Rethmann

Rethmann is a privately owned German family business headquartered at its founding location in Selm, North Rhine-Westphalia. Established in 1934 by Josef Rethmann, the company began with a railway freight-forwarding and haulage operation that also handled ash disposal for households in Selm. Over time, that local transport and disposal activity developed into a diversified international group organized around specialized operating companies rather than a single consumer-facing product brand. The group’s principal businesses are Remondis, Rhenus, Saria, and, since 2025, a majority interest in Transdev. Remondis operates in recycling, water management, waste services, resource recovery, and the production of recycled materials and alternative energy. Its activities include waste collection and treatment, water supply and treatment, recycling of secondary raw materials, and municipal and industrial environmental services. Through Remondis, Rethmann also owns or controls the TSR Group, which specializes in metal recycling. Rhenus is the group’s logistics arm. Its activities include automotive logistics, contract logistics, road and overland transport, port logistics, and air and ocean freight. The business gives Rethmann exposure to industrial supply chains, freight forwarding, warehousing, and transportation infrastructure across international markets. Saria focuses on the recovery and processing of animal by-products, food waste, and other organic materials. It supplies products and services for human and animal nutrition, agriculture, aquaculture, and industrial applications, while also producing renewable energy and serving agricultural and food-industry customers. The group expanded into public transportation through its investment in Transdev. Rethmann acquired an initial 30 percent interest in Transdev from Veolia in 2019, later increasing its position to 34 percent. In 2025, the French state approved the sale of an additional 32 percent stake, and the transaction was completed on 1 July 2025. Rethmann consequently became Transdev’s majority shareholder with 66 percent, while France’s state-owned financial institution Caisse des Dépôts remained a minority shareholder with 34 percent. Ownership remains concentrated within the founding family. The group is equally owned by four brothers: Klemens, Ludger, Georg, and Martin Rethmann. This ownership model has supported long-term expansion while preserving private control over the group’s capital allocation and operating companies. Rethmann’s positioning is based on essential, asset-intensive services connected with the circular economy, infrastructure, logistics, resource recovery, and public mobility. Although the parent company has limited consumer visibility, its subsidiaries operate in sectors that affect municipalities, industrial customers, supply chains, households, food producers, and public transport users.

Rethmann traces its origins to 1934, when Josef Rethmann took over a railway freight-forwarding business and a haulage company in Selm. The operation also carried out ash disposal for local households, connecting transportation with an early form of municipal waste service. A decisive step came in 1959, when the business won a tender to handle ash disposal for the entire town of Selm. That contract established the local-service foundation from which the group’s environmental activities later developed. Norbert Rethmann assumed management of the family company in 1961. Under his leadership, the business moved beyond its original local transport and disposal activities and developed broader waste, recycling, and service operations. The later environmental-services platform became the basis for what is now the Remondis Group. In 1992, Norbert transferred nearly all of his shares to his four sons—Klemens, Ludger, Georg, and Martin—while moving to the supervisory board. Hermann Niehues, who had joined the company in 1978, became chief executive officer. The group expanded its logistics activities significantly in 1998 through the acquisition of Rhenus AG & Co. The transaction established a larger platform for freight forwarding, contract logistics, transportation, and related supply-chain services. This diversification increased the group’s exposure to industrial and international logistics while its environmental businesses continued to expand in recycling, water management, and resource recovery. The group reported consolidated sales of 7.2 billion Deutsche Mark in 2007, according to the cited historical account. Niehues died in an accident in the summer of 2008. Reinhard Lohmann succeeded him as chief executive on 1 October 2008, with Ludger and Klemens Rethmann completing the three-member management board. In September 2009, Norbert Rethmann transferred the remaining 4 percent of the company’s shares to his sons and retired from his honorary supervisory-board role. Martin Rethmann became chairman of the supervisory board, Peter Nölke became deputy chairman, and Georg Rethmann joined the supervisory board. Rethmann pursued further diversification in the following decade. In 2010, it bid for Steag, one of Germany’s major energy suppliers, but the transaction was won by a holding company representing municipal utilities in the Ruhr region. At the end of 2014, Peter Nölke left the supervisory board. Reinhard Lohmann also left the management board and moved to the supervisory board as vice-chairman. Public transport became an additional strategic area through Transdev. In January 2019, Rethmann bought a 30 percent stake in Transdev from Veolia. The holding later rose to 34 percent after an additional 4 percent was contributed by Rhenus Veniro, which consequently became part of Transdev. In June 2025, the French state approved the sale of a further 32 percent to Rethmann. The acquisition was completed on 1 July 2025, giving Rethmann a 66 percent majority stake while Caisse des Dépôts retained 34 percent. Today, the group is structured around four principal business groups. Remondis covers recycling, water, waste services, resource recovery, and alternative energy. Rhenus provides logistics across automotive, contract logistics, overland transport, ports, and air and ocean freight. Saria processes animal by-products and food waste into products for nutrition, agriculture, aquaculture, industry, and renewable-energy applications. Transdev operates public transport. The family-owned structure and the group’s long-term concentration on essential services remain central features of its identity.

