Sonax

SONAX GmbH
legal form	GmbH
founding	1950
Seat	Neuburg an der Donau , Germany
management	Manfred Hoffmann
Number of employees	approx. 400 (2017)
sales	approx. 103 million euros (2016)
Branch	chemistry
Website	www.sonax.de

The Sonax GmbH (proper spelling SONAX ) is a German company based in Neuburg an der Donau , which chemical products and services around the car care under this brand manufactures and distributes. The company is the market leader in the industry in Germany and Austria. Another branch is located in Austria. Sonax products are represented in around 100 countries worldwide.

Group of companies

The Sonax company is part of the Hoffmann Group. This is an amalgamation of individual, independent companies that are united under the management team, advisory board and shareholders of the group. The managing director and owner of the group is Manfred Hoffmann. The company Hoffmann Mineral also belongs to the group of companies .

history

Hoffmann Mineral GmbH has been mining Neuburg Siliceous Earth since 1903 . This was part of numerous budget policies. After the Second World War , the company's chemists first developed a silver cleaning agent under the “Sona” brand, from which the car polish was later derived. The "X" came from the term "wax (x)" in the company name Sonax. Only gradually were other automotive care products added. Not everything was a success from the start: A deicing agent was created that was initially offered in glass bottles. However, when it was frosty, the de-icer froze and blew up the glass packaging.

In 1983 Hoffmann Sonax Chemie KG was taken out as an independent company from Franz Hoffmann & Söhne KG, chemical factory. The Sonax brand has been marketed as a premium care program since the mid-1980s.

Corporate development

The continuous growth of the company is illustrated by the business development: the annual turnover rose from approx. 20 million euros at the end of the 80s to over 103 million euros in 2016.

The plant on Münchener Strasse has been continuously expanded - for example with a new administration building with a training center. In 2012 a new center for application technology research and development was put into operation. With investments in the double-digit million range, production and logistics capacities have been significantly expanded since 2013. In 2014 a new building complex was put into operation.

Product range

The range includes paint care products, products for manual interior and exterior cleaning of vehicles as well as car care products for winter. There are also special products for industry and workshops and products for automated car care in washing systems . Sonax also produces cleaning and care products for use in vehicle enhancement.

Sponsorship

Motorsport

The brand is well known thanks to its longstanding commitment as a partner to numerous top teams and many well-known racing drivers. Racing drivers like Ayrton Senna , Michael Schumacher , Jacques Villeneuve , Heinz-Harald Frentzen and many teams in the DTM and Formula 1 represented the company. In the past, this included teams like Williams , BAR Honda , McLaren-Mercedes and Infiniti Red Bull Racing .

Sonax is currently supporting the Hoonigan Racing Division team by and with Ken Block and his teammate Andreas Bakkerud in the FIA World Rallycross Championship . In addition to the main sponsorship, Sonax is represented with personal sponsorships in the Porsche Supercup with Piotr Parys and in Formula E with Daniel Abt .

Skiing

The logo of the car care product manufacturer is advertised on the helmet of the Austrian ski racer Eva-Maria Brem .

Care and maintenance of the value of collector's vehicles

Volkswagen T1 with Sonax lettering in retro style

The brand is just as widespread in the market for classic automobiles as it is in the tuning segment with individualized and refined vehicles. For example, Sonax cooperates with the organizers of well-known major events such as the Hamburg-Berlin-Klassik and the Bodensee Klassik of the Axel Springer Auto Verlag as well as the ADAC Trentino Classic and the ADAC Deutschland Klassik. In the tuning sector, the brand is a partner of Tuning World Bodensee , the Essen Motor Show as well as major brand events such as the Opel meeting in Oschersleben or the GTI meeting at the Austrian Wörthersee .

distribution

Sonax sells its products through importers in more than 100 countries. In addition to the historic main market in Europe, the markets in Asia, the USA and Latin America are important growth areas. Various target groups are supplied, such as specialist dealers, petrol stations, large areas, e-commerce dealers and professional vehicle refiners .