History of the family-owned company

From local transportation company to international services provider

Felbermayr Holding as we know it today started back in 1942. This year heralded the founding of the company with just one truck for short-haul transport – a company which has since flourished into a successful business that is active all over Europe.

The company owes its development both to organic growth and to numerous takeovers. Felbermayr Holding is now run by the third generation of the Felbermayr family, Horst and Andrea Felbermayr, who are supported by the managers of the numerous individual departments within the company.
 

  • In mid-April, the first “Project Cargo Ecosystem” will be opened in the port of Antwerp by the partners of the PSA Breakbulk joint venture. By combining terminal services across 14 hectares in Churchill Dock South, Felbermayr is able to provide expertise, equipment and one-stop-shop concepts in the port of Antwerp together with its partners PSA and Haeger & Schmidt. With its 750-tonne crawler crane, Felbermayr has the most powerful crane in the port of Antwerp at its disposal.
     
  • In May, Felbermayr will acquire the Vorarlberg-based work platform dealer and rental company Dorn Lift. This will see the operational integration of Dorn Lift Work Platform Rental at the Lauterach site into that of Felbermayr in 2024. The Dorn family will remain in charge of work platform trade, which will continue to operate under the name Dorn Lift.
     
  • Felbermayr will also acquire the Plovdiv-based Bulgarian crane hire company Maritza in May. The aim is to further expand crane hire in Bulgaria and to establish the work platform rental business segment.
     
  • In September, the football pitch-sized site for Hagn Umwelttechnik and Domarin will be officially opened in Osterhofen, Bavaria. This means that the company headquarters in Hengersberg and Vilshofen respectively will be closed and the operations of the two companies will be consolidated at one location.
     
  • In October 2023, Felbermayr acquired a 50 percent stake in the Dutch inland shipping company Rijnmond Logistics Beheer BV. As a full-service logistics provider for dry bulk goods, the company is well established in the field of inland water transport. The shareholding is the result of a long-standing partnership with the Felbermayr subsidiary Haeger & Schmidt.
     
  • At the beginning of December, Felbermayr acquired the company Phon Akustikbau from Eferding in Upper Austria. The company, which provides dry construction services throughout Austria, will now complement the service portfolio of the Construction division in the large-volume project business.
     
  • In mid-December, the takeover of the Upper Austrian company Casa Sasso, based in Pucking and specialising in high-quality “interior stonework”, was completed. By incorporating the services of Felbermayr’s natural stone processing company West-Asphalt, which specialises in exterior work, various opportunities for synergy can be explored.
  • At the beginning of the year, Felbermayr began to significantly expand its rental range of work platform / lift truck rental in Germany with the launch in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the course of this, Felbermayr has taken over the work platform rental company SGL​​​​​​​, which operates in the metropolitan region of Hanover.
     
  • In February, the new trimodal steel logistics hub of Haeger & Schmidt Logistics​​​​​​​ (HSL) started its operational business activities. The new 9,000-square-metre steel warehouse provides space for around 60,000 tonnes of high-quality steel products.
     
  • In May Felbermayr acquired a majority stake in the Bavarian water and shipbuilding company Domarin​​​​​​​. This also includes a shipyard in Erlenbach am Rhein.
     
  • Felbermayr also launched the website rent.FELBERMAYR.cc​​​​​​​ in May, for the online rental of work platforms and lift trucks. The advantages of the new website are the quick and easy rental enquiry and equipment return as well as an improved facility for contacting us in person.
     
  • With the acquisition of a 5000 square metre property in Sibiu, Felbermayr-Romania is moving into another operating site around 300 kilometres northwest of Bucharest.
     
  • In October, the Felbermayr family celebrated its 80th anniversary​​​​​​​ with two days of festivities along with invited guests, employees, suppliers and friends at the new company headquarters in Wels-Oberthan. Gisela Felbermayr received the Golden Badge of Honour of the State of Upper Austria from State Governor Thomas Stelzer as special recognition for her services to the state and her social commitment. Rainer Traunwieser becomes the new Commercial Managing Director of Felbermayr's Construction business unit, succeeding Dietmar Rosenberger.
  • ​​​​The rail transport of a 220 tonne transformer seals the deal for Felbermayr to take over the Polish subsidiary of the French Daher Group at the beginning of January 2021. The railway-bound abnormal load is carried out with ITB wagon.
     
  • In the employer ranking evaluated in a collaboration between Trend, Statista, Kununu and Xing, Felbermayr becomes the industry winner in the categories of transport and construction. Over 1,300 companies with at least 200 employees are evaluated for the award, which is presented in March.
     
