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The coming together of entrepreneurial spirit, courage and ideas gave birth to Oxygenwerke AG in 1923 - the foundation stone for today's Westfalen Group. That was 100 years ago. 10 decades with many challenges. And mastering challenges – we know that and we can do that. Our most important companion has always been one of our most important characteristics: curiosity. Curiosity is part of our DNA and part of our recipe for success. Because just as we need tradition, we need innovation to actively shape the future.
That's why we're taking this anniversary as an opportunity to look ahead - to the long-term goals that we have set for the Westfalen Group with our 2030 future strategy. We are “future makers” – true to the motto 100 years, still curious.
A journey through a Westphalian success story: From Oxygenwerke AG to the Europe-wide Westfalen Group.
Video ansehenWe are committed
On the occasion of the company's 100th anniversary, we are increasing our social commitment, especially in and around Münster. To this end, we have launched an educational initiative with the aim of getting students excited about the MINT area. They should be encouraged to choose training or study in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences or technology.
Westfalen is a family business. We have always thought not in terms of financial years, but in generations. We see it as our responsibility to make a sustainable contribution to society. We are future makers – and make the future possible. For our employees, our customers, our business partners and also for our company. That's why we're committed to making progress sustainable. For us, progress and sustainability are not a contradiction, but rather our business and our understanding of sustainable business. “Future made in Westphalia” – read the WN special now to coincide with our anniversary!
Sustainability at the Westfalen Group
As a family business, we have always thought in terms of generations and assumed responsibility for society. In doing so, we also face social challenges and promote sustainable development.
Warmth
With the Westfalengas brand, we are one of the leading supply companies for liquid gas in Germany. Challenge: The heating market is changing. Climate-friendly alternatives are increasingly expected to replace oil and gas heating systems. Westfalen plans to become a leading provider of electricity-based heating solutions for medium-sized and private customers with tailor-made integrated solutions. Heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, wall boxes and energy management systems: everything from a single source.
Hydrogen
Westfalen has many years of experience in the field of hydrogen and has been reliably supplying companies, industry and research institutions with the energy source of the future for over 40 years. Fuel cell vehicles have been able to fill up with hydrogen at the Westfalen gas station in Münster-Amelsbüren since 2016. We are currently in the process of establishing hydrogen as another key growth area for our group of companies. We want to become the preferred partner for German and European medium-sized companies in the decentralized production and delivery of green hydrogen - the first electrolysers are being planned. In addition, Westfalen will set up a network of stationary and mobile hydrogen filling stations. The company aims to build 70 hydrogen filling stations together with Germany's largest energy company RWE by 2030. In parallel, the mobile hydrogen filling station offers a more flexible solution. The container-based system can be set up almost anywhere and is the ideal solution for anyone who wants to get started with hydrogen mobility with small starter fleets.
Respiratory Homecare
When the Westfalen Group was founded, the production of oxygen was the basis of its success. Then as now, it plays a special role in the company's portfolio. In addition to its possible uses in the chemical and food industries, it is also used as a medicine in hospitals, emergency services and doctor's offices. As part of home care, the subsidiary Westfalen Medical offers innovative device technologies and services in the product areas of long-term oxygen, sleep and ventilation therapy. The Westfalen Group has established the Respiratory Homecare division as an independent business unit under the name Westfalen Medical and has thus developed it into a reliable pillar of the company. In addition to the companies in the Netherlands and Germany, further foreign subsidiaries are to be set up in the future. The goal is to contribute to improving the quality of life of 200,000 people every day by 2030 with almost 1,000 employees in this business area alone.
Mobility
With around 260 stations, Westfalen has the largest network of independent branded petrol stations in Germany. In order to continue to meet the needs of mobile customers across the board in the future, we are building future-proof mobility hubs at selected locations. Stations are adapted to the changing needs of customers and existing infrastructures are expanded to include alternative drive energies. Other environmentally friendly fuels such as bio-CNG or bio-LNG are becoming increasingly important in the portfolio.
