Werner & Mertz
German family-owned manufacturer of cleaning, detergent, shoe-care and professional hygiene products.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Werner & Mertz GmbH is a German family-owned manufacturer of cleaning and care products headquartered in Mainz. The company traces its origins to the wax-goods factory Gebrüder Werner, established in Mainz in 1867 by brothers Friedrich Christoph Werner and Georg Werner. After Georg Mertz joined the business, the company adopted the Werner & Mertz name and developed from a wax processor into a branded consumer-products manufacturer. Its oldest major consumer brand is Erdal, introduced for shoe polish in 1901. The product used wax-based technology and was marketed with the frog emblem that later became a prominent visual symbol associated with the company. Erdal grew into one of Germany’s leading shoe-care brands during the early twentieth century, supported by expanded distribution, advertising and additional leather-care products. Werner & Mertz also broadened its shoe-care portfolio through the 1928 acquisition of Urban & Lemm, whose Urbin product complemented Erdal. The company experienced substantial physical disruption during the twentieth century. Fires destroyed or damaged its Mainz facilities in 1908 and 1917, prompting reconstruction and the development of the factory complex on Ingelheimer Aue. A major Allied air raid in 1944 destroyed most of the company’s buildings, although the landmark Frosch Tower survived. Production resumed after the Second World War once the required Allied permits had been obtained. Werner & Mertz subsequently expanded beyond shoe care into household cleaning, including bathroom and carpet products, particularly during the 1950s. Its portfolio later developed across several market segments. Tana Chemie GmbH was founded in 1971 to serve professional and institutional customers such as restaurants, hospitals, industrial sites and offices. Other brands and business lines have included Frosch, Emsal, Rorax, Bionicdry, tana professional and green care professional. Frosch, launched in 1986 with a phosphate-free household cleaning product, became the company’s highest-selling brand and the main vehicle for its environmental positioning. Sustainability has increasingly shaped Werner & Mertz’s corporate strategy and public identity. Under Reinhard Schneider, who assumed company management in 2000, the business strengthened its environmental-management program, with production sites certified under the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme from 2003. The company introduced recycled plastic into production in 2008 and formally launched its Recyclat Initiative in 2012, working with external partners including the Green Dot and NABU to promote the use of post-consumer recycled plastics and higher recycling rates. Frosch detergent packaging has subsequently emphasized recycled content, while the company has also developed packaging intended to support circular use of plastics. Werner & Mertz remains a privately held, family-run enterprise. Its business combines mass-market household cleaning and detergent products with shoe and leather care, floor and furniture care, and professional cleaning and hygiene solutions. Although its brands are sold beyond Germany, the company is particularly associated with German environmental product standards, recycled-plastic packaging and the Frosch brand’s sustainability-led market positioning.
History
Werner & Mertz began in Mainz in 1867 as the wax-goods factory Gebrüder Werner, founded by Friedrich Christoph Werner and Georg Werner. Georg Mertz later joined the business as a partner, giving rise to the Werner & Mertz name. After Mertz’s death in 1887, management passed to his brother-in-law Philipp Adam Schneider and the company entered a long period of Schneider-family control that continues through the present ownership structure. Rudolf Schneider took over management in 1901, initially at the age of 19, and from 1903 operated alongside his brother Hermann Schneider. That year the business introduced Erdal shoe polish, developed from the company’s wax-processing expertise. The product was marketed under the Erdal name, derived from the company’s former Mainz address, and adopted the frog-king emblem in 1903. Erdal became the company’s defining product and one of Germany’s strongest shoe-care brands. During the period from 1912 to 1939, Werner & Mertz expanded its shoe-care range, distribution network, production capacity and advertising. The 1928 acquisition of Urban & Lemm added the Urbin shoe-cleaning product. The company’s manufacturing history was marked by repeated fires and wartime destruction. A fire destroyed the factory and adjoining residential building on Erthalstraße in 1908. Werner & Mertz moved into a new factory on Ingelheimer Aue later that year. Another fire in 1917 led to further reconstruction, completed in 1918. The Frosch Tower formed part of this complex and remained a recognizable Mainz landmark associated