  • The takeover of the Upper Austrian company Danner Landschaftsbau in April means that Felbermayr is now also able to offer landscaping services in the future.
     
  • In April, Felbermayr becomes the world's first to take delivery of the most powerful series-produced tractor unit ever - coming in at 770 hp. The total towing weight of the Scania 770 S is 180 tonnes.
     
  • Felbermayr takes over the Wels paving contractor West-Asphalt in June.
     
  • Felbermayr is awarded second place in the transport and traffic category at the WKO export award ceremony in June.
     
  • The joint participation of Felbermayr Holding and its subsidiary Haeger & Schmidt Logistics in the Belgian terminal operator PSA Breakbulk NV is agreed in June. Just a few weeks later, PSA Breakbulk NV is also awarded the contract to operate a 15-hectare port site at Churchilldock South by the Port of Antwerp. The decisive factor was a concept submitted by the shareholders Felbermayr, PSA and H&S for a project cargo ecosystem with logistics hub and solution for project cargo.
     
  • With effect from 14 July, Alexander Kücher replaces the Commercial Business Manager Harald Stutz of the Felbermayr subsidiary IS Baubetrieb.
     
  • Dietmar Rosenberger succeeds Friedrich Rametsteiner as Commercial Business Manager at Felbermayr Bau in September.
  • Senior partner Horst Felbermayr died on 13th March at the age of 75 following a serious illness. As such, the heavy goods logistics and building industry lost one of its great entrepreneurs. The company boss shaped the development of the business for around 50 years before he moved to the supervisory board as chairman in 2015 and handed over the operative business to his son of the same name.
     
  • Felbermayr founds a new division in October, in the form of "Engineered Solutions". With it, the existing heavy-duty equipment will also be used for tailored applications in the future.
     
  • In December, the Felbermayr subsidiary Reinhold Meister Wasserbau GmbH merges with Hagn Umwelttechnik GmbH.

The official ground-breaking for the erection of the new company headquarters in Wels-Oberthan takes place on the 17th of September. State Governor Thomas Stelzer and the Wels Municipal Leader Andreas Rabl are also present.

