MANFRED KÖHLER TAKES OVER SHARES OF HUETTEMANN GROUP
It is a unique event in Huettemann’s corporate history: at the turn of the year, the long-standing managing director of Huettemann Holding, Manfred Köhler (56), took over five percent of the shares in the group of companies from owner Klaus Hüttemann. This is the first time that a person outside the Hüttemann family has been a shareholder.
“Manfred Köhler embodies our group and our entrepreneurial values like no other and has played a major role in determining our successful course over the past decades,” says Klaus Hüttemann (53). “With the transfer of the shares, I would like to honour his unique commitment and also set the course for the future. We have reached a size where, even at the highest level, a division of responsibility and a counterpart in the decision-making process cannot be lacking. Only he comes into question for this.”
Manfred Köhler celebrated his 30th anniversary with the company in September, but his first contact with the group of companies goes back even further: having grown up in Sigmaringen, he completed an internship at the former Huettemann subsidiary Knoche & Barth while studying business administration in Heilbronn and then continued to work there. ”Accounting, scheduling, truck driving – not only did I finance part of my studies, but I also learned the practical side from scratch,” says Manfred Köhler. “I still benefit from that today, no one can fool me.” After completing his studies, he joined the parent company as assistant to the management under company founder and mentor Wolf Hüttemann.
“I am very happy about the trust placed in me and will do my utmost to successfully lead the group of companies into the future, also in my function as co-partner,” says Manfred Köhler. “A lot of challenges await us, but our vision for the future is set. Now we have to implement it.”
The Huettemann Group is represented across Europe by five subsidiaries at 24 locations and employs around 950 people. Under the claim “Logistics and More”, it offers comprehensive supply chain management from a single source, including air and sea freight, road transport, warehouse logistics and multi-modal services. Founded in 1956, the company is headquartered in Duisburg.
