While studying industrial engineering in Kaiserslautern in the early 1990s, Rolf Sorg was looking for extra income and discovered direct sales. “I immediately appreciated being able to earn money flexibly, deciding when and where to work according to my schedule,” recalls Sorg, who soon became the most successful distributor at the company he worked with.
When said company went out of business, Sorg decided to use his savings to found his own direct selling company PM-International at a pivotal moment in 1993. He saw the potential in healthy lifestyle and food supplements, even though it was not mainstream at the time. “There is far more awareness today for the fact that healthy nutrition can support a healthy lifestyle, and the interest is still growing.” In 1998, Sorg moved from south Germany to Luxembourg, where he lives with his wife and son, and has been a citizen since 2009.
A healthy instinct for success
The main products are nutrional supplements and sports products under the FitLine brand, but they also have a series of FitLine skin cosmetics. In 28 years, more than 700 million products have been sold in over 40 countries worldwide. Today, the group is Europe’s largest direct selling company in the area of health, fitness and beauty and is number 10 in the Direct Selling News (DSN) Global 100 Direct Sales companies in the world. The group hit its first billion in sales in 2019, and was recognized as the fastest-growing international DSN Global 100 company in 2020, having increased its annual worldwide sales by more than 50% to reach over $1.7bn last year.
Beyond business achievements, his wife Vicki Sorg manages the group’s corporate charity “PM We Care”, including their long-standing cooperation with World Vision, through which they sponsor 3,000 children and have donated a total sum of €4.3 million.
Schengen: an international gateway
The group’s international growth began immediately in Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific and the Americas. In 2015, Rolf Sorg chose Schengen as PM-International’s world headquarters. “There are not many places where you can see three countries from your office window. Schengen is a perfect base to steer an international business.” The group has close to 800 employees and several hundred thousand individual distribution partners globally. There are more than 100 employees of 20 different nationalities based in Schengen, and recruitment is ongoing.
“Being fully family-owned and operated enables us to maintain one voice, to make quick decisions and to work according our values as a company and to share these with our partners and distributors. We don’t just plan for the next quarter, but for the next generation,” says Mr Sorg. “We distribute and develop premium products and our ultimate goal is to become the market leader, while creating opportunities and sustainable growth for future generations.”
PM-International is always looking for creative and passionate talents who want to grow, find a purpose in their work and contribute to the company’s vision. To find out more, go .