with the Erdal business. During the Second World War, production continued while approximately 20 forced laborers from Poland, Russia and France worked for the company. Werner & Mertz later made compensation payments through the German industry fund established in connection with the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future. An Allied air raid in 1944 destroyed roughly 80 percent of the company’s buildings, but the Frosch Tower survived. After the war, production restarted following the issuance of the required Allied permits. Werner & Mertz expanded beyond shoe care during the postwar decades, especially in the 1950s, adding household products for bathrooms, carpets and other cleaning applications. The company established Tana Chemie GmbH in 1971 to supply professional users, including hospitality, healthcare, industrial and office customers. This move created a second major business area alongside branded household products. Environmental positioning became increasingly central from the 1980s onward. In 1986, Werner & Mertz introduced Frosch with a phosphate-free household cleaning product. The brand eventually became the company’s largest-selling line and a major example of environmentally oriented mass-market cleaning. Erdal’s shoe-care range became solvent-free in 1996, while Emsal products shifted toward naturally based ingredients from 2009. The company also developed professional ranges under the tana professional and green care professional names, alongside Rorax and Bionicdry. Reinhard Schneider assumed company management in 2000, representing the fifth generation of family leadership. Under his direction, Werner & Mertz formalized environmental and sustainability management. Its production facilities have been certified under the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme since 2003. Recycled plastic entered production in 2008, and the company launched the Recyclat Initiative in 2012. The initiative sought to increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastic, cooperate with recycling-sector and environmental organizations, and encourage public policy supporting higher recycling rates. The company moved its head office into an energy-positive building on Rheinallee in Mainz in 2010. Its environmental and packaging efforts subsequently received several awards, including recognition from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, LEED Platinum certification for the administrative building, and awards for the Recyclat Initiative. The L8 production center in Mainz opened in 2019 after an investment described by the company as its largest single investment to that point. More recent packaging work has focused on recycled-plastic bottles and components designed for circular use. Werner & Mertz remains a privately held German manufacturer whose identity combines established care brands with a strong sustainability and recycling agenda.
- 2019
L8 production center opens
[1]Werner & Mertz inaugurates a new production center in Mainz.
- 2012
Recyclat Initiative is launched
[1]The company establishes a formal program to expand the use of post-consumer recycled plastics and promote improved recycling systems.
- 2010
Energy-positive headquarters opens
[1]Werner & Mertz moves its headquarters into an energy-positive building on Rheinallee in Mainz.
- 2008
Recycled plastic enters production
[1]The company begins using recycled plastic in its production and packaging activities.
- 2003
EMAS environmental certification begins
[1]Werner & Mertz production facilities receive certification under the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.
- 2000
Reinhard Schneider assumes company management
[1]Reinhard Schneider takes over management and advances the company’s environmental and sustainability program.
- 1996
Erdal shoe care becomes solvent-free
[1]The Erdal shoe-care range adopts solvent-free formulations.
- 1986
Frosch launches
[1]Werner & Mertz introduces Frosch with a phosphate-free household cleaning product, beginning the brand’s sustainability-led expansion.
- 1971
Tana Chemie is founded
[1]The company creates Tana Chemie GmbH to supply professional and institutional cleaning customers.
- 1953
Austrian branch factory is established
[1]Werner & Mertz establishes a branch factory in Hallein, Austria.
Products and positioning
Sustainability-oriented, family-owned German manufacturer of household, shoe-care and professional cleaning products, with emphasis on environmental formulation, recycled packaging and circularity.
Household cleaning and detergents · 1986
Frosch
Frosch is Werner & Mertz’s leading consumer brand and the principal expression of its environmental positioning. Introduced in 1986 with a phosphate-free household cleaning product, the brand has expanded across detergents, cleaners and related household applications. Its identity emphasizes environmentally oriented formulations and packaging, including bottles made with recycled plastic. Frosch is described as the company’s highest-selling brand.
