History

118 years ago the wholesale and foreign trade merchant Wilhelm Ernst Hinrich Biesterfeld founded the company W. Biesterfeld & Co. in Hamburg. Initially the core of the business was in the salt trade, but subsequently chemicals and fertilisers also assumed high importance. The company started developing its own products and international trade began. Biesterfeld's business divisions today are Plastic, Spezialchemie, Performance Rubber and International. The services company Biesterfeld ChemLogS offers comprehensive assistance in the areas of chemicals, logistics and service. The subsidiary and IT services provider BIT-SERV meets all data management and IT needs for the group and also offers its services to third party companies.

Today & the future todo

Internationally operating company in family ownership with further expansion due

2021 todo

Acquisition of GME Chemicals Group, Singapore

2019 todo

Acquisition of Lindberg & Lund Group, Norway

2016 todo

Acquisition of Schütz & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG), Germany

2016 todo

Foundation of Biesterfeld Performance
Rubber GmbH

2015 todo

Joint Venture Biesterfeld Simko Distr. Ltda,
Brasilia

2013 todo

Joint Venture Biesterfeld Nordic AB, Sweden
and acquisition of Küttner GmbH, Germany

2008 todo

Acquisition of Milar Sp. z o.o., Poland

2007 todo

Founding of Biesterfeld ChemLogS GmbH

2006 todo

Joint Venture Biesterfeld Petroplas Ltd.,
Great Britain

2006 todo

Company name change of
Biesterfeld Siemsglüss International GmbH
to Biesterfeld International GmbH

2005 todo

Takeover of Biesterfeld
Siemsglüss International GmbH

2004 todo

Change in the parent company's legal status
from Wilhelm E. H. Biesterfeld GmbH & Co. KG
to Biesterfeld Aktiengesellschaft

2003 todo

Joint Venture Biesterfeld Chemiedistribution GmbH & Co. KG with Brenntag, sale 2010

2001 todo

Founding of Biesterfeld Ibérica S.L.U., Spain

2000 todo

Founding of Biesterfeld Siemsglüss International GmbH and Biesterfeld Interowa GmbH, Austria

2000 todo

Founding of BIT-SERV GmbH: In-house and third party solutions for internet, data processing and networking applications

1998 todo

Founding of Biesterfeld Spezialchemie GmbH

1994 todo

Joint Venture of Scheibler and Linssen to Biesterfeld Scheibler Linssen GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Hamburg

1988 todo

Founding of Biesterfeld Plastic GmbH and new subsidiaries in France, Italy, Poland and Spain

1980s todo

Expansion in the Asian region with subsidiaries
in China, Hong Kong and Indonesia

1981 todo

The core areas of the new company
Wilhelm E. H. Biesterfeld Group are: The chemical business, import, export, packaging materials, salt, agrochemicals and international freight forwarding

From 1977 todo

Production of own-brand household papers "Julia", this segment belongs to the company until the beginning of the 1990s

1976 todo

Founding of subsidiaries Biesterfeld do Brasil Ltda., Brazil and Biesterfeld U.S., Inc., USA

1970 todo

After the death of Walter Biesterfeld, his son,
Dirk J. Biesterfeld, inherits the company as a personally liable partner

1964 todo

Company founder Wilhelm Biesterfeld dies aged 84, his nephew and adopted son, Walter Biesterfeld, ensures the continuous growth of the company

1961 todo

Founding of the first European subsidiary
in the Netherlands

1956 todo

Company headquarters move to Ferdinandstraße 41 in the centre of Hamburg

From 1950 todo

The company has its own subsidiaries in the business divisions of import and export of chemicals, salt and fertilisers, as well as chemical businesses; founding of the Biesterfeld Packaging division

1945 todo

Takeover of the chemical plant Gunter, Schröder & Co. in Hamburg-Harburg with its own storage and transshipment facilities

1930s todo

Expansion of the three main pillars: Salt, chemicals and fertiliser trade

1930 todo

Sole selling rights for evaporated salts in certain areas of northern and eastern Germany

1920 - 1925 todo

Operation of the Biesterfeld Shipping Company

1918 todo

Thriving salt trade with rock salt from northern Germany

1906 todo

Wilhelm Ernst Hinrich Biesterfeld moves into a small office in Hamburg and starts trading in salt