New Foundation Councils at Grieshaber Group in Weingarten

Automotive logistics expert Christoph Bahner and Prof. Karl Heinz Hänssler strengthen the foundation and supervisory board of the Grieshaber Group in Weingarten, Baden-Württemberg. With these two experts, the foundations established by company founder Heinrich Grieshaber and his wife Gabriele are set for stable growth.

(Weingarten) Since 2014, the Grieshaber Corporate Foundation for operational business and the Heinrich and Gabriele Grieshaber Foundation for social purposes have been shareholders of the Grieshaber Group based in Weingarten. After the death of Heinrich Grieshaber in spring 2020, the business shares were completely transferred to the foundation, and its bodies, the foundation advisory board and supervisory board, were fully staffed. The process is complete.

Hansjörg Zelger Takes Over Foundation Board

New to the council team are automotive logistics expert Christoph Bahner and Prof. Karl Heinz Hänssler. Together with Michael Horn, former deputy chairman of the board of the State Bank of Baden-Württemberg, they form the advisory board for the corporate foundation. The foundation board is chaired by Hansjörg Zelger, chairman of the supervisory board and partner at the auditing and tax consulting firm RSM in Munich. Christoph Bahner is the CFO at ARS Altmann AG, a company specializing in automotive logistics based in Wolnzach, Bavaria. With his logistics expertise, he complements not only the foundation advisory board but also the supervisory board of Grieshaber Logistik GmbH. Karl Heinz Hänssler is the former rector of the Dual University of Baden-Württemberg Ravensburg and a long-time friend of the Grieshaber family. He is the author of numerous studies and publications for the hospitality and tourism industry.

Using Money for the Benefit of People

“Using money for the benefit of people has always been the goal of Gabriele and Heinrich Grieshaber. That is why they founded the foundations. They keep the money within the company and compensate for social injustices. For this purpose, we have recruited experts for our foundation bodies who not only fulfill their roles excellently in terms of expertise but also feel personally connected to the Grieshaber family,” says Roland Futterer, Managing Director of Finance and Personnel. A large part of the earnings from operational business is allocated by the bodies to the two foundations. Among other things, in the last financial year, the “Heinrich and Gabriele Grieshaber Foundation” was able to allocate around 100,000 euros for children, young people, and people in need or with poorer educational opportunities.

Group Grows on Its Own Strength

In the core business of transport and logistics services, the supervisory board advises Grieshaber Logistik GmbH. The real estate portfolio of the group is organized in the Grieshaber Logistikpark Ravensburg GmbH for Baden-Württemberg. Additionally, the newly founded Grieshaber Immobilien NRW GmbH was established for real estate investments in the region. Alexander Tesch, COO, and Gregor Schnell, Managing Director of Technology, Purchasing, and Real Estate, comment: “For the future, we see ourselves well positioned with the foundation and supervisory boards. The consolidated results of recent years show that the group is growing solidly and on its own strength. In the coming years, we will gradually become more international and broaden our scope. Our top goal is long-term planning security for employees, customers, and partners.”
Photo: © Grieshaber, Weingarten / Image caption: Prof. Karl Heinz Hänssler Foundation Council Expert Author and Former Rector, DHBW (left) Christoph Bahner, Supervisory and Foundation Council, CFO, ARS Altmann AG (right)
www.grieshaberlog.com