For us, sustainability is where we come from, not a trend. We have worked with vegetable oils since 1896 and have turned them into chemistry for more than 60 years. Our portfolio is the proof: on average, 62 % of the carbon in our products comes from bio-based or recycled raw materials.
Nature serves as a renewable source for our products. Unsaturated vegetable oils, their fatty acids, and derivatives are our bio-based raw materials - polyols → Merginol, epoxidised vegetable oils and esters → Merginat, hardeners for epoxy resins → Merginamide as well as conjugated fatty acids → Isomergic acid and other specialities are our contribution to the future.
EcoVadis awarded our sustainability management a Platinum medal in 2026, placing us among the top 1 % of all rated companies. The rating applies to the company, not to individual products. More about our EcoVadis medal
Innovation is our passion. It is always based on an appreciation of nature and the responsibility to operate within the limits of our planet.
We are committed to the continuous development of our processes and products.
As a flexible partner, we inspire our customers to develop innovative solutions and new products that are based on renewable raw materials. This improves their market opportunities. We take on challenges to create a solid basis for life and the best prospects for future generations.
Our research pushes boundaries.
For over 65 years, our creative researchers have been developing new possibilities. These diverse applications make life easier, safer, and more comfortable.
We make an important contribution to the resilience of aircraft, car, train, and automotive coatings. We also ensure that wind turbines can withstand the elements and guarantee a sense of well-being on wooden floors and mattresses, among other things. As a family business, we enable a wide variety of customers worldwide to use chemical components based on vegetable oils - regardless of whether they are medium-sized companies or multinational corporations.
HOBUM - in the best tradition.
Our company, now in its fourth generation, has been producing at its Hamburg-Harburg site since 1896. We are continuing the family tradition of the founders Max Brinckman and Arnold Mergell today: Harburger Oelwerke Brinckman und Mergell, HOBUM for short, is still family-owned. As owners, the Mergell family continues the corporate philosophy of the two founders in a contemporary, sustainable way.