Shoe and leather care · 1901
Erdal
Erdal is Werner & Mertz’s historic shoe-care brand, introduced in 1901 as a wax-based shoe polish. It became one of the best-known shoe-care products in Germany and was supported by the frog emblem introduced in 1903. The range later broadened to other leather-care applications, and Erdal products have been marketed with solvent-free formulations since 1996.
Floor, furniture and household care
Emsal
Emsal is a Werner & Mertz care-products brand covering household applications such as floor and furniture maintenance. The company has stated that Emsal products have used naturally based ingredients since 2009, aligning the line with its broader sustainability-oriented positioning.
Professional cleaning
tana professional
tana professional represents Werner & Mertz’s professional cleaning business. It serves institutional and commercial users that require cleaning and hygiene solutions for settings such as offices, hospitality, healthcare and industrial facilities. The line developed from the company’s professional-chemicals activities associated with Tana Chemie.
Professional hygiene and cleaning
green care professional
green care professional is a professional cleaning and hygiene range positioned around environmentally responsible products and operating practices. It extends Werner & Mertz’s sustainability approach from household consumer goods into commercial and institutional cleaning environments.
Drain and household cleaning
Rorax
Rorax is one of Werner & Mertz’s household cleaning brands. It forms part of the company’s broader branded portfolio alongside Frosch, Erdal and Emsal, although the supplied reference material does not specify its complete product range or launch history.
Household care
Bionicdry
Bionicdry is a Werner & Mertz brand included in the company’s portfolio of household care products. The available reference material identifies the brand but does not provide enough detail to describe its full assortment or launch chronology.
Controversies
1988
Leather-spray product-liability prosecution
Werner & Mertz and company managers were prosecuted in Germany over allegations that a leather spray was not withdrawn promptly despite awareness of health risks dating from 1980, and that adequate warning labels were not added in time. An appellate ruling by Germany’s Federal Court of Justice confirmed managerial responsibility and liability.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Circular-economy spray-head project
Europe
Werner & Mertz worked with Berry Global on a spray head designed with circular-economy considerations.
Outcome. The project received a WorldStar Packaging Award.
- 2019Recycled-plastic shower-gel packaging
Germany · Europe
Werner & Mertz introduced a shower-gel bottle made entirely from recycled plastic sourced from the German Yellow Sack collection system.
Outcome. The packaging project reinforced the company’s effort to use post-consumer recyclate in consumer-product packaging.
- 2012Recyclat Initiative
Germany · Europe
Werner & Mertz launched the Recyclat Initiative to increase the use of plastics recovered from household waste in product packaging. The program also promoted higher recycling rates and cooperation across the recycling value chain, including work with the Green Dot and consultation with NABU.
Outcome. The initiative became a central part of the company’s sustainability profile and received several environmental and packaging awards in 2014.
Brand decisions
2019
Opening of the L8 production centerOtherBackground
Werner & Mertz continued investing in its Mainz manufacturing base and sustainability-oriented production infrastructure.
Action taken
The company inaugurated the L8 production center in Mainz.
Aftermath
The facility was described as the company’s largest single investment at the time and expanded its modern production capacity.
Investment. €30 million (2019)
2012
Expansion of post-consumer recycled plastic useStrategyBackground
The company had begun using recycled plastic in production in 2008 and sought to reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based plastic.
Action taken
Werner & Mertz established the Recyclat Initiative to promote packaging made with material recovered from household waste.
Aftermath
The initiative became an important part of the company’s sustainability communications and received multiple awards in 2014.
2000
Sustainability-led management strategyStrategyBackground
Reinhard Schneider took over company management as the fifth generation of the Schneider family’s leadership.
Action taken
The company strengthened environmental management, sustainable product development and resource-efficiency initiatives.
Aftermath
Sustainability became a defining feature of Werner & Mertz’s corporate identity and brand portfolio.
1986
Launch of the Frosch brandProduct launchBackground
Werner & Mertz sought to expand its household-cleaning business while responding to growing interest in environmentally oriented products.
Action taken
The company introduced Frosch with a phosphate-free household cleaning product.
Aftermath
Frosch became Werner & Mertz’s highest-selling brand and a major sustainability reference point in the cleaning-products market.
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