Gottwald Port Technology – 100 Years of Innovation
Düsseldorf, Germany, 20 January 2006 – A hundred years of company history, 50 years of Mobile Harbour Crane history, some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold worldwide. And, over the last few years, quantum leaps in growth, and successful development from a classical manufacturer of cranes to a systems provider. Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, based in Düsseldorf, Germany, and rich in tradition, has many reasons to celebrate in 2006.
Since the company started in 1906 with steam-operated cranes, it has continued to set trends within the global cargo handling business. With the invention of the Mobile Harbour Crane 50 years ago, for example. Or the further development of the Mobile Harbour Crane as a professional device for bulk handling and new products such as Portal Harbour Cranes or Harbour Pontoon Cranes. Gottwald Harbour Cranes have long since become a major factor in the world's ports. A hundred years of Gottwald stand for some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes in 50 years – impressive figures. But the Gottwald name also stands for much more than this. Since the end of the 1980s, the world market leader in the manufacture of Mobile Harbour Cranes has undergone continuous development from being a classical manufacturer of cranes to becoming a provider of systems. In its anniversary year of 2006, Gottwald Port Technology is a medium-sized company with a staff of approximately 760 and an annual turnover of 237.3 million euros. The company, which has doubled its turnover in the past seven years, has a broad portfolio of products and services serving the entire area of port logistics but also serving inland terminals, in the field of combined transport, for example. In addition to single cranes, these include partially or fully automated systems, e.g. Automated Guided Vehicles, Automated Stacking Cranes and Wide Span Gantries. There are also Gottwald’s own software solutions for goods handling and container storage, in addition to consulting services and project management.
"In the year 2006, we are proudly celebrating the 100-year existence of Gottwald. A hundred years of company history; this is something special in times of globalisation and in view of short-lived corporate landscapes" explains Dirk Kiessling, CEO and CFO of Gottwald Port Technology. A hundred years of Gottwald, the 50th birthday of the Mobile Harbour Crane, some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold, three good reasons to celebrate.
On 9 September 2006 in Düsseldorf, Germany, Gottwald will be celebrating its birthday with its employees and their families and its representatives. On the occasion of TOC Europe, a major trade fair taking place from 30 May to 1 June 2006 in Hamburg, Gottwald is holding a further party on 31 May, which it expects will be attended by customers.
"With these anniversary celebrations, we not only intend to celebrate our success but would also like to thank our customers, our employees, our worldwide sales and service representatives, our contractors, our service providers and, last but not least, our owners", commented Mr. Kiessling. "They are the pillars of our success and have all contributed greatly to our being able to continue the traditions of this formerly family-owned company, even in the difficult economic environment of the last few years. A hundred years of Gottwald stand for 100 years of dynamic adaptation to the changing and growing requirements of our customers, markets and owners. 100 years of Gottwald stand for continuity and innovation, which are reflected in the entire history of the company.
100 Years of Innovation – Milestones In 1906, the company that is now Gottwald Port Technology GmbH was founded under the name Maschinenfabrik Ernst Halbach AG in Düsseldorf, Germany. Even at this stage, steam-driven cranes were already part of the product range. And the current philosophy of the company was part of the self image: the portfolio was further developed and extended. A few years later, for example, rail-mounted steam cranes followed. These were the forerunners of the Mobile Harbour and Portal Harbour Cranes developed later.
1928: The Gottwald Brand Is Created An important milestone in the history of the company was marked in the year 1928. Leo Gottwald became the sole owner and created the Gottwald brand, which today stands for reliability, availability and innovation leadership under the famous ’G’ logo.
1956: Gottwald Builds the First Mobile Harbour Crane With the construction of the first Mobile Harbour Crane 50 years ago, began the success story of a product that has meanwhile become synonymous with specialised handling equipment. Today, the Mobile Harbour Crane is still the most important product in a growing product range. Gottwald has now supplied some 1,000 of these cranes to more than 70 countries.
The 1980s: Laying the Foundations for a New Business Segement: Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) The end of the 1980s saw the start of an important new phase for the company. In addition to the successful Harbour Crane line, the foundations were laid for a new business segment in 1987, focal point: the automation of container transport. In collaboration with Europe Container Terminals (ECT), an important terminal operator in Rotterdam, Gottwald developed Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), which are used for transporting containers from the quay to the stack area. When Mannesmann Demag AG took over the family owned company in 1988, Gottwald showed continuity and, from this point on, concentrated fully on the port business.
