Betterwood is the somewhat different timber trade: more sustainable, more transparent and more committed than traditional companies. At this point, we would like to give you a look behind the scenes and introduce you to the people who make Betterwood possible.
We founded our company in 2009. Our aim was to promote sustainable forest management in the tropics and thus stop the displacement of forests by agriculture. The idea came from Christian Körting, who started the project together with his sister Catherine Körting. Together with Philip Jaeger, Catherine’s partner, the company was founded.
Founding location: Ganghoferstraße 2, Berlin-Neukölln
Betterwood website in 2011
Originally, our business idea was to act as an agency to broker certified tropical timber to the timber trade. However, the established companies in the industry showed little interest in the eco-tropical timber. This gave rise to the idea of direct sales: why not work without agencies, importers and wholesalers and deliver the good wood directly to private customers and their craftsmen? Our online store Betterwood was the key to this: more transparent, more direct and more ecological. This also allowed the sustainable idea to unfold its power. This is because, unlike large sections of the trade, private customers are interested in whether forests are destroyed or protected for their patios.
While our distribution was always in Berlin (from Neukölln to Treptow and today in Moabit), our warehouses moved across Germany. We stored our first container of FSC®-certified Cumaru decking boards from Bolivia with a freight forwarder in Hamburg. The camp then moved to Michendorf near Potsdam. In 2014, we moved into a warehouse in Nümbrecht in the Cologne area. And since 2021, we have been stored in Drolshagen near Olpe. The location, space and local employees have allowed us to put down roots there.
Our Nümbrecht warehouse before the move to Drolshagen
One of eight halls in our warehouse in Drolshagen
A lot has changed since we were founded a good ten years ago. The idea of sustainability has moved from a niche to the center of society. Online retail has established itself. Thousands of customers know us and have recommended us to others. So far, we have been able to do without advertising and prefer to use the money to support environmental projects. We grow every year, without outside investors and using only our own resources. We have expanded our warehouse and now have 8,000 square meters of space available in Drolshagen. With our planning tools, we are also the technological pioneers in the industry. And we never lose sight of our founding idea: To promote sustainable forest management in order to protect the forest.
Founder and management
Marketing, Personnel
Catherine was born in Bogotá and grew up there with her brother Christian. After graduating from high school, she moved to Germany. After working in Hamburg and Munich, she now lives in Berlin. She is our Managing Director and is responsible for marketing and personnel at our company.
Founder and management
Purchasing, warehouse, sustainability
Christian grew up in Bogotá together with his sister Catherine. Today, he is head of purchasing and is responsible for cooperation with environmental protection organizations and for our environmental projects. Christian is a member of the Advisory Board of the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) and the Tropical Timber Committee of FSC® Germany.
Founder and management
Technology, finance, sales, logistics
Philip grew up in the Oberberg district, near our current camp. He studied philosophy and history, founded a magazine and worked as a journalist for the business magazines Capital and Impulse. Today, he is responsible for technological development, finance, sales and logistics in our company.
Sales management
Onno has known our company since its beginnings: it was founded at his kitchen table. Born in Hamburg, he obtained a master’s degree in philosophy and history at Humboldt University in Berlin, founded a magazine with fellow student Philip Jaeger and is now head of sales at Betterwood.
Warehouse and logistics
Colin organizes the internal processes in the warehouse and is in charge of the inventory. He started with us as an order picker and knows the processes inside out.
Marketing and certification
Lorena is a trained musical singer and the wife of our purchasing manager Christian Körting. After working for Stage Entertainment in Stuttgart and on the Aida Cruises cruise ships, she is responsible for our social media presence and FSC certification.
IT support & website
Matthias produced music for a long time and then presented it live as a DJ or in bands. After his training as an IT specialist for application development, he now supports us in the IT area and in the further development and maintenance of the website.
Distribution
Pascal studied Economics and Business in Amsterdam and Environmental Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin. He is the contact person for our customers and develops our sustainability concept together with Christian Körting.
Order picking and production
Nine employees in the warehouse ensure that our customers receive hand-sorted goods and that the custom-made products fit. They don’t want to see photos of themselves on the Internet – but our forklifts are also important helpers.
A ZDF film team accompanied our Managing Director Catherine Körting to Peru and to our warehouse in Drolshagen. The result is a report about our supply chain and how our sustainable forestry can help protect the rainforest. The report was broadcast in April 2024 in the program Plan B.
The ZDF report was dubbed into English for Deutsche Welle and broadcast in 160 countries. We are delighted that our non-German-speaking customers can now also see a TV report about us.
The team from the ProSieben program “Galileo” visited us in our camp and in one of our forests in Peru. The result is a film that describes our new approach to the timber trade.
In late summer 2016, our founder Catherine Körting Pacheco was profiled by the WE Project (Women Entrepreneurs Project) of the European Commission. Co-founders Christian Körting Pacheco and Philip Jaeger also have their say.
From now on, the sustainable origin of cumaru wood must be proven when it is imported into Switzerland. Betterwood is [...]
Our AI assistant Woody is constantly learning and helps our customers with answers to their questions.
A TV report about Betterwood was broadcast in over 160 countries - and we received many encouraging messages from all [...]
Tropical wood is not all bad - the Tagesspiegel reports on Betterwood, our wood and our sustainability.
from 9,10 €
Cumaru decking boards, FSC 100%
Price from: € 70 per m2, resistance class: 1
Advantages: ✓ best durability ✓ particularly robust and scratch-resistant
Disadvantages: ✗ Partly rough surface ✗ High force development
Tip: Sand the boards after the first weathering.
from 1,10 €
from 2,95 €
Teak decking boards, FSC 100%
Price from: € 130 per m2, resistance class: 1
Advantages: ✓ Best durability and dimensional stability ✓ Lowest risk of cracking and splintering
Disadvantages: ✗ Relatively expensive ✗ Not very long planks
Tip: Lay decking boards together.
from 5,45 €
Teak decking boards, FSC 100%
Price from: € 130 per m2, resistance class: 1
Advantages: ✓ Best durability and dimensional stability ✓ Lowest risk of cracking and splintering
Disadvantages: ✗ Relatively expensive ✗ Not very long planks
Tip: Lay decking boards together.
7,50 €
Teak wood tiles, FSC 100%
Price: € 83 per m2, resistance class: 1
Advantages:✓ Best durability and dimensional stability ✓ Lowest risk of cracking and splintering
Disadvantages: ✗ slightly more expensive
Tip: Decking oil is not necessary if silvering is desired.
from 9,10 €
Garapa decking boards, FSC 100%
Price from: € 65 per m2, resistance class: 1-2
Advantages: ✓ smooth surface ✓ homogeneous, light color
Disadvantages: ✗ Ferrous materials lead to discoloration ✗ Tendency to warp if not screwed down
Tip: patio cleaning removes discoloration and
professional interim storage prevents warping.
