The Hüffermann history at a glance
- 1913: Hüffermann founded as a family business: Wilhelm Hüffermann sets up a forging company in Wildeshausen
- 1945: Rudolf Hüffermann takes on the family company
- 1960: Repair operations expanded to include the production of lorry trailers
- 1976: 2nd change of generation: Rolf Hüffermann expands the production workshops for highly-specialised trailers and interchangeable device technology
- 1990:Takeover of the former district company for agricultural machinery in Neustadt (Dosse)
- 2005: A new name: “Hüffermann Fahrzeug- und Stahlbau” becomes today’s “Hüffermann Transportsysteme”
- 2013: Commissioning of the automatic blasting system
- 2019: Commissioning of the automatic welding robot
- 2019: Opening of the “Commercial Vehicle Centre” plant
- 2020: Integration into the Schwarzmüller Group
Hüffermann history (1839 – Today)
1839
ORIGINAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEUSTADT LOCATION
On the cadastral map that was drawn in 1839 as a result of the surveying of Preußen, agricultural buildings were documented for the first time in the district of Kampehl – the nucleus of what would later become the company headquarters.
1846
INDUSTRIALISATION WITH THE STEAM ENGINE
The connection of Neustadt to the newly opened railway line between Berlin and Hamburg developed into the region’s economic engine: Numerous industries settled in the area of the new train station between Neustadt and Köritz, which would soon expand into an important transport hub.
1913
FOUNDING OF THE HÜFFERMANN FAMILY-RUN COMPANY
In Wildeshausen near Bremen, Wilhelm Hüffermann founded a forging workshop. There, he specialised in repairing coaches and trailers.
1919
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG
To relieve the rural population’s distress during and after World War I, the regional farmers joined forces. According to the principle “One for all and all for one”, they founded a Raiffeisen co-operative, which settled on the premises near the Neustadt train station. It included a department for manufacturing and maintaining agricultural machinery.
1945
NEW MANAGEMENT, NEW MISSIONS
Wilhelm Hüffermann brought his son Rudolf into the Wildeshause company. Here, the focus was initially on rebuilding after World War II. Then the currency reform in the 1950’s triggered a boom in modern agricultural technology. Rudolf Hüffermann seized the opportunity and expanded his father’s repair company starting in 1960 with the manufacturing of HGV trailers.
1948
PRIVATE PROPERTY BECOMES “PUBLIC PROPERTY”
During the course of the land reform, collectively used fleets were created all over the Soviet-occupied zone for expropriated agricultural machinery from major landowners, the machine lending stations (MAS). At the Neustadt train station, the Köritz machine lending station was set up, which also lent Soviet tractors to the regional new farmers.
1964
MTS TURNS INTO KFL
The GDR presses ahead with the industrialisation of agriculture. The machine tractor stations (MTS) became specialised and converted into the district companies for farm / agricultural machinery (KfL). Their main task is to perform service and repairs on agricultural machinery. In the former MTS Köritz/Neustadt, now a branch office of the KfL Kyritz, trailers in particular are repaired.
1976
SECOND GENERATIONAL CHANGE AT HÜFFERMANN
The grandson of founder Wilhelm Hüffermann, Rolf Hüffermann, joins the company in Wildeshause. The educated vehicle builder soon climbed up from being an assistant to managing director and turns the small business into a booming manufacturing plant for highly-specialised trailers and loading technology – also for water disposal, among other things.
1980
FROM REPAIR WORKSHOP TO MANUFACTURER
Rolf Hüffermann accelerated the production of trailers for swap body transport. To do so, he developed special carrier systems and innovative steering axles for HGVs, which he presented at trade fairs like the IAA in Hanover. Within a short time, the former repair workshop in Wildeshause transformed into an innovative manufacturer and market leader in the trailer sector.
1990
IN TRUST
The trust sold the former district company for agricultural technology in Neustadt to an interested party from the west: Rolf Hüffermann wants to restructure the ailing GDR company and make it fit for the future. He was mainly impressed by the motivation, the hard work and craftsmanship of the employees there, and he kept almost all of them.
2002/03
FROM CORPORATE CONSULTANT TO PARTNER
The economic crisis forces Rolf Hüffermann to implement extensive restructuring. He follows the advice of his corporate consultant Dr. Bernhard Becker, sells the waste disposal business segment, and focuses on manufacturing trailers at the Neustadt location. The company swiftly recovered from the crisis and Hüffermann got Becker on board as another managing director and shareholder.
2007/08
HÜFFERMANN GOES INTERNATIONAL
The quality workmanship of “Hüffermann Transportsysteme” became well-known beyond Germany. There was also increasing demand from abroad for specialised trailers made in Neustadt. Accordingly, the annual production increased to 1,000 trailers, of which nearly one quarter is currently exported. In 2008, the Neustadt company celebrated the 10,000th trailer in company history.
2013
BRIGHT PROSPECTS
A Neustadt in-house development goes into operation: The automatic sandblasting plant with accompanying zinc spraying revolutionises the cleaning and sealing of vehicle surfaces. What used to be a tough job, is now done by the machine within a few minutes at the touch of a button.
2019
A SECOND PLANT IN NEUSTADT
Since the company premises in Neustadt is slowly bursting at the seams, “Hüffermann Transportsysteme” invests in a second plant at the location. At the new “Commercial vehicle centre”, mainly HGV trailer bodies are assembled and repaired. At the same time, the automatic welding plant goes into operation – certainly not the last innovation from the people in Neustadt. We are looking forward to the future!
2020
SCHWARZMÜLLER GETS ON BOARD
The Schwarzmüller Group, the leading Austrian manufacturer of premium commercial vehicles, takes over Hüffermann Transportsysteme GmbH with its headquarters in Neustadt/Dosse (Brandenburg), one of the leading German producers of container transport trailers. With this acquisition, Schwarzmüller expands their expertise in the area of construction and infrastructure vehicles and opens up the international expansion of the business scope of Hüffermann under the umbrella of one of the biggest European manufacturers. This was announced today, Tuesday February 18th, by the CEO of the Schwarzmüller Group, Roland Hartwig, and the managing director and former shareholder of Hüffermann, Stephan von Schwander at the Hüffermann’s company headquarters.