  • In September, Felbermayr in Bucharest (RO) lifted the world's largest suspended church bell into place. The bell weighed 25 tons and together with four further bells, provides the monumental chimes of the "Catedrala Nationala".
  • At the start of May, Felbermayr opened a new 3,600 square metre logistics warehouse in Wörgl. The property has two hall cranes, each with a 40 ton lifting capacity.
  • In mid-July Felbermayr water engineering commissioned the largest hopper barge for inland waters in the world at the time. The 69 metre long vessel was manoeuvred with 580 hp bow thrusters.
  • After years of struggling for a greenfield new-build, Felbermayr erected a comprehensive 2,500 square metre structure at the Wels site. The area is largely designed as office and social space and as an interim solution.
  • In April 2016, Stefan Hielle becomes the managing director of Felbermayr’s construction division. Hielle succeeds Hannes-Sebastian Huber.  
  • On 30 June 2016, Gisela Felbermayr resigns from her post on the management board and joins the supervisory board of Felbermayr Holding.  
  • In September, Felbermayr opens a new 40,000 square metre branch in Sulzemoos. The branch located north-west of Munich houses the subsidiaries Wimmer Maschinentransporte and Hagn Umwelttechnik.
  • The Felbermayr division for international low-loader railway transport [Internationale Tieflader-Bahntransporte (ITB)] realised the heaviest rail transport ever implemented in Europe with a unit weight of 482 tons. A 32-axle Schnabel wagon was used to manage the rail journey.
  • In early 2015, a new heavy haulage hall at the Rhine Port of Krefeld is opened. The tri-modal location impresses with a crane capacity of 400 tonnes, 4,000 square metres of storage and assembly area as well as open-air storage areas.
  • In June 2015, Felbermayr becomes the operator of the heavy cargo centre at the Port of Albern.    
  • On 2 December 2015, Horst Felbermayr resigns from his post on the management board and joins the supervisory board of Felbermayr Holding. At the same time, his son Horst Felbermayr becomes Felbermayr Holding’s CEO. His wife Andrea Felbermayr becomes the Felbermayr Holding’s managing director.
  • With the LR11000, Felbermayr incorporates the strongest crane in Austria into the fleet. This crawler crane from Liebherr has a maximum load capacity of 1,000 tonnes and can be ballasted with up to 790 tonnes.
  • In the summer, Felbermayr receives two of the highest telescoping work platforms ever supplied in Europe, enabling working heights of 57 metres to be reached.
  • Felbermayr takes over the German inland water navigation companies H&S Container Line and Haeger & Schmidt International from Belgian railway freight group SNCB Logistics, as well as a majority investment in the Belgian company, RKE. For the Felbermayr division of transportation and lifting technology, this means a considerable expansion in its inland waterway transportation and maritime services.
  • In December 2013, Friedrich Rametsteiner takes over the commercial management of Felbermayr’s construction division. Rametsteiner thus succeeds Johann Gangl who – following more than ten successful years – leaves the company on his own accord.   
  • Felbermayr’s construction division acquires an asphalt mixing plant. The plant acquired in May is located in Haag am Hausruck and has a daily capacity of up to 2,000 tonnes of mixed material.
  • In early July, Felbermayr Holding takes over the firm Der Baubetrieb. The former Alpine branch’s approximately 150 employees can thus keep their jobs.
  • Takeover of the operative divisions of the Reinhold Meister Group based in Hengersberg near Deggendorf. With this, Felbermayr establishes itself as a major player in hydraulic engineering and is expanding its scope in Germany with the business areas of hydraulic engineering and landfill construction as well as the investigation and disposal of arms and munitions.
  • In March 2011, the heavy load vessel Horst Felix was launched. As a result of its reinforced bow, a trimming tank and hydraulically controlled stilts it is ideally suited to RoRo services but can also be used in various applications in hydraulic engineering.
  • The heavy goods vessel is named after the grandson of the company's founder, Horst Felbermayr.
  • Felbermayr becomes the operator of the heavy load and bulk material port Krefeld am Rhein. Thus, Felbermayr extends its options and capabilities in the sector of multi-modal transport.
  • Felbermayr Holding takes over Wimmer Maschinentransporte, a company specialising in industrial assembly and machinery transport. The company is based in Upper Bavaria.   
  • With the founding of subsidiary companies in Croatia and Serbia as well as a branch in Brno (CS), Felbermayr Transport- und Hebetechnik is further expanding.
  • In spring, Christoph Nüßler and Peter Stöttinger were appointed to the management of Felbermayr Transport- und Hebetechnik. In this function they are responsible for the business field together with Wolfgang Schellerer.
  • Felbermayr Holding GmbH replaces Felbermayr GmbH as the management company of the operating companies with effect from 1 October 2010. General management of this company becomes the responsibility of managing directors Horst and Gisela Felbermayr and their son Horst Felbermayr, together with Alfred Feldbauer, who heads up the commercial business management. 
  • Felbermayr GmbH remains and trades primarily as an umbrella organisation for real estate companies.
  • In October, the qualified management expert and previous commercial manager of the Felbermayr group of companies, Johann Gangl, was appointed as commercial manager of Felbermayr Bau GmbH & Co KG. In this function he supports Horst Felbermayr.
  • Purchase of the worlds highest vehicle mounted extendable platform with a working height of 103 meters.
  • Felbermayr was awarded the 'Pegasus in Gold' – the most prestigious business prize in the state.
  • Take-over of the firm Linke - Pipelinebau in Detmold (near Bielefeld).
  • Acquisition of a stake in Best Logistics in Poland.
  • Formation of a subsidiary company in Bulgaria and Romania.
  • Wolfgang Schellerer is appointed to the business management of transport and lifting technologies.
  • The Felbermayr construction firm is expanding its business area with the inclusion of the building construction branch.
