The ceremony included many guests from the chemical industry, customers, suppliers and other business partners as well as honoured guests like Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In his speech and in his conversation with Brenntag CEO Christian Kohlpaintner, the Chancellor emphasised the importance and the needs of the chemical industry and highlighted the success story of Brenntag.
“I want Germany to remain a successful industrial nation – with its world market leaders and good industrial jobs.
“From its inception until today, Brenntag has been characterised by a willingness to change and the ability to adapt to new conditions. This has made it one of the most successful companies in Germany, with locations all over the world,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Brenntag has achieved this because those in charge have made the right decisions – and because they have understood that nothing works without their employees.”
“With respect and pride, we celebrate our history and the people, decisions, and challenges that have shaped our company and brought us to where we stand today.
“Throughout its journey, Brenntag has thrived. We have continuously adapted to new conditions and needs, driven by curiosity and showing pioneering spirit, while staying focused.
“We reflect on our past and gain deeper insight from the successes, setbacks and experiences that guide us toward a responsible and successful tomorrow. In the spirit of our founder, Philipp Mühsam, Brenntag has always evolved and recalibrated. And we continue this tradition, actively shaping our markets as a truly global leader”, said Christian Kohlpaintner, chief executive officer of Brenntag SE, during the ceremony.
Founded by the Jewish entrepreneur Philipp Mühsam in Berlin, Germany, in 1874 as an egg wholesale enterprise, the company began trading chemicals early on.
After the takeover by the Stinnes Group, in 1937 it was named “Brennstoff-, Chemikalien- und Transport-Aktiengesellschaft” which was then abbreviated to “Brenntag”.
In the 1940s, headquarters moved to Mülheim an der Ruhr, where the company’s head office was located until 2017.
Under various ownership structures Brenntag grew both organically and through acquisitions, expanding its portfolio, size, and global reach over time.
Today, Brenntag operates about 600 sites in over 72 countries and with its more than 17,700 employees services thousands of customers with a unique range of industrial and specialties chemicals, products, and value-added services. The company has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2010 and on the DAX since 2021.