Family Business Fiege Celebrates 150 Years

In 1873, farmer Joan Joseph Fiege founded a small transport company in Greven, Westphalia. 150 years later, Fiege is an internationally active logistics service provider with over 23,000 employees in 16 countries, engaged not only in its core business of contract logistics but also in the fields of real estate, ventures, and digital services. Despite its growth and over a century and a half, the values of the family business and a strong connection to its roots have remained intact at Fiege.

(Greven) 150 years of moving together: The logistics service provider Fiege kicked off the celebrations for its 150th anniversary on Wednesday. Selected guests from local politics and all employees were invited to a small ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Greven.

“With our 150th birthday, we are celebrating a very special milestone in our company history. We know that this privilege is anything but a given. Therefore, on this occasion, we want to put our over 23,000 colleagues worldwide in the spotlight, who have made this team achievement possible. They deserve our special thanks, for without them, we would not be where we are today,” says Felix Fiege, who leads the family business together with his cousin Jens Fiege in the fifth generation. Jens Fiege adds: “The partnerships with our customers, many of whom have been with us for decades, are also an indispensable part of our long history. Therefore, on the occasion of our anniversary, we want to sincerely thank not only our team but also our customers and partners!”

Smaller Messenger Services and Coal Transport

The logistics company Fiege was founded in 1873 as a transport company in Greven, Westphalia. In its early years, farmer Joan Joseph Fiege handled smaller messenger services and transported coal with his horse-drawn cart. After Joan Joseph Fiege’s death in 1905, his son Josef Fiege continued the business. With the acquisition of the first trucks in the 1920s by his son Josef Fiege Jr., the company entered long-distance transport, marking the beginning of a strong growth phase. After the tragic accidental death of Josef Fiege Jr. in 1959, his sister Anne Fischbach, née Fiege, along with her husband Karl, stepped in and continued to drive the steadily growing freight business forward.

Celebrating 150 years of Fiege: (l. to r.) Alfred Messink, Martin Rademaker (both board members of Fiege), Heinz Fiege (owner of the fourth generation), Jens Fiege (Co-CEO of Fiege), Dr. Hugo Fiege (owner of the fourth generation), Dietrich Aden (mayor of the city of Greven), Dr. Martin Sommer (district administrator of Steinfurt), Felix Fiege (Co-CEO of Fiege), and Peter Scherbel (board member of Fiege)

Almost a decade later, in 1967, Josef Fiege’s son Heinz Fiege joined the company and brought his brother Dr. Hugo Fiege on board in 1973. As the fourth generation of the Fiege family, the two brothers initiated the groundbreaking development of the company from a freight forwarder to a contract logistics provider. In the 1990s, they received the German Logistics Award (1992) and the title of Eco Manager of the Year (1996) for their pioneering achievements. In 1998, they established the Josef Fiege Foundation in honor of their deceased father, which continues to support social projects and institutions dedicated to the welfare of society and nature. In 2014, Heinz Fiege and Dr. Hugo Fiege handed over the business to their sons Jens Fiege and Felix Fiege, who have been jointly leading the family business since then.

The Roots Are in Greven

In 2023, 150 years after its founding, Fiege is among the most innovative logistics service providers in Europe, offering cross-industry, modular solutions in logistics, real estate, ventures, and digital services. Jens Fiege says: “Our roots are in Greven; this is where it all began. However, we are now also at over 130 locations in 16 countries from Europe to Asia. We want to celebrate this under the motto ‘150 years of moving together’ with our colleagues, partners, and customers.” And Felix Fiege explains: “In our anniversary year, we naturally look back at our eventful company history, but we also want to focus on the challenges and goals for the future. Because if there is one thing that has particularly distinguished us in our long history, it is the fact that we have continually reinvented ourselves as a company and have always remained open to change. That has been our path – and it will remain our path.”

Photo: © Fiege