  • Christoph Nüssler becomes the new business manager of the subsidiary firm Bau-Trans.
  • In March, Horst and Gisela Felbermayr receive the 'Silberne Ehrenzeichen' award from the state of Upper Austria from the state governor Dr. Josef Pühringer.
  • On 3rd April, the strongest mobile crane rolled from Germany to Austria, crossing the border in Suben. This means Felbermayr now has an LG 1750 with a maximum load capacity of 850 tonnes in its fleet of vehicles.
  • Felbermayr takes over Wirzius, based in Hilden near Düsseldorf, considerably expanding its facilities in the areas of heavy loads and heavy equipment erection.
  • In June, Felbermayr is awarded the 'Pegasus in Bronze', an economics prize from the Oberösterreichische Nachrichten newspaper. This means Felbermayr is ranked among the champions of the local economy by a high-class jury.
  • At the end of the second quarter, Felbermayr took over the mobile cranes and building equipment of the national company, Interlift. This allows a considerable expansion of the range of services in the sector of civil engineering – Now Felbermayr also has "pile driving technology" in its product portfolio.
  • The constant expansion of the building operation made it necessary to have the existing regulations externally examined and these were certified per EN ISO 9001:9002 by TÜV Austria in November.
  • Take over of the Austrian subsidiary of Europe's leading work platform rental company. As a result, Felbermayr expand their range of equipment in the area of working platforms and lift truck rentals to over 1,000 vehicles.
  • In September, the lifting technology companies acquired in 2004 as well as AKS in Vienna are completely integrated into Felbermayr Transport- und Hebetechnik GmbH & Co KG.
  • In October, Felbermayr acquired around 30 tugs and dredgers from Via Donau - Österreichische Wasserstraßen GmbH thus entering the world of hydraulic engineering.
  • Takeover of Pinzl in Braunau, Austria.
  • Subsidiary in Liechtenstein founded to cover transport and lifting technology.
  • In April 2004, takeover of the Tyrolean companies Scheffold and AKS Autokran- und Schwertransport in Wörgl and Thaur.
  • In Poland, the heavy haulage company ZRE is acquired.
  • Establishment of the new Felbermayr special civil engineering site in Stams.
  • Horst Felbermayr takes over the management of the construction division.
  • Purchase of the LR 1750, a caterpillar crane with a load capacity of up to 750 tonnes. In 2004, new developments lead to the giant crane bring expanded to an optional load capacity of 1000 tonnes.
  • Founding of the AKS [Arbeitsgesellschaft für Kran- und Spezialtransporte] (Labour society for crane and special transport) in Vienna. The Bau-Trans company in Vorarlberg becomes a Felbermayr subsidiary company.
  • New site founded in Eastern Europe: Bratislava.
  • Further strategic steps abroad: A sales office founded in Venice and a branch office founded in Moscow.
  • Takeover of a company in Ulrichsberg, Upper Austria, which specialises in thermal renovation.
  • Founding of the FST [Felbermayr Spezial-Tiefbau] (Felbermayr special civil engineering) division and today's Bau-West department, which specialises in canal, bridge and power station construction.
  • An additional subsidiary established in North Germany (Verden, Lower Saxony).
  • Purchase of company grounds in Lanzendorf/Vienna. The companies Wanko, ITB [Internationale Tieflader-Bahntransporte] (International low-loader rail transport) and AKS [Arbeitsgesellschaft für Kranverleih und Spezialtransporte] (Labour society for crane hire and special transport) are combined at this site.
  • Acquisition of Wallner, a company in Vienna that specialises in work platforms for hire.
  • For exemplary services in environmentally-friendly gravel mining and the re-cultivation of gravel-mined areas, Felbermayr was awarded the environmental prize from the state of Upper Austria.
  • Integration and take-over of mobile crane hire company, Kern, in Linz.
  • Purchase of Voest company grounds in Linz with the accompanying heavy-duty harbour. This means that Felbermayr now has new ways of using water as a mode of transport.
  • Acquisition of the Linz-based company Kern serves to develop our expertise in lifting technology even further.
  • The foundation of an ITB subsidiary in Prague marks the company's first step into Eastern Europe.
  • State-of-the-art recycling plant opened.
  • Founding of the Nuremberg site for heavy and special transport.
  • Purchasing Intercont's entire fleet of railway low-loader wagons puts the company on the rails for the first time. Internationale Tieflader Bahntransporte GmbH (ITB) is founded.
  • Work on founding a subsidiary in Graz is well under way.
  • Purchase of the mobile crane and heavy transport company, Wanko, in Vienna and Schwertrans Enns.
  • Founding of Welser Baustoff-Recycling GmbH (WBR).
  • Entry into the crane hire market: a 2-way-crane for the street and rail which is still unique today is acquired.
  • Purchase of a plot of land in Grieskirchen and construction of a plant hall with office building.
  • Purchase of an 18-hectare plot of land in Weißkirchen for the mining of shingle. Shortly afterwards, the site is expanded to include a washing plant for gravel production.
  • With the increasing amount of construction machines in operation at Felbermayr, the number of available low loader vehicles also grew. Therefore, it only seems natural to set up a separate area for special and heavy transport.
  • Establishment of the Felbermayr branch in Grieskirchen through the purchase of the companies of Hintenaus and Scholze.
  • Construction of an office and workshop building and a hall at the company premises on Machstraße in Wels.
  • Entry into the container rental industry. This means that containers for waste management are also available from the company for the first time.
  • The company was taken over by Horst and Gisela Felbermayr. The vehicle fleet is made up of four trucks and two wheel loaders at this time.
  • The development of new fields of business such as sewer and gas line construction starts.
  • The company buys its first construction machine, a “Trojan wheel loader”.
  • A load transportation company is founded by Franz Felbermayr, with a truck for short-distance transport. By the post-war years, the fleet already comprises four trucks.