History

from 1897 until today

With over 120 years of tradition, the Gustav Heess group of companies today presents itself as an efficient family business with headquarters in Leonberg, 6 subsidiaries and production units in Europe, the USA and Asia. Since 2025, the Gustav Heess group has been producing high-quality specialty oils and protein products at its new production site in Bischofswiesen, Germany. Over 150 employees at various locations ensure that more than 50,000 tons of our specialty oils can be delivered to our customers worldwide every year.

1897 - 2025

2025

Opening of our production site in Bischofswiesen with the world's most modern specialty oil mill and protein production facility.

2020

Competent and reliable partner for our customers for over 120 years.

2017

Upgrade of our specialty refinery with a state-of-the-art vacuum.

2016

Construction and commissioning of our new oil mill at our Caloy production unit in the USA.

2013

Move to the newly built headquarters in Leonberg with approx. 10,000 m2 of storage area, state-of-the-art filling technology under clean room conditions, 1,000,000 kg tank capacity and a cold storage room for sensitive products.

Construction and commissioning of a modern specialty refinery in our production unit Caloy in the USA.

2006

Investment in own production capacities in the USA, where in the meantime the world's leading producer of nut oils has grown up under the name Caloy.

2004

Expansion of the central laboratory unit and external accreditation according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.

1999

Presentation as a modern, international company in the new headquarters in Stuttgart-Feuerbach.

1998

Founding of the subsidiary Olisud in France.

1995

Consistent further development of the company group by the managing partners Alexander and Boris Zastrow. Certification of the company according to ISO 9002 still at the Stuttgart location in order to meet the stricter requirements for product quality.

1993

Commissioning of an own laboratory at the Stuttgart headquarters.

1990

Active development of foreign markets. Founding of subsidiary in Spain, establishing close partnerships with companies in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Italy.

1973

Continuous development of the company, increase in sales and profits. Move into a new building at Stuttgart's Westbahnhof, as premises in Cannstatt became too small.

1950

Concentration on a market segment that had previously played a secondary role - due to the war, but above all due to the decline of the industries previously supplied in Germany. Supply of industrial consumers in all sectors with vegetable and animal fats and oils and their derivatives. As a result, important customers from the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, the chemical, steel and metal industries were acquired.

1897

Foundation of a trading company in Bad Cannstatt by the merchant Gustav Heess. At that time the company supplied the textile and leather industry, which was important in southern Germany, with basic materials such as tannic acids, dye wood extracts, fatty oils and waxes.