The 1990s: Dynamic Further Developments on the Way to Becoming a Systems Supplier By 1997 the time had come. The consistent continued development of the second business pillar "Automated Equipment” bore fruit. Gottwald supplied its own software systems developed for the management and navigation of AGV fleets. At the beginning of the year 2002, Gottwald supplied an entire fleet of AGVs, including the associated management and navigation software, to the Container-Terminal Altenwerder (CTA). Further AGV deliveries were also made to ECT.
But Gottwald also remained active in the Harbour Crane line. In 1998, the Portal Harbour Crane also entered the world’s ports, a crane that uses the technology of the Mobile Harbour Crane with a rail portal instead of a rubber-tyred chassis. The Portal Harbour Crane, developed in close co-operation with a customer, was received enthusiastically by the market. Approx. 30 cranes of this complete second Harbour Crane series have been sold to date.
Since 2000: World Market Leader in Mobile Harbour Cranes and Dynamic Further Developments With the takeover of Mannesmann by Vodafone and the subsequent sales of its industrial activities by Vodafone to Siemens AG, Gottwald became part of Siemens Dematic AG.
The Mobile Harbour Crane has long since developed from a niche piece of equipment to a major factor in the handling business, and Gottwald was able to claim its position as the unchallenged leader in this segment in 2001 with 700 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold. And in 2002, the traditional company was incorporated into the newly founded Demag Holding S. r.l. based in Luxembourg under the name Gottwald Port Technology GmbH. The shareholders of Demag Holding are the US financial investment company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), 81%, and the German company Siemens AG, 19%.
As part of a strong network, the team is continuously working on further developments and innovations. In 2003, Gottwald introduced onto the market the WSG Wide Span Gantry Cranes for intermodal and trimodal handling between ship, rail and road. One year later, the first HPK Harbour Pontoon Crane went into operation, a combination of proven Mobile Harbour Crane technology and a pontoon, for use on major rivers such as the Mississippi, where there are few or no quays available.
2005: Record Year and Leap to Becoming a Systems Supplier In addition to the successful market introduction of the E-AGV (a diesel-electric version of the now well-known AGV Automated Guided Vehicles with diesel-hydraulic drive), the first order for ASC Automated Stacking Cranes, in 2005, marked a further important milestone on the way to becoming a systems supplier. In May 2005, Gottwald signed a contract with P&O to supply ASC Automated Stacking Cranes for the new P&O Gateway Terminal in Antwerp. The new stacking cranes perform fully-automated housekeeping and management of container stacks. They also form the link between quayside and landside equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes, transport vehicles and trucks.
With a record turnover of € 237.3 million, and an increase in sales of approx. 22% compared to the previous year, the business year 2004/2005 (as per 30 September) was also the most successful year in the 100-year company history of Gottwald Port Technology.
Impressive milestones exemplary of Gottwald’s philosophy. "A key element of our success is development work in co-operation with the customer, in which we combine state-of-theart technology with many years of experience, perseverance and major personnel and financial resources", explains Dr. Mathias Dobner, CTO of Gottwald Port Technology. "Only through close proximity to our customers is it possible to constantly be aware of changing requirements at an early stage, and to then translate these requirements into technical innovations suited to the customer. In this process, proven tradition constantly creates impulses for new developments. During the development of ASC Automated Stacking Cranes, for example, we successfully brought in basic technologies that are already a part of the high-performance WSG product series. Gottwald’s success leaves nothing to chance”.
Outlook Looking to the future, Gottwald sees itself as a systems integrator and is on the threshold of developing from a supplier of individual machines to a provider of complete systems for port material handling, using a combination of individual Gottwald products. "We have also set ourselves ambitious growth targets for the coming years. The driving force behind our growth continues to be customer-orientated, innovative products, which are in demand as a result of increasing globalisation and ongoing privatisation, and automation of ports around the globe. And these products increasingly include software solutions. By taking over the majority of shares in our partner of many years, TBA Nederland B.V., the company is opening up new growth potential in the area of software development", according to Mr. Kiessling. "A hundred years of Gottwald are a good reason to be proud. A reason to celebrate. But no reason for complacency. For only movement means progress, and progress means staying ahead of the competition.
Photograph:
A 1957 Gottwald Harbour Crane in the Port of Düsseldorf, Germany: a historic landmark and symbolic for Gottwald’s 100th anniversary in 2006.
