Michael Gracher did not plan to found the company. It happened by chance and as a favor: at the time, the former alternative practitioner and homeopath had agreed to import the coveted grapefruit seed extract from the USA for his colleagues. This was because it was not available in Germany before 1994.

The heart of the matter

Today, this willingness to help has grown into a company that manufactures and sells over 35 products with a 25-strong team. However, it was a long road to get there: in the beginning, Gracher worked in parallel as a naturopath and ran GSE on the side. In the beginning, he filled the bottles at home and labeled them by hand.

Slowly and steadily, GSE took up more and more space, the first employees were hired and suddenly GSE already had 500 customers. The growth virtually pushed itself forward, on the one hand through demand from specialist circles and from suppliers who suggested new products.

O sole, bio!

With the introduction of CitroPlus®the world's first organic grapefruit seed extract, GSE achieved a sensational product innovation in 2003. It wasn't easy ... Because it was extremely difficult to procure the raw materials in organic quality and the certification also placed high demands. But if you are firmly convinced that organic is the right way to go, you will reach your destination, where CitroPlus® is already waiting. And the Phyto Vitamins - a dream came true for Michael Gracher in 2013: he had always wanted to produce vitamins from plants. As a naturopath, he was familiar with phytotherapy and knew which valuable accompanying substances are contained in plants. Offering these in standardized form as food supplements was a great moment. And it wasn't just the products that were innovative, but also André Schön's fresh and minimalist design.

Strong roots that show the way

Shortly before the 25th anniversary, Gracher initiated a generational change and handed over the management of GSE entirely into the hands of Anja Binger and André Schön. Previously, the three of them managed GSE, but now Gracher is allowing himself a little more free time after a quarter of a century at GSE. However, the company can continue to count on his advice - for example, when it comes to new product developments, and a lot is already planned. The future can come!

Our thoughts on the 25th anniversary

• "To stay true to ourselves and still be open to new developments. This is typical of GSE and I hope that we continue on this path!"
• "I want GSE to retain its flat hierarchies and family structures. I also wish for healthy growth and for the management to be rewarded for their courage and commitment"
• "It is remarkable that there has been constant positive development. Our company is an extremely healthy one, there has always been enough budget to work freely and realize ideas. The room for maneuver has always been enormous and I hope that GSE stays that way, which is something I am committed to. I am also committed to ensuring that we maintain our attitude of doing meaningful work, creating and maintaining jobs and always creating a working atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable."