Kiennast

Kiennast, also known as Handelshaus Julius Kiennast, is an Austrian trading company group headquartered in Gars am Kamp in Lower Austria. Its business activities center on food retail and wholesale, supplemented by deliveries to restaurants and shops located at petrol stations. The company is presented as one of Austria’s oldest continuously active trading houses, with roots reaching back to 1585. The company’s historical base was a shop in Gars am Kamp that was recorded in a business document in 1585. In 1710, Mathias Kiennast took over the shop, establishing the family association that later became central to the company’s identity. Kiennast subsequently developed from a local trading operation into a broader distribution business serving independent merchants and institutional customers. A notable expansion into fuel retail occurred in 1910, when the business installed a gasoline pump. Shell became the fuel supplier from 1925. This activity connected Kiennast’s traditional trading operation with the emerging service-station channel, a relationship that remains reflected in the group’s distribution to petrol-station shops. From 1956, Kiennast’s wholesale trade was carried out through the merchants’ organization A&O. That organization later became associated with the Nah&Frisch retail system, linking Kiennast to Austria’s independent food-retail sector. During the middle of the 1990s, the company also began supplying Austrian storage facilities operated by RWA, broadening its logistics and wholesale role. A restructuring in 1998 created the organizational form of the company described in contemporary reference material. Kiennast continued to combine wholesale distribution with services for food retailers, restaurants, and petrol-station outlets rather than operating solely as a consumer-facing retail brand. Its positioning is therefore based on long-term trading continuity, regional distribution expertise, and support for multiple retail and hospitality channels. The company marked its history in 2010 with a celebration titled “300 years of company Kiennast with the tradition of 425 years of trade house,” distinguishing the 1710 Kiennast family milestone from the documented 1585 origins of the trading house. As of 2018, Alexander Kiennast and Julius Kiennast were identified as the company’s managing directors. Publicly available reference material does not provide sufficient detail to establish the current management structure, ownership arrangements, financial performance, or a confirmed corporate website.

Kiennast traces its history to a trading house in Gars am Kamp, Lower Austria, which was mentioned in a business document dated 1585. The business later became associated with the Kiennast family when Mathias Kiennast took over the shop in 1710. These two dates form the basis for the company’s distinction between the age of the trading house and the period of the Kiennast family business. The company adapted its activities as retail and distribution channels changed. In 1910 it installed a gasoline pump, adding fuel-related retail infrastructure to its trading operation. Shell was identified as the fuel supplier from 1925. The presence of a gasoline pump made the business an early participant in a channel that later developed into the modern petrol-station shop, one of the customer segments Kiennast continues to serve according to reference descriptions. In 1956, Kiennast’s wholesale trade was taken over by the merchants’ organization A&O. A&O subsequently became associated with the Nah&Frisch retail organization, which served independent merchants in Austria. This development placed Kiennast within a broader cooperative and organized-retail context while preserving its role as a wholesaler and distributor. During the middle of the 1990s, Kiennast began supplying storage facilities belonging to RWA in Austria. This represented an expansion beyond traditional shop-based wholesale into the supply of larger storage and distribution operations. In 1998, a restructuring established the company’s current organizational form. Kiennast commemorated its history in 2010 with an anniversary event described as celebrating 300 years of the Kiennast company and 425 years of the trading house. The wording reflected the 1710 family-business milestone and the 1585 documentary reference to the underlying commercial establishment. The company’s modern activities include food retail and wholesale, deliveries to restaurants, and deliveries to petrol-station shops. These activities position Kiennast as a multi-channel Austrian distributor rather than a narrowly defined packaged-goods brand. The available reference material identifies Alexander Kiennast and Julius Kiennast as managing directors in 2018, but does not establish whether they remain in those roles. It also does not provide reliable public information about current ownership, revenue, employee numbers, or listing status.

• 2010

  425-year trading-house and 300-year company anniversary

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  Kiennast celebrated the documented 425-year history of the trading house and 300 years associated with the Kiennast company.

• 1998

  Corporate restructuring

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  A restructuring created the company’s current organizational form.

• 1995

  Supply relationship with RWA storage facilities begins

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  During the middle of the 1990s, Kiennast began supplying Austrian storage facilities operated by RWA.

• 1956

  Wholesale trade integrated into A&O

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  The merchants’ organization A&O took over Kiennast’s wholesale trade; A&O later became associated with Nah&Frisch.

• 1925

  Shell becomes fuel supplier

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  Shell was identified as the supplier for Kiennast’s fuel operation from this year.

• 1910

  Gasoline pump installed

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  Kiennast installed a gasoline pump, extending its trading activities into fuel retail.

• 1710

  Mathias Kiennast takes over the shop

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  Mathias Kiennast took over the shop, marking the beginning of the family-linked phase of the business.

• 1585

  Trading house documented in Gars am Kamp

  [1]Kiennasten.wikipedia.org

  A business document mentioned the company’s historical headquarters or shop in Gars am Kamp, providing the earliest cited date in Kiennast’s history.

A long-established Austrian regional trading and distribution group connecting food producers and suppliers with independent retailers, restaurants, and petrol-station shops.

• Grocery distribution

  Food wholesale

  Kiennast’s principal activity is the wholesale and distribution of food and grocery merchandise. The business serves retail outlets and other commercial customers, with its role centered on sourcing, handling, and delivering products rather than presenting a single consumer product line under the Kiennast name.

• Foodservice distribution

  Restaurant supply

  The company delivers goods to restaurants, extending its wholesale logistics capabilities into hospitality and foodservice. Available sources identify this as a business channel but do not specify a complete product catalogue or proprietary brands.

• Convenience distribution

  Petrol-station shop supply

  Kiennast supplies shops located at petrol stations. This channel has historical roots in the company’s 1910 gasoline-pump installation and its fuel-supply relationship with Shell from 1925, although current product-level details are not provided in the reference material.

1. 1Kiennasten.wikipedia.org