Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

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Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG
Company typePrivate (SE & Co. KG)
IndustryLogistics
Founded1871
FounderCarl Heinrich Hellmann
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Reiner Heiken (CEO)
  • Stefan Borggreve (CDO)
  • Martin Eberle (CFO)
  • Jens Wollesen (COO)
Services
  • Airfreight
  • Seafreight
  • Roadfreight
  • Railfreight
Revenue5.0 billion (2022)
Number of employees
13,949 (2022)
Websitewww.hellmann.com

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG is a German transport and logistics company headquartered in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, with a global presence on all continents. It has been family-owned since its foundation in 1871.[1] Hellmann is active in airfreight, seafreight, roadfreight, railfreight, and contract logistics.[2]

History[edit]

In 1871, Carl Heinrich Hellmann founded a sole proprietorship in Osnabrück that transported goods by horse-drawn vehicles. One of the first customers was the steel mill in Georgsmarienhütte. Carl's sons Heinrich and Friedrich continued the business under Gebr. Hellmann from 1906. They passed their shares to their children and grandchildren in the following decades.[3]

The company was almost completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in 1945 in Reichsbahn barracks in Osnabrück. In 1949, the first branch was opened in Hamburg, and in 1953, the second branch was added in Bremen. Hellmann was thus present at the two most important German ports.

By 1961, Hellmann had replaced the last horse-drawn wagons with modern vehicles.[4] In 1976 and 1989, the cousins Klaus and Jost Hellmann took over the legacy of their fathers.

In 1976, Hellmann played a leading role in the founding of Deutscher Paket-Dienst (DPD). It was the first private provider to compete with the Bundespost. At the same time Hellmann accelerated internationalization and opened a branch in Hong Kong in 1982. The company has also been present in the United States since 1988. Hellmann continuously drove internationalization forward and today has 241 offices in 54 countries.

Since 1999, the company has been operating under Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. In 2018, the Hellmann family withdrew from active management of the company and handed it over to external management.[5]

Business activities[edit]

Roadfreight of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

The company operates as a limited partnership with limited liability (SE & Co. KG).[6] The company's management board consists of Reiner Heiken (CEO), Stefan Borggreve (CDO), Martin Eberle (CFO), and Jens Wollesen (COO). In addition, the company has a supervisory board with six members. The chairman of the supervisory board is Thomas Lieb. Jost and Klaus Hellmann, as key shareholders, continue to be involved in strategic directions.[7]

The company is divided into four business units: airfreight, seafreight, road and rail (overland transport), and contract logistics.[8][9][10]

The main region for land transport is Europe. The company is a partner of System Alliance Europe.[11] In addition to direct services, there are daily lines for general cargo transport. Recently, rail transport has developed into a growth area for the company in Europe as well as to and from Asia being shifted to rail. It established a weekly rail connection between Germany and the People's Republic of China.[12][13]

Sustainability[edit]

Hellmann has signed the United Nations Global Compact.[14] The company is a Sustainable Air Freight Alliance (SAFA) member. Partial seafreight shipments are carbon neutral as standard. Hellmann also supports numerous ecological and social initiatives.[15]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Schleutker, Sonja (10 July 2000). "Einmal um die Welt und zurück nach Deutschland". Die Welt (in German). p. 44.
  2. ^ Scheele, Martin (17 August 2004). "Easy Driver". Manager Magazin (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  3. ^ Kallmeier, Nina (26 October 2021). "Vom Pferdewagen zum internationalen Logistiker". Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). p. 12.
  4. ^ Dienel, Hans-Liudger; Schiedt, Hans-Ulrich, eds. (2010). Die moderne Straße: Planung, Bau und Verkehr vom 18. bis zum 20. Jahrhundert (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag. p. 385. ISBN 978-3-593-39157-1.
  5. ^ Schlautmann, Christoph (17 May 2018). "Schwerer Abschied". Handelsblatt (in German). p. 44.
  6. ^ "Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG". Unternehmensregister (in German). Bundesanzeiger Verlag. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  7. ^ Reimann, Sebastian (18 January 2022). "Interview: "Familienmitglieder einigen sich."". Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. ^ Jüngst, Ilona (23 November 2022). "Hellmann baut Angebot aus: Neue Branchenlösungen". Eurotransport (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  9. ^ Reichel, Johannes (22 November 2022). "Hellmann launcht drei neue Industry Solutions". Logistra (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  10. ^ Knüpfer, Gunnar (20 September 2022). "Produktionsversorgung: Claas vertraut bei neuem Lager in Oelde auf Hellmann". Logistik Heute (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  11. ^ "All Our Partners". System Alliance Europe eG. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  12. ^ Kallmeier, Nina (27 January 2022). "Hellmann erweitert Seidenstraße". Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  13. ^ König, Ewald (2 September 2019). "Bahn statt Schiff: Porsche nutzt die neue Seidenstraße". Tagesspiegel Background (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Hellmann Worldwide Logistics GmbH & Co. KG". Global Compact. United Nations. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Mein Fuhrmann ist ein Öko!". Die Tageszeitung (in German). 10 February 1998. p. 24. Retrieved 6 September 2023.

External links[edit]