The first Luxembourg-based company to become B Corp certified, Ramborn recently surpassed the 1 million mark in terms of square metres of biodiverse habitat it has revived. Founder Carlo Hein talks about the guiding principles behind the company’s success.
The award-winning craft cider house Ramborn was recently re-certified as a B Corp company, this time gaining an additional 10 points, placing it among the top 5% B Corp beverage companies worldwide. B Corp certification uses an auditing process to assess sustainable standards along multiple parts of a business, from supply chain to employee benefits, charity giving, etc.
Nestled along the Sûre River in Born, Ramborn launched in 2015 with the aim to harvest the fruit in nearby orchards which weren’t always being well tended, with fruit sometimes going to waste. The company works with over 300 local farmers and tree owners, in Luxembourg and Germany, to produce its range of ciders, perries and fruit juices.
In 2017, it opened its “Cider Haff”, or cider farmhouse, where its drinks and other related items, are sold. A year later, the site won the Luxembourg Tourism Innovation Award for circular economy and sustainable development.
“When you do things right, the strength of the stakeholders around you is much more positive and gives you the energy to go on if times are sometimes tough,” comments Carlo Hein, Ramborn founder.
In 2020, it launched a line of juices using apples, pears and quince, plus a sparkling apple drink, and regularly launches other seasonal products, like pink cider rosé or ice cider.
“When children take photos, they discover new things… it’s very important we reconnect with nature, especially the next generation.”
Carlo Hein, Ramborn founder.
Orchards among the stakeholders
The key to the company’s success? “When you do things right, the strength of the stakeholders around you is much more positive and gives you the energy to go on if times are sometimes tough,” says founder Carlo Hein, who includes the orchards themselves among the stakeholders. “It’s a lot of small successes at different levels and not one financial number.”
In 2023, the company surpassed 1 million m2 of revived biodiverse habitat, with orchards being home to a vast range of wildlife. Hein says that the +10 points increase in the B Corp certification could be attributed to the continued work Ramborn is doing in the circular economy, but also strides in its governance: “Finance is not a priority. Other stakeholders are extremely important,” he adds.
Already present in Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Germany, the UK and US, Ramborn plans this year to develop its relationship with clients there without hunting for new ones. Meanwhile, “In Luxembourg, we want to get a broader customer base,” Hein adds.
“The customer needs good products, our mission is deliver those, but at the same time we want to reduce our negative impact and increase our positive impact—but that’s our mission,” argues Carlo Hein, Ramborn founder.
On climate and community
The challenges of a decade ago aren’t the same as today. In July 2021, Ramborn was awarded one of the Best for the World™ B Corps of 2021. A day later, their premises were flooded.
Hein says this isn’t the only way the company has felt the impact of climate change. “When the winter is warmer, the blossoming of the trees is earlier. Late frosts can destroy the blossom,” he explains. “When we have a hot summer, it’s stressful for the trees, and they produce less fruit the year after.”
The company has established an adopt-a-tree programme, allowing any individual to choose a tree to adopt for a year or longer and then track the impact of the contribution. The founder adds that it takes 30 years for an apple tree to mature and produce fruit, and it’s unclear what the challenges three decades from now will look like.
While the company felt the pressure during the COVID-19 years—as the gastronomy sector took a hit—Hein is looking forward this year to further integrating into the Luxembourg community. Visitors to the site are encouraged to hike around the orchards in the area, and the company regularly hosts annual family-friendly events, such as wassailing nights and harvest days.
This April, Ramborn will team up again with partners like the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and the Musée national d’histoire naturelle for the eighth edition of the City Nature Challenge, where participants are encouraged to snap photos of local flora and fauna through the iNaturalist app.
“When children take photos, they discover new things… it’s very important we reconnect with nature, especially the next generation,” concludes Carlo Hein, Ramborn founder.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Forbes Luxembourg here.