• 2025

  Transdev majority acquired

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  The group completed the acquisition of an additional 32 percent of Transdev on 1 July, taking its holding to 66 percent.

• 2019

  Initial Transdev investment

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Rethmann acquired a 30 percent stake in Transdev from Veolia, later increasing its holding to 34 percent.

• 2010

  Steag bid unsuccessful

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Rethmann participated in the sale process for Steag but did not win the transaction.

• 2009

  Family ownership consolidated

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Norbert Rethmann transferred his remaining 4 percent holding to his four sons and retired from his honorary supervisory role.

• 2008

  Reinhard Lohmann becomes chief executive

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Reinhard Lohmann became CEO on 1 October after the death of Hermann Niehues.

• 1998

  Rhenus expansion

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  The group acquired Rhenus AG & Co., materially expanding its international logistics activities.

• 1992

  Ownership transferred to the next generation

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Norbert Rethmann transferred nearly all of his shares to his four sons and became chairman of the supervisory board.

• 1961

  Norbert Rethmann takes over management

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Norbert Rethmann assumed leadership of the family business and guided its subsequent expansion.

• 1959

  Selm-wide ash-disposal contract

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  After winning a municipal tender, the company extended its ash-disposal service to the entire town of Selm.

• 1934

  Family business established in Selm

  [1]Rethmannen.wikipedia.org

  Josef Rethmann took over a railway freight-forwarding and haulage operation that also handled ash disposal for households in Selm.

A privately controlled infrastructure and services group focused on circular-economy activities, logistics, resource recovery, bio-based processing, and public mobility.

• Recycling and environmental services

  Remondis

  Remondis is Rethmann’s environmental-services platform. It provides waste collection and treatment, recycling, water supply and treatment, recovery of secondary raw materials, development of recycled products, and alternative-energy services. The business serves municipalities, households, and industrial customers and includes the TSR Group’s metal-recycling activities.

• Logistics · 1998

  Rhenus

  Rhenus is the group’s international logistics business. Its activities cover automotive logistics, contract logistics, overland transport, port logistics, and air and ocean freight. The business combines transportation, forwarding, warehousing, and supply-chain services for industrial and commercial customers.

• Bio-based resource processing

  Saria

  Saria processes animal by-products, food waste, and other organic materials. It develops ingredients and products for human and animal nutrition, agriculture, aquaculture, and industrial applications. The business also produces renewable energy and provides services to agricultural and food-sector companies.

• Public transportation

  Transdev

  Transdev is an international public-transport operator in which Rethmann became the majority shareholder in 2025. Its inclusion broadened Rethmann’s portfolio from environmental, logistics, and bio-resource services into passenger mobility and transport operations.

• Metal recycling

  TSR Group

  TSR Group belongs to Rethmann through Remondis and focuses on metal recycling. It represents the group’s participation in the recovery and processing of metal resources within the wider circular-economy portfolio.

• 2025

  Acquisition of a Transdev majorityM&A

  Background

  Rethmann sought to increase its influence over Transdev after holding a 34 percent minority position.

  Action taken

  Following French state approval, Rethmann acquired an additional 32 percent stake, completing the transaction on 1 July 2025.

  Aftermath

  Rethmann became Transdev’s majority shareholder with 66 percent, while Caisse des Dépôts retained 34 percent.

  Source

• 2019

  Investment in TransdevM&A

  Background

  Rethmann pursued expansion into public transportation and mobility services.

  Action taken

  It acquired a 30 percent stake in Transdev from Veolia and later increased the holding to 34 percent.

  Aftermath

  Rhenus Veniro became part of Transdev, strengthening the group’s position in public transport.

  Source

• 2010

  Bid for SteagOther

  Background

  Rethmann participated in the sale process for Steag, a major German energy supplier.

  Action taken

  The group submitted a bid but did not acquire Steag.

  Aftermath

  Steag was acquired by a municipal holding company representing several Ruhr-region utilities.

  Source

• 1998

  Acquisition of Rhenus AG & Co.M&A

  Background

  Rethmann sought to expand beyond environmental and municipal services into a larger international logistics platform.

  Action taken

  The group acquired Rhenus AG & Co. and developed it into its principal logistics business.

  Aftermath

  Rhenus became a core operating group covering automotive, contract, overland, port, air, and ocean logistics.

  Source

1. 1Rethmannen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rethmann Gruppe official websiterethmann-gruppe.de