that is manufactured by the company itself and does not have to be sourced from external suppliers. At that time, he was faced with a major task: among other things, production had to be converted to bio-based plastics and recycled plastics. He started out with just a few employees, but today the team includes many experienced specialists. The path towards a goal is often not easy and requires a lot of patience and passion: for example, they worked for a long time to make the Reco ballpoint pen particularly sustainable. In the end, the effort pays off: more and more model series carry the Blue Angel label. Beyond the products, the Technical Manager is driving modnisation forward, whether with the idea for the automatic small parts warehouse or for transport robots in the production facilities

Patrick Wintermantel
Technical Manager

“It would be great to have customer-configured pens that are 3D-printed by us.”

Sebastian Penalver-Höfler is also delighted that virtually everything from the push button to the tip is manufactured in the company's own production facilities. He has worked as a Project Manager in the Development Department for six years and carefully supervises the development of new products and product modifications. For him, this means defining timings, coordinating specialist departments, assigning tasks, documenting processes and always keeping an eye on costs. As Project Manager, he is the one who pulls all the strings. The development of a completely new product takes many months, from the initial idea to ongoing series production.

Sebastian Penalver-Höfler

Development Project Manager

“A classic ballpoint pen that lights up when you makespelling mistakes – that's it!”

For Barbara Wisser, it’s all about the straight processes and quick decisions at Schneider. The Head of the Chemical Development Department commutes between her desk and the laboratory in her exciting everyday working life. Developing ink formulations, investigating writing behaviour, selecting ink reservoirs, recording writing performance, supervising certifications... all these tasks have been part of her area of responsibility for almost ten years. Does a ballpoint pen leak? Does the ink change colour over time? How can we make formulations even more environmentally friendly? With her PhD in Chemistry, she addresses all these questions with scientific intuition and finds the right solution for every requirement.

Barbara Wisser
Head of Chemical Development

Nachhaltigkeit-regionale-Verantwortungen

Made in Germany by tradition

It is the people who make the Schneider brand so unique: their ideas, their determination and their enthusiasm for what they do. That is why treating the workforce with respect is a matter of course at Schneider, and is rewarded by employees that show long-term loyalty to the company. Deeply rooted in Tennenbronn in the Black Forest and Wernigerode in the Harz Mountains, Schneider has established itself as a popular employer in the region. Highly qualified specialists cover the entire production process of a writing instrument: from the initial idea to its development, series production and packaging. Having all areas under their control guarantees that their own quality standards can be checked and optimised at any time. Therefore, choosing a Schneider writing instrument means being able to rely on brand quality made in Germany.