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.
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.
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.