100 Years: Gottwald Port Technology
Gottwald Port Technology – 100 Years of Innovation
Düsseldorf, Germany, 20 January 2006 – A hundred years of company history, 50 years of Mobile Harbour Crane history, some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold worldwide. And, over the last few years, quantum leaps in growth, and successful development from a classical manufacturer of cranes to a systems provider. Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, based in Düsseldorf, Germany, and rich in tradition, has many reasons to celebrate in 2006.
Since the company started in 1906 with steam-operated cranes, it has continued to set trends within the global cargo handling business. With the invention of the Mobile Harbour Crane 50 years ago, for example. Or the further development of the Mobile Harbour Crane as a professional device for bulk handling and new products such as Portal Harbour Cranes or Harbour Pontoon Cranes. Gottwald Harbour Cranes have long since become a major factor in the world's ports. A hundred years of Gottwald stand for some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes in 50 years – impressive figures. But the Gottwald name also stands for much more than this. Since the end of the 1980s, the world market leader in the manufacture of Mobile Harbour Cranes has undergone continuous development from being a classical manufacturer of cranes to becoming a provider of systems. In its anniversary year of 2006, Gottwald Port Technology is a medium-sized company with a staff of approximately 760 and an annual turnover of 237.3 million euros. The company, which has doubled its turnover in the past seven years, has a broad portfolio of products and services serving the entire area of port logistics but also serving inland terminals, in the field of combined transport, for example. In addition to single cranes, these include partially or fully automated systems, e.g. Automated Guided Vehicles, Automated Stacking Cranes and Wide Span Gantries. There are also Gottwald’s own software solutions for goods handling and container storage, in addition to consulting services and project management.
"In the year 2006, we are proudly celebrating the 100-year existence of Gottwald. A hundred years of company history; this is something special in times of globalisation and in view of short-lived corporate landscapes" explains Dirk Kiessling, CEO and CFO of Gottwald Port Technology. A hundred years of Gottwald, the 50th birthday of the Mobile Harbour Crane, some 1,000 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold, three good reasons to celebrate.
On 9 September 2006 in Düsseldorf, Germany, Gottwald will be celebrating its birthday with its employees and their families and its representatives. On the occasion of TOC Europe, a major trade fair taking place from 30 May to 1 June 2006 in Hamburg, Gottwald is holding a further party on 31 May, which it expects will be attended by customers.
"With these anniversary celebrations, we not only intend to celebrate our success but would also like to thank our customers, our employees, our worldwide sales and service representatives, our contractors, our service providers and, last but not least, our owners", commented Mr. Kiessling. "They are the pillars of our success and have all contributed greatly to our being able to continue the traditions of this formerly family-owned company, even in the difficult economic environment of the last few years. A hundred years of Gottwald stand for 100 years of dynamic adaptation to the changing and growing requirements of our customers, markets and owners. 100 years of Gottwald stand for continuity and innovation, which are reflected in the entire history of the company.
100 Years of Innovation – Milestones In 1906, the company that is now Gottwald Port Technology GmbH was founded under the name Maschinenfabrik Ernst Halbach AG in Düsseldorf, Germany. Even at this stage, steam-driven cranes were already part of the product range. And the current philosophy of the company was part of the self image: the portfolio was further developed and extended. A few years later, for example, rail-mounted steam cranes followed. These were the forerunners of the Mobile Harbour and Portal Harbour Cranes developed later.
1928: The Gottwald Brand Is Created An important milestone in the history of the company was marked in the year 1928. Leo Gottwald became the sole owner and created the Gottwald brand, which today stands for reliability, availability and innovation leadership under the famous ’G’ logo.
1956: Gottwald Builds the First Mobile Harbour Crane With the construction of the first Mobile Harbour Crane 50 years ago, began the success story of a product that has meanwhile become synonymous with specialised handling equipment. Today, the Mobile Harbour Crane is still the most important product in a growing product range. Gottwald has now supplied some 1,000 of these cranes to more than 70 countries.
The 1980s: Laying the Foundations for a New Business Segement: Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) The end of the 1980s saw the start of an important new phase for the company. In addition to the successful Harbour Crane line, the foundations were laid for a new business segment in 1987, focal point: the automation of container transport. In collaboration with Europe Container Terminals (ECT), an important terminal operator in Rotterdam, Gottwald developed Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), which are used for transporting containers from the quay to the stack area. When Mannesmann Demag AG took over the family owned company in 1988, Gottwald showed continuity and, from this point on, concentrated fully on the port business.
