History

1975: It all started with a small laboratory

It all began in 1975 with a small laboratory in Elmshorn, a town near Hamburg, Germany, and the idea of developing high-quality glazing, sealing and anti-sticking agents for chocolate and sugar panned products, gums and jellies. The two creative tinkerers and ingenious inventors, Dieter Kaul and Klaus-Dieter Haupt, could never have imagined at the time that some 50 years later, their small laboratory would become an international company with production sites in Europe (Elmshorn) and North America (Montreal), with more than 100 employees worldwide, as well as subsidiaries in Germany, the UK and the US.

The picture on the left shows one of the founders, Dipl-Ing. Klaus-Dieter Haupt.

1975: CAPOL^® as a product name

Although initially named Kaul KG, after its founder, the company's first product was already called CAPOL^® 254 N and had been launched on the market in the founding year of the business. It was the world's first chocolate glazing agent that was a ready-to-use product solution for confectionery manufacturers. Kaul KG had thus established a completely new product category in the market.

In 1978, the CAPOL^® trademark was registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). Further trademark registrations followed just a few years later – in France, Finland and Denmark, for example – as the business continued growing.

But where does the name CAPOL come from? Is it from the Italian capolavoro (meaning “masterpiece”)?  Or from da capo (which in music means “from the beginning”)? Or from the Italian word capo (“head and leader”)? No – it’s actually a new word derived from the Ka from Kaul (internationally changed to Ca) and the pol from the English word polish.

The 80s: CAPOL sells in the US

As early as the 1980s, when the team had grown to 12 employees, Kaul GmbH – in 1980, the company had become a limited liability company (GmbH) – began selling CAPOL^® products in the US. It was the founders’ business connections within the natural rubber industry which enabled CAPOL to be present at international trade fairs and build up a distribution network with agents all over the world, including Asia. Many of the agents and distribution partners that became part of the CAPOL sales network turned into long-term partners and some still work for CAPOL today.

The 80s: Growing product portfolio

From the start, CAPOL stayed in close contact with its customers and began to grow its product portfolio to include solutions that suited the needs of confectioners. CAPOLEX^® soon became the line for mold release and separating agents used in the production of hard- and soft-boiled sweets and baked goods. CAPOLAN^® stood for fat-coated acids and raw materials, suitable for sprinkling on gummy bears, licorice or extruded strings, for example. In 1987, these become registered as a trademark in Germany.

The name FIX GUM^® followed in 1995, a synonym to pre-coating agents, for the optimum preparation of coating inclusions. The company focused on customized solutions and by the 80s, already had more than 100 recipes in their portfolio. And that is what the company is still all about today, whether in the confectionery, bakery or food supplement industry: CAPOL brings in its formulation and application expertise to support companies in food manufacturing all over the world.

The 90s: CAPOL grows internationally

By the 1990s, CAPOL had already made a name for itself in the industry and demand for its high-quality products was growing around the world. In order to grow internationally, CAPOL founded its first subsidiary in the UK in 1993. In 2012, CAPOL took over the American sales distribution business and founded CAPOL LLC in the US city of Chicago.

However, all glazing and anti-sticking products were shipped worldwide from the production facility in Elmshorn, Germany. This only changed in 2020 when CAPOL opened its second production line in Montreal, Canada. The acquisition of Colarôme, today’s CAPOL Inc, in Montreal was a major milestone along the way to having multiple supply capacities and diversifying as a company, too, by adding natural colors to the product portfolio.

1990: CAPOL moves to new headquarters

To accommodate the growing number of employees and the need for additional laboratories and production facilities, Kaul GmbH moved from a small site in the center of Elmshorn to Otto-Hahn-Straße, its current headquarters, in 1990. During this time, the company regularly grew by double-digit rates every year, so that further extensions of the buildings on the premises became necessary in 2003.

A large raw material storage capacity also enabled Kaul GmbH to react quickly to customer requests. To this day, tanks with a volume of 20,000 to 40,000 liters are available for the storage of raw materials, such as vegetable oil.

