Alfred Ritter – A name with tradition.
For as long as there has been RITTER SPORT there has been the name Alfred Ritter. Since the company’s founding in 1912 its owners have not only passed on the family company from generation to generation but also their name. Perhaps it’s a coincidence or perhaps it’s a question of taste. The family’s way of thinking, however, is not: The belief in and love of good chocolate are closely tied to the Ritter name.
Undisputed is the fact that each of the three “Alfred Ritters” has made a crucial step forward with the RITTER SPORT company and brand. Alfred Eugen Ritter made the first step by founding the company. His contribution has probably been the most important: He married the right woman. Ultimately it was Clara Ritter’s (née Göttle) ingenious idea to manufacture a chocolate in square form and so invent RITTER SPORT chocolate. Under Alfred Eugen Ritter’s leadership the company expanded so quickly that in 1930 the company had to relocate from Cannstatt to Waldenbuch.
His son, Alfred Otto Ritter, expanded the business-with-the-square-bars. Step-by-step, he gradually phased out all other articles, such as long bars, pralines and hollow chocolate figures, from their range and concentrated on the RITTER SPORT 100g square. In 1974, he revolutionised the chocolate market with the introduction of the “brightly coloured range” and did so again in 1976 with the introduction of the snap-open pack. In doing so, he laid the most important corner stones for today’s brand. Under his leadership the brand established itself nation-wide, with the slogan “QUALITY. CHOCOLATE. SQUARED.”
In 1983, Alfred Theodor Ritter took over as chairman of the Advisory Committee and in 2005 the management of the company. His sister, Marli Hoppe-Ritter, currently chairs the Advisory Committee. Together, they run the Swabian family-owned company – now in its third generation – with growing success. Today, you can enjoy RITTER SPORT chocolate in 80 countries. Through innovations like RITTER SPORT Mini Chocolate, RITTER SPORT 250g Big Chocolate, and RITTER SPORT Schokowürfel, the brand has kept growing over the years.
The two of them have especially focussed on traditional values like the continuous development of RITTER SPORT chocolate’s taste and quality. At the same time, they have concentrated on only using high-quality ingredients such as carefully selected hazelnuts or genuine, fine marzipan. RITTER SPORT also takes the environmental responsibility of a large company very seriously. In 1991, a changeover to fully recyclable single-material packaging, made from polypropylene, was implemented. This reduced materials consumption by approximately 1000 tonnes per year. The company also has its own combined heating and power station, plus a solar energy plant. Remaining energy needs are met with the use of green electricity. The combined heating and power station alone amounts to a reduction of 6,800 tonnes of CO ² being released into the environment per year.
The demand for high quality and the Ritter family quality guarantee has linked grandfather, father, and son since 1912. The Ritter family quality guarantee stands for care and passion in the selection and processing of ingredients into the best quality chocolate. Because Ritters happily break bars of chocolate but never promises.
