Before Rolf Heidrich took over the family business, the current owner and CEO of HECH Nutrition worked for global service companies for over 20 years – in London, New York, Miami, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. This shaped his understanding of the demands of a detail-oriented international clientele. At the age of 40, Heidrich returned to continue running the family business in Berlin. Since the 1970s, HECH has been developing nutritional supplements to promote physical health and well-being. From the wide world to the family business – Heidrich remains true to his standards. For HECH, this means delivering benchmark-setting products of uncompromising quality. Heidrich's father still looks critically over the shoulder of his son and successor. “He was always a visionary and still keeps an eye on our product promise – and thus the family honor,” says the CEO and smiles.

Running a family business is not a privilege, but an obligation, says Heidrich—especially toward customers, but also toward employees. From his previous professional life, Heidrich brings with him an understanding of people who travel as much as they work and value results. “These customers inform themselves and want to see results,” he says. His motto for them is: “Choose HECH, not hype.” Over decades, HECH has earned the freedom to develop groundbreaking products without having to copy trends. Collagen products, which have long been on everyone's lips, were already part of HECH's range 30 years ago – initially for professional athletes who used them to regenerate their joints. Today, the range contributes to supporting healthy appearance and well-being in a holistic way. Scientifically proven effectiveness of the ingredients is a priority. Anyone who drinks collagen in their morning coffee, as is often promoted on social media, misses out on the optimal effect, says the CEO, because the protein peptides run the risk of being burned by the body as a source of energy due to the exertions of the day. “Collagen is much more effective when taken after exercise and before rest periods,” explains Heidrich. The timing and quality of the raw materials used are crucial.

In a booming market where drugstores are filling their shelves with collagen products and other dietary supplements, Heidrich has often wondered whether his uncompromising commitment to quality is the right approach. Today, he knows that it is. “Every company needs a return on investment, but what is truly valuable in the long term is a return on integrity,” he says. HECH primarily processes collagen peptides from fish skin and completely avoids pork collagen, for example. Heidrich compares the process of collagen hydrolysis, the refinement of the product, to gold: the purer the raw material becomes, the higher its potential effectiveness, he says. The resulting product is not only more effective, but also more palatable to the senses, according to the CEO. HECH has no investors, which allows the company to pursue innovation with the necessary patience and prudence. While mass market brands often cut corners on development costs and raw materials, HECH affords itself the luxury of investing time and expertise in every step: HECH products are developed with the experience of five in-house scientists and feedback from experts in the fields of medical beauty and longevity (such as the renowned Haut- und Laser-centrum Potsdam).

This commitment is paying off: HECH's “NADH & Saffron Bioactives Emerald Elixir” won the prestigious Nutra Ingredients Europe Award in the “Beauty-from-Within: Product of the Year” category in May 2025. The jury highlighted the unique combination of ingredients in this product and its potential to change the market, especially in the area of longevity. The product not only supports healthy-looking skin, but also has a positive effect on cell energy and longevity.

Care, innovation, and integrity are among the company's core values. They shape not only its development, but also its relationships with customers, partners, suppliers, and employees. “Trust is my currency,” says Heidrich. This also means that sometimes a ‘no’ is more valuable than a ‘yes.’ “HECH as a company is relationship-based,” says the CEO. The company's international expansion is also based on this attitude.

During his time in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Heidrich saw how collagen drinks are consumed as a matter of course in Asia. At that time, HECH was still a pioneer, but today the family business is an established brand beyond Europe: in May, it celebrated the product launch at the Beautystore Group Lintons Beauty World in Kenya, a rapidly growing market where the predominantly female customers are primarily looking for appreciation and authenticity.

But HECH does not expand at any price: “We go where we encounter great interest,” says Heidrich. This also fits in with the family business: markets are not conquered, but developed in partnership. The company is therefore selective in its activities in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the USA—with partners who fit in with its philosophy. For the CEO, expansion is not a race for market share, but a continuation of the same attitude that characterizes the products: innovation and maximum effectiveness, care, and integrity. The goal is not to supply the whole world, but precisely those customers who have the highest standards—and that is exactly what HECH fulfills. Quality is not just a selling point here, but also a promise to customers and partners. “It's a wonderful feeling to be able to follow this path,” says Heidrich.

Foto: HECH Europe GmbH – dnd AT