From 1997: Quality meets sustainability

In 1997, Kaul GmbH introduced a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system. All products were manufactured under the strict supervision of Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) laboratories, from the analysis of incoming raw materials to the approval and release of finished products based on full compliance with existing product specifications. The important role of QC and QA was reflected in the completion of a new laboratory in 2001.

In the early 2000s, long before it became a trend, CAPOL acquired certifications for organic products in Europe and for the NOP (National Organic Program) standard in the US. In 2013, CAPOL was the first manufacturer in the industry to use certified sustainable raw materials and offer RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified (MB) products.

2013: CAPOL becomes part of Freudenberg

It was already foreseeable in 2009 that Klaus-Dieter Haupt would soon be leaving the company. A new partner was therefore sought and found in the US investment company Riverside to ensure the continuation of the company.

In 2013, less than four years later, a significant step was taken: CAPOL became part of the international technology group Freudenberg, which integrated the company into the Freudenberg Chemical Specialities (FCS) division as part of a long-term growth strategy. At that time, FCS already included Klüber Lubrication, Chem-Trend, OKS and SurTec – four brands which are active in over 50 countries as specialists in their fields of chemical products.

With the takeover by Freudenberg, Capol GmbH, founded in 1975 in a family-run environment, is now once again part of a family-owned group of companies.

2014: The CAPOL logo we know today

Over the years, not only the company, but the company’s branding, too, evolved. In 2014, the time had come: The CAPOL logo was redesigned and modernized to become the visual trademark we all know today. The font and ellipse were given a leaner look to better reflect the brand's commitment to selling high-quality and technically superior products and to clearly position the CAPOL brand as a premium brand on the market. The Perfect Finishes claim completed the brand identity.

2017: CAPOL acquires Colarôme

In 2017, CAPOL expanded and diversified its business for the first time through an acquisition. CAPOL took over the color- and flavor-manufacturing company Colarôme Inc. in St. Hubert, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada, for significant synergies in product development and an even better market penetration. Part of the acquisition was the Colarôme production site in St. Hubert with the aim of further strengthening CAPOL’s presence in the North American markets. With this acquisition, CAPOL added to its portfolio natural color pigments with unique properties, known as VIVAPIGMENTS^®, produced with a patented technology. The acquisition of Colarôme, today known as CAPOL Inc., was an important step in the long-term development of CAPOL's global business.

2024: CAPOL repositions itself

Enabling success in the food industry. Since 2024, the CAPOL brand has positioned itself even more clearly on the market with this tagline. This promise has also summed up the company's ambition for almost 50 years now: to support customers around the world in bringing high-quality products to market. With an expanded product range and new solutions, CAPOL is tapping into further segments of the food industry to enable more customers to benefit from the expertise it has acquired up until now. To this end, CAPOL has its own team of food technology experts who support manufacturers all the way from formulations to production scale.

Since 2024, CAPOL has also had a completely new, refreshing brand image that reflects both technical expertise and customer centricity and highlights the company’s expansion into further segments of the food industry, such as the baked goods and food supplements markets.

2025: 50 years of Enabling Success

In 2025, CAPOL stands for more than simply 50 years of success – it offers over 250 confectionery finishing formulations and supplies to more than 100 countries, with over 100 employees, supported by around 50 sales partners worldwide. CAPOL produces at two manufacturing sites, attaches great importance to sustainability and food safety, and is a reliable partner to the global food industry.

This success was only made possible through the strong partnerships with you, our valued customers, and your inspiring food products from all over the world. So, this is the time when we want to say thank you:

Thank you for your trust and openness to breaking new ground and enabling innovation. We are grateful for the many wonderful moments we’ve shared together.

We are proud of our successes over the many decades of Freudenberg’s history. Then as now, curiosity has been the engine driving us forward. We truly have been, as the Freudenberg tagline states, Curious since 1849.