Industrial Gases & Services
When Wilhelm Albert founded the company, he could not have imagined the important role that industrial gases play today and how diverse they can be used. Today, the Westfalen Group produces and sells more than 300 technical gases and gas mixtures for almost all areas of application in industry and trade, food production, laboratories, pharmacy and medicine. Industrial gases are an important part of our company. In the future, customers will continue to benefit from personal advice and the many years of expertise from our gas specialists, refrigeration experts and optimized digital services. New, high-capacity bottling locations that we are building both in our core market of Germany and in neighboring Western European countries are a strategic building block for future growth.
Remain interesting, even after 100 years? Not easy. As a family-oriented company, we are firmly convinced that satisfied employees are the most important prerequisite for our successful future. With their committed commitment and their innovative ideas, they actively contribute to making progress sustainable every day. Together we are committed to a world in which future generations will also want to live and work happily.
For this reason, we offer a flexible working world with a wide range of opportunities - across tasks, areas and national borders. Trust and openness characterize the work of the Westfalen team and create a culture that combines performance and employee satisfaction. Looking ahead to 2030, we want to grow together with our employees and achieve new successes. During this time, the number of our workforce is expected to increase from currently around 2,000 employees to up to 3,000 employees.
Who are we looking for? People who want to work in a team and actively shape the future.
Watch video
Renate Fritsch-Albert
Renate Fritsch-Albert has been a member of the supervisory board since April 2017. Previously, as a member of the Westfalen management team, she was responsible for human resources and strategic change processes.
Katharina Max Theurer
Katharina Max-Theurer is the goddaughter of the entrepreneurial family and works as an advisory board member at Westfalen AG. The studied media manager is also the founder and owner of an agency. She has been working for the Westfalen Group since 2019.
Wolfgang Fritsch Albert
Wolfgang Fritsch-Albert has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Westfalen Group since July 2018. He previously led the company as CEO for over 40 years from 1977 to 2018.
Left to right:
Dr. Meike Schäffler
The mathematician with a doctorate moved to the board of the Westfalen Group in 2016 and is responsible, among other things, for the areas of Production & Engineering, IT and Innovation Management. Before that, she initially worked as a management consultant. She then moved to the Benteler Group, where she was in overall charge of IT and then worked as managing director.
Dr. Thomas Perkmann
The doctor of business administration and internationally experienced manager took over as CEO of the Westfalen Group in 2018. The native of South Tyrol initially worked as a management consultant before moving to Palfinger AG in 2006, where he most recently managed Palfinger's largest business area EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australia) together with another manager.
Jesko von Stechow
The business economist took over the finance department of the Westfalen Group in 2020. His other areas of responsibility include Human Resource Management and Legal & Compliance. Von Stechow has many years of experience in the financial sector of international and medium-sized companies. Before moving to Westfalen, he was managing director of an Osram subsidiary.
Annual reports
Would you like to find out more about Westfalen? Take a look at our latest annual report or find the appropriate Westfalen annual report since 2018.
In 1923, Wilhelm Albert founded Oxygenwerke AG in Münster - and thus laid the foundation for today's Westfalen Group. Over the next 100 years, the company developed from a regional manufacturer of technical gases, liquid gas supplier and petrol station operator into a group of companies operating throughout Europe. New ideas, projects and milestones shape the history of Westfalen - to this day.
“The biggest strategic decision was certainly to maintain our own production of air gases with a new plant in Münster. Without this decision, we would not have the large industrial gases and service division we have today. The acquisition of the then Propane Union was a nucleus for the propane business, which also led to the expansion of the business towards southern Germany and ultimately France. In the gas station business, the takeover of the Bielefeld company Rückwarth with its over 70 gas stations fueled our business in particular.”
Wolfgang Fritsch-Albert about the milestones in the company's history