A whole day in the Waldviertel region: at the herb merchant Sonnentor in Spr\u00f6gnitz.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201eIt worked \u2013 differently, better, more cleverly \u2013 because there was no money. Otherwise, I would have only had the consultants' paperwork.\u201c Even the packaging idea cost nothing: \u201eLike my lederhosen from my parents' attic.\u201c His approach: \u201eSpeak up, or you'll have to open your wallet \u2013 at work, at trade fairs, with the farmers.\u201c<\/p>\n \u201e"I've learned to make something out of very little."\u201c<\/p>\n By 1991, he was already supplying 15 organic markets in Austria and presented Sonnentor for the first time at the Nuremberg BioFach trade fair. In 1992, Johannes Gutmann bought the farm in Spr\u00f6gnitz, near his hometown, where 270 of the 304 employees now work and from which the Sonnentor brand is distributed.<\/p>\n The 900 Sonnentor products aren't available in supermarkets, as the company wants to avoid dependence on wholesalers. Following Johannes Gutmann's motto, "There are other ways," Sonnentor collaborates with franchise partners throughout Europe (including a former Hypo risk analyst!) as well as with 500 pharmacies. Some shops, like those in Steinertor Krems or Kitzb\u00fchel, represent investments rather than advertising: "It's a dream for brand building when you have so much foot traffic!"\u201e<\/p>\n Regarding leadership, his close colleague, authorized signatory and strategist\/\u201evalues developer\u201c Manuela Raidl-Zeller, reports: \u201eEveryone can let their creativity flow. We say, \u201eThink of something!\u201c and don\u2019t dictate it. We all do tedious tasks in between.\u201c At Sonnentor, the HR department is therefore called Talent Development. And she understands Sonnentor\u2019s trust management system to mean: \u201eEveryone has talents; you just have to be able to contribute them. Trust is the currency of the future.\u201c<\/p>\n Johannes Gutmann hasn't been involved in day-to-day operations for seven years, instead sharing anecdotes and looking to the future: The organic market share in Germany is currently 41,030, but Sonnentor generates 411,030 of its revenue there. He anticipates the organic market share will increase to 251,030, and even to 301,000 in Austria. Regarding their growth strategy, he explains: "We don't seek subsidies; we grow organically, thanks to sun, water, and soil." As the founder, he has been and continues to be a defining figure in the company's philosophy: "I've never betrayed my gut feeling."\u201e<\/p>\n In Spr\u00f6gnitz, visitors can experience firsthand just how fertile the soil is: After a morning with Johannes Gutmann, the brand day included a tour of the "Leibspeis" inn, two country lofts for overnight stays in the permaculture garden, the company kindergarten and canteen, a screening of the promotional film "On the Sunny Side," the impressively large warehouse, and the production area, where employees fill paper bags with leaves and blossoms in a tranquil atmosphere amidst the intense aroma of herbs. 50,000 people take this excursion annually.<\/p>\n\u201e"Anything is possible if the mood is right."\u201c<\/h2>\n