Oil miller instead of games console: young entrepreneur Paul Belthle wins German Founder Award
Managing director of a company worth millions at the age of 18
Paul Belthle from Beuron in Swabia only came of age a few weeks ago, and next year he will graduate from high school. And yet Germany's youngest oil miller has already been running one of the most successful and unusual food start-ups for several years. From a Christmas present, an oil press, he has developed a successful business and involved his whole family - "Die Ölfreunde". For this extraordinary achievement of building a company at such a young age that impresses with its innovation and sustainability, the partners of the German Entrepreneurs' Award - stern, Sparkassen, ZDF and Porsche - honored "Die Ölfreunde" and its founder today [24.09.2024] in the ZDF Capital Studio in Berlin with the Special Award of the Partners of the German Entrepreneurs' Award.
Special prize of the German Founder Award for young entrepreneur Paul Belthle
tower media
Paul Belthle has only been eighteen for a few weeks and therefore has full legal capacity. Despite this young age, he has managed to turn a passion into a flourishing business over the past five years. The story of oil miller Paul began at Christmas 2018, when his parents gave him an oil mill instead of a games console, for example. For teenager Paul, who had been passionate about cooking with his grandmother since he was a small child, this was an unexpected gift. His fascination with the production of edible oils was immediately sparked. His first experiments with home-pressed rapeseed oil were initially only intended as a leisure activity, but demand from friends and acquaintances soon grew. With the support of his family, he initially set up his business as part of the local hotel business. His parents not only helped with production, but also provided support in sales and administration, and "Die Ölfreunde" quickly developed into a real family business.
With the start of the coronavirus pandemic, during which many people rediscovered their local cuisine, demand continued to increase. The company grew continuously. Finally, in 2023, "omegalecker GmbH" was founded, with Paul now becoming the sole managing partner shortly after his 18th birthday. Today, "Die Ölfreunde" sell their high-quality, cold-pressed oils in supermarkets, via an online store and even via teleshopping channels. Finally, Paul is allowed to stand in the studio at QVC himself. As a minor, this was usually reserved for his father Jürgen.
With his innovative and sustainable approach, Paul Belthle has set a new standard in the edible oil market and proves that entrepreneurship can be successful even at a very young age. "Die Ölfreunde" produce up to 2,000 liters of oil a day and last year produced an incredible total of 230,000 liters of oil in over 400,000 bottles. The most popular products include garlic, chili and herb oils.
The distribution network is broadly based: Around 40 percent of the oils are sold in food retailers throughout Germany (including Sylt!), around 35 percent are sold via online channels and 15 percent are sold to customers via teleshopping platforms such as QVC. Local farm stores account for the remaining ten percent. Turnover is in the single-digit million euro range.
Since the company was founded, Paul has pursued the goal of promoting regional products and establishing short supply chains. This focus on sustainability and regionality is a key success factor. Paul works closely with local farmers and only uses natural ingredients without chemical additives. "It's important to me to use regional products and minimize waste at the same time," he emphasizes. By-products such as the press cake are reused and processed into flours and animal feed, a central component of the company's sustainable philosophy. "The region and its farmers are the heart of our business," emphasizes Paul. This is the only way to guarantee the high quality of the oils and at the same time support the economy in Swabia.
In addition to commercial success, the support of other start-ups in the food sector is also very important to him. They meet up at the Slow Food trade fair in Stuttgart or at the Food Innovation Camp, for example. Paul has also made a name for himself in the German start-up scene in this way.
Even though his company is expanding, Paul's focus remains clear: "I want us to keep growing, but maintain our roots in the region and our sustainable way of working." This attitude and his ability to combine school and business make him a role model for young founders.
His everyday life as a student - the high school student attends the Ludwig-Erhardt-Schule business high school in Sigmaringen - and entrepreneur requires a lot of discipline. "I go to school in the morning and then straight to the company," says Paul. The support of his family plays a crucial role in this workload. After graduating from high school in 2025, he plans to do a dual course of study. "After that, I want to dedicate myself fully to my company." He plans to continue expanding "Die Ölfreunde" in the coming years - with a clear focus on sustainability and regionality. "I see potential to expand nationally, but our heart remains in the region," he emphasizes.
Paul sees being awarded the special prize of the German Start-up Award as recognition for the hard work and success he has achieved at a young age. "It is a great incentive for me and my team to continue to drive 'Die Ölfreunde' forward," assures Paul.
The partner representatives of stern, Sparkassen, ZDF and Porsche are honoring this extraordinary commitment with the special prize of the German Founder Award. "Paul Belthle is the best example of the fact that we are wrong when we say: 'The youth of today don't want anything anymore'. They want, but perhaps differently. They do - and perhaps even better. Many young people are like Paul: they seize their opportunities if they are supported," says Dr. Gregor Peter Schmitz, Chairman of the "stern" Editor-in-Chief for the Founder Award jury: "At the age of 13, Paul Belthle was perhaps the youngest founder in the country. Today - at just 18 - he is an example of how Generation Z is the generation of the future."
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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