The 1990s: Dynamic Further Developments on the Way to Becoming a Systems Supplier By 1997 the time had come. The consistent continued development of the second business pillar "Automated Equipment” bore fruit. Gottwald supplied its own software systems developed for the management and navigation of AGV fleets. At the beginning of the year 2002, Gottwald supplied an entire fleet of AGVs, including the associated management and navigation software, to the Container-Terminal Altenwerder (CTA). Further AGV deliveries were also made to ECT.
But Gottwald also remained active in the Harbour Crane line. In 1998, the Portal Harbour Crane also entered the world’s ports, a crane that uses the technology of the Mobile Harbour Crane with a rail portal instead of a rubber-tyred chassis. The Portal Harbour Crane, developed in close co-operation with a customer, was received enthusiastically by the market. Approx. 30 cranes of this complete second Harbour Crane series have been sold to date.
Since 2000: World Market Leader in Mobile Harbour Cranes and Dynamic Further Developments With the takeover of Mannesmann by Vodafone and the subsequent sales of its industrial activities by Vodafone to Siemens AG, Gottwald became part of Siemens Dematic AG.
The Mobile Harbour Crane has long since developed from a niche piece of equipment to a major factor in the handling business, and Gottwald was able to claim its position as the unchallenged leader in this segment in 2001 with 700 Mobile Harbour Cranes sold. And in 2002, the traditional company was incorporated into the newly founded Demag Holding S. r.l. based in Luxembourg under the name Gottwald Port Technology GmbH. The shareholders of Demag Holding are the US financial investment company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), 81%, and the German company Siemens AG, 19%.
As part of a strong network, the team is continuously working on further developments and innovations. In 2003, Gottwald introduced onto the market the WSG Wide Span Gantry Cranes for intermodal and trimodal handling between ship, rail and road. One year later, the first HPK Harbour Pontoon Crane went into operation, a combination of proven Mobile Harbour Crane technology and a pontoon, for use on major rivers such as the Mississippi, where there are few or no quays available.
2005: Record Year and Leap to Becoming a Systems Supplier In addition to the successful market introduction of the E-AGV (a diesel-electric version of the now well-known AGV Automated Guided Vehicles with diesel-hydraulic drive), the first order for ASC Automated Stacking Cranes, in 2005, marked a further important milestone on the way to becoming a systems supplier. In May 2005, Gottwald signed a contract with P&O to supply ASC Automated Stacking Cranes for the new P&O Gateway Terminal in Antwerp. The new stacking cranes perform fully-automated housekeeping and management of container stacks. They also form the link between quayside and landside equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes, transport vehicles and trucks.
With a record turnover of € 237.3 million, and an increase in sales of approx. 22% compared to the previous year, the business year 2004/2005 (as per 30 September) was also the most successful year in the 100-year company history of Gottwald Port Technology.
Impressive milestones exemplary of Gottwald’s philosophy. "A key element of our success is development work in co-operation with the customer, in which we combine state-of-theart technology with many years of experience, perseverance and major personnel and financial resources", explains Dr. Mathias Dobner, CTO of Gottwald Port Technology. "Only through close proximity to our customers is it possible to constantly be aware of changing requirements at an early stage, and to then translate these requirements into technical innovations suited to the customer. In this process, proven tradition constantly creates impulses for new developments. During the development of ASC Automated Stacking Cranes, for example, we successfully brought in basic technologies that are already a part of the high-performance WSG product series. Gottwald’s success leaves nothing to chance”.
Outlook Looking to the future, Gottwald sees itself as a systems integrator and is on the threshold of developing from a supplier of individual machines to a provider of complete systems for port material handling, using a combination of individual Gottwald products. "We have also set ourselves ambitious growth targets for the coming years. The driving force behind our growth continues to be customer-orientated, innovative products, which are in demand as a result of increasing globalisation and ongoing privatisation, and automation of ports around the globe. And these products increasingly include software solutions. By taking over the majority of shares in our partner of many years, TBA Nederland B.V., the company is opening up new growth potential in the area of software development", according to Mr. Kiessling. "A hundred years of Gottwald are a good reason to be proud. A reason to celebrate. But no reason for complacency. For only movement means progress, and progress means staying ahead of the competition.
Photograph:
A 1957 Gottwald Harbour Crane in the Port of Düsseldorf, Germany: a historic landmark and symbolic for Gottwald’s 100th anniversary in 2006.
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