More than a century of logistics

In 1897, there was a vacancy for the position of Royal Rail Carrier in Mülheim am Rhein. A perfect fit for spice merchant Peter Huppertz. He applied and was immediately hired. The new recruit was responsible for ensuring that all the trains entered and left the freight yard smoothly. And he did his job well.

Business boomed as industrial production ramped up prior to World War I. Soon, he was also handling furniture transportation and storage. First with horse-pulled carriages, and then with a truck in 1927. Soon, he added four Magirus-Deutz double-axle trucks. Interestingly, one of Huppertz's first customers was the trucks' manufacturer, Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz.

By 1936, it was possible to perform long-distance transports with company vehicles. Three times a week, deliveries were made from Cologne to Oberursel. In 1938, two years and three licenses later, Frankfurt and Mannheim were added to the route.

The advent of World War II – the third generation, Peter Huppertz, had just taken the reins – stopped this trend in its tracks. Once the war ended, the company continued, adding branch offices in Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Hamburg. Huppertz grew and grew.

Under the leadership of Peter and Renate Huppertz, the company began entering new markets in 1956. In the mid-'60s, the new export/import department hit the ground running with pan-European truck transports and international shipping operations. In 1969, Huppertz opened an office at the Cologne Bonn Airport. From here, the company managed its international air cargo operations. The office building was expanded.
Branch offices were set up in Berlin and Munich.

Management of the company has since passed on to the fourth generation: Peter and Anja Huppertz. They intend to continue growing organically in the future. However,
new activities have to dovetail with existing operations. That includes the incorporation of logistics into Eastern European hauling operations and the intensification of partnerships.

The hauling business has changed radically during the past century. Except for one thing: Every day, Huppertz still transports cargo from Cologne to all corners of Europe.