Evolution of a Family Business

Over the years, our family business has constantly evolved and reinvented itself. Let's take a look at the history of HELM together.

 

1900

Founding of HELM

1900 Karl Otto Helm founds an import/export business in Hamburg. 1950 Hermann Schnabel acquires HELM and shifts the focus to trading in chemical products. 1978 HELM is converted into a private joint-stock company. 1984 Hermann Schnabel hands over the company to his son, Dieter.

Speicherstadt in Hamburg

First Era: Global Expansion

Hermann Schnabel takes over the company in 1950. His goal: to create an internationally active company with commercial skill and great discipline. In order to realise this ambitious plan, he focuses on two projects: global expansion and specialisation in chemicals trading.

Hermann Schnabel

1960

The beginning of a success story

Hermann Schnabel and his two managing directors plan the global expansion in a three-day retreat. Two new branches are to be opened every year.

 

1950

Hermann Schnabel buys HELM and specialises in chemicals.

1978

HELM becomes a privately owned joint-stock company

1984

Hermann Schnabel hands over the company to his son, Dieter.

Did you know?

HELM's first foreign branch was founded in Denmark in 1962. It was called "HELM Scandinavia" with an office in Copenhagen and is still in existence today. The company serves well-known Danish customers such as Carlsberg and Arla. Other HELM branches in Scandinavia are located in Norway and Sweden.

1966

HELM in Amerika

1966 Founding of the first transatlantic HELM branch in Mexico City. Mexico becomes HELM's largest location abroad and remains so to this day. Dieter Schnabel manages the site and lives in Mexico with his German-Mexican wife and three sons until he returns to Germany in 1982.

 

Mexico City

Second Era: International expansion

1986 HELM enters into a strategic partnership with the US company Proman for investments in Trinidad. 2005 Seven new methanol plants are commissioned in the long-standing partnership with Proman.

Dieter Schnabel

1981

International milestone

HELM opens its first Asian office in Beijing and begins its successful expansion on the Asian market with locations such as India, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Indonesia.

 

2004

Under Dieter Schnabel the world's largest methanol plant is build

2006

The HELM Group's turnover exceeds the 5-billion-euro mark for the

2010

1,300 employees from all over the world celebrate 110 years HELM

Did you know

The first HELM US office was located on the 35th floor of the Empire State Building in New York with a phenomenal view.

Today, HELM is represented by 24 branches and shareholdings in North, Central and South America.

Third Era: Sustainable business

2020 Stephan Schnabel takes over the global chairmanship of the HELM Group on 1 April. 2021 The joint venture Qore is founded together with US partner Cargill for the production of organic BDO. 2022 A series of joint ventures marks the group's entry into the lithium industry.

Stephan Schnabel

2020

Driving change

As the new CEO, Stephan Schnabel heralds the sustainable transformation of HELM and formulates this vision in the HELM2030 corporate strategy.

"It is up to us, the third generation, to continue developing HELM sustainably – with consideration for society, the environment and our business.

Stephan Schnabel, CEO