Careers

An invention for the love of coffee

An idea. A family business. 120 years of inventiveness

How would the history of coffee enjoyment have developed if Willy Bentz hadn't had a blotting sheet in his exercise book? We don't know. Luckily, Melitta Bentz's son had one – and his mother was able to use it for an idea that was as simple as it was ingenious.


Melitta Bentz, our founder, loved coffee. Only the coffee grounds and its bitter taste bothered her. So she perforated a brass pot, put the blotting sheet in it and invented the world's first paper coffee filter in 1908. Shortly afterwards, she was one of the first women to patent her invention.

 

Melitta Bentz wanted to make people's lives more enjoyable and thus a little better. Her love of coffee resulted in much more than a product. She laid the foundation for what is still our DNA today: reliably creating added value – for our customers, our employees and our business partners.

Zahlreiche weiße, kegelförmige Kaffeefilter hängen an dünnen Fäden von einer hohen Hallendecke mit Holzbalken herab; einzelne Filter enthalten trockene Grashalme als dekoratives Element.
Nahaufnahme zweier Hände, die mit Löffeln Kaffee aus kleinen Gläsern auf einer Steinplatte verkosten; im Hintergrund weitere Verkostungsgläser in einer Reihe.
Nahaufnahme einer großen, hellbraunen Papierrolle mit gezacktem Anschnitt, die auf einem Förderband in einer Produktionshalle steht. Im Hintergrund sind gestapelte Kartons und eine gelbe Absperrung zu sehen.

What we do

More than beans and filters

Coffee is the root and core of everything we do – from the bean to the cup. It is estimated that every fourth cup of coffee worldwide today contains a piece of Melitta. An invention has grown into an internationally active group of companies with around 5,500 employees and more than two billion euros in annual sales.

 

We have never stood still. We have reinvented ourselves again and again, broken new ground and opened up business areas that go far beyond beans and filters. Our intelligent household helpers, for example, reliably accompany around 70 million households through everyday life every day.

Our strategic pillars

From coffee beans to fully automatic coffee machines. From cling film to garbage bags. From vacuum cleaner bags to packaging materials. Whether at home or in the professional environment – with our products and services, we accompany both consumers and commercial customers through their everyday lives.

 

In order to bundle this diversity clearly, we divide our activities into three business areas:

Placeholder alt text 1

For us, coffee is far more than a drink. It stands for enjoyment, quality and special moments. Our range spans from classic filter coffee and whole beans to pads and capsules.

Placeholder alt text 2

Perfect coffee needs the right preparation. That is why we develop solutions for coffee enjoyment – from filter coffee machines and coffee grinders to fully automatic coffee machines and professional water dispensers.

Placeholder alt text 3

Small solutions often make everyday life a great deal easier. Our household products help keep food fresh and ready to prepare, dispose of waste hygienically, and simplify many everyday tasks.

Where we are

Many markets. A common claim.

The world is our home – and every market has its own special features. What is considered perfect coffee in Brazil differs from the expectations of German consumers. Coffee is prepared differently in China than in North America. Regional habits and requirements also shape everyday life when it comes to keeping food fresh and preparing.

 

It is precisely these differences that make our international positioning valuable. Our local teams know the needs of their markets and develop suitable products and solutions from them. At the same time, they share experiences, ideas and innovations. What proves successful in one market can also become valuable for other markets.

Leading in quality and in the market

Our common aspiration combines the diversity of our markets: high quality, entrepreneurial thinking, the courage to innovate and the willingness to use change as an opportunity. Wherever we are active, we want to achieve leading positions.

 

With more than 5,500 employees at 59 locations in 18 countries, we develop products and services that are trusted by consumers and commercial customers in more than 100 markets worldwide.

Our Locations Worldwide

Each country is represented by exactly one point. Click to see all locations and companies in that country.

How we are

Thinking in generations

As a family-owned company, we think in generations, not quarters. The focus is on the long-term and sustainable development of the Melitta Group. Our entrepreneurial independence gives us the freedom to make decisions with foresight and also to break new ground.

 

Flat hierarchies, short distances and clear responsibility characterise our actions. They create space for personal initiative, courage and a responsible sense of risks. In doing so, we remain true to our values: quality, expertise, straightforwardness and reliability determine our decisions. Trust, transparency and cooperation on an equal footing form the basis for our joint success

4 Bildkacheln zeigen die Unternehmensleiter der Familie Bentz

Jero Bentz, great-grandson of the company founder, with the company since 2010, member of the management board since 2013

 

Katja Möller, with the company since 1996, member of the management board since 2025.

zwei Menschen, eine Frau in magentafarbenem Oberteil und dunkler Hose und ein Mann in dunklem Anzug stehen in einem hell erleuchteten TReppenhaus und blicken zum Betrachter auf.

With entrepreneurial and inventive spirit, we have been reliably creating added value for around 120 years.

Vier quadratische Glasvitrinen an einer dunklen Wand, die jeweils ein einzelnes Objekt präsentieren: einen Hammer, einen Nagel, eine Blechdose und ein rosafarbenes Beschriftungskärtchen mit der Aufschrift „Blotting Paper".
Schwarzer, glänzender Porzellan-Kaffeefilter der Größe 1x4 mit weißer Melitta-Schriftzug-Prägung, freigestellt auf einer hellen Holzkante vor dunklem Hintergrund mit deutlichem Schattenwurf.
Nahaufnahme von hellgrauem Kunststoffgranulat in runder Pelletform, lose aufgehäuft auf einer dunklen, strukturierten Stoffoberfläche.

Our organization

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Melitta consists of a management holding company with corporate divisions, a central service center and several divisions that are active in the strategic business areas of coffee, coffee preparation and household products. 

 

The company management strategically develops the Melitta Group and defines a suitable business portfolio for this purpose. It determines the group strategy, designs the portfolio and ensures that the individual business strategies achieve the common goals.

 

Four central divisions and two staff units support the divisions in concentrating on their business and their customers. 

Unsere Unternehmen

Melitta Europa – Geschäftsbereich Kaffee Melitta Europa Corsino Corsini Roast Market Melitta South America Melitta North America Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions Fresh at work Melitta Asia-Pacific Cofresco Melitta Europa – Geschäftsbereich Kaffeezubereitung Melitta Single Portions Cuki Cofresco Wolf PVG ACW Film Melitta Business Service Center Melitta Group Management

Let's create Impact

Our employees – and our jobs – are as diverse as our group of companies. We love brands, appreciate international exchange, are enthusiastic about innovations and have great fun acting like business owners and working in a team. Above all, however, we want one thing: to create impact.

Career