For 100 years with entrepreneurial vision.

October 11, 1923
Wilhelm Albert (1878 - 1943) founded Sauerstoffwerke AG in Münster at a time of severe inflation. The company's first line of business was the production of oxygen for oxyfuel welding and cutting. Shareholders included Westfalia Industrie- und Handelskonzern AG, Münster, the Münster City Council and Dresdner Bank, Münster branch.

1925
Establishment of the second operating branch, Westfalen Fuels and Lubricants, for commercial and industrial use.

1927
Construction of the first Westfalen service station in Münster on Albersloher Weg. This is followed by the establishment of a network of filling stations, mostly simple sidewalk filling stations with hand pumps. Even then, the brand on the station mast showed a jumping white horse.

from 1933
The sidewalk service station is transformed into a service station, and the network expands. By 1938 there are already 100 Westfalen service stations.

1938
Expansion of the oxygen business with the commissioning of a modern air separation plant near Münster station for the production of oxygen and nitrogen. A modern large tank farm is added to meet the increasing demand for fuel and the growing network of filling stations. It has a capacity of 800,000 liters. A new administration building on Industrieweg in Münster, still the company's headquarters today, is also put into operation.

1943
Company founder Wilhelm Albert dies on November 30. He is succeeded by his son-in-law Josef Fritsch and his son Herbert Albert.

1945
After the end of the war, oxygen production is resumed. Production and sales increase continuously in the following years.

1946
The founder's sons Herbert Albert as Commercial Director and Chairman of the Board of Management and August-Wilhelm Albert as Member of the Board of Management and Technical Director take over the management of the company and determine its course over the next decades.

1949
The first site outside Münster is established in Osnabrück.

1949 onwards
The service station network is built up and expanded again. Service stations are increasingly  combined with garage yards, vehicle repair shops and car care facilities.

1951
Construction of the Westfalen-Garagen at Münster's main train station, at that time the city's largest high-rise garage with 270 spaces. In the years that followed, Westfalen garages were built in other major cities.

1954
The third branch of the company's operations: the liquid gas business is established with Westfalengas. Refinery liquefied gas is decanted into steel cylinders at the Münster-Gremmendorf plant. The establishment of a sales network in northwestern Germany begins.

1956
A decanting plant and an acetylene production facility were put into operation at the Gremmendorf plant. A new oxygen production facility was built at the main Münster plant.

1965
In order to meet the labor shortage of the time, apartments for employees are built in Münster-Gremmendorf in the immediate vicinity of the plant.

1966
Construction of a new tank farm with an oil port on the Dortmund-Ems canal in Münster-Gelmer with a capacity of 40 million liters.

1970
The sales threshold of DM 100 million was exceeded for the first time.

1974
On June 20, Herbert Albert, Chairman of the Board of Management, died. Management of the company passed to his brother August-Wilhelm Albert. After his death in 1977, Wolfgang Fritsch-Albert took over as Chairman of the Board of Management.

1979
The acquisition of Propan-Union GmbH in Püttlingen opens up the southern German market for liquid gas. In the same year, a branch is opened in Rosdorf near Göttingen.

1988
The name Sauerstoffwerk is deleted from the company name; the entry in the Commercial Register now reads Westfalen AG - a name that remains valid to this day.

1989
Westfalen Gassen Nederland B.V. (WGN) is founded as the first foreign subsidiary. The company is based in Deventer, directly on the European E30 (A1), one of the most important road links in Western Europe.

With the largest acquisition in the company's history to date, the takeover of Ernst Rückwarth GmbH & Co. KG, expands the service station network by 90 to 240 stations. With the takeover of KDE Kälte Zubehör Handelsgesellschaft in Emsdetten, Westfalen establishes a new foothold in the refrigerants sector.

1990
Establishment of sales and delivery points for the Gases Division in the new German states. Introduction of the Westfalen Service Card, a personal or vehicle-related fuel card for companies with their own fleets.

1991
The number of employees rises to over 1,000 for the first time.

1993
Commissioning of the new air separation plant and special gases center in Hörstel in the Steinfurt district, some 40 kilometers north of Münster. At over DM 50 million, this is the largest single investment in the company's history to date.

1994
Acquisition of the service station network of Casati & Lederhausen GmbH & Co., Oldenburg, with 34 stations, thus strengthening the base in northern Germany.

Sales exceed DM 1 billion for the first time.

1996
Opening of the Magdeburg branch and the Wanzleben plant.

1997
Opening of the Weißenhorn plant near Ulm.

1999
Expansion of European business with the establishment of the Belgian subsidiary Westfalen BVBA-SPRL (WGB) in the Brussels area and with the establishment of the French subsidiary Westfalen France S.A.R.L. (WGF) in Rosselange.

2000
Startup of a hydrogen production plant in Salzbergen as part of a joint venture. The plant produces 21 million standard cubic meters p.a. with a purity of 99.999 vol.%.

Strengthening of European business: founding of the subsidiary Westfalen Gas Schweiz GmbH (WGS) based in Eiken (Aargau).

Commissioning of a further air separation plant in Laichingen (Badem-Württemberg) to supply the southern German region.

2001
Renate Fritsch-Albert joins the company and becomes part of the management team. She is responsible for human resources and the development of the corporate strategy.

2002
Takeover of the refrigerant distribution business of Messer Griesheim GmbH with around 1,500 specialist companies in the refrigeration and air conditioning trade and the automotive industry.

Acquisition of more than 40 service stations in the course of the Shell and DEA service station merger.

2005
Foundation of the Austrian subsidiary Westfalen Austria GmbH (WGA). The headquarters has been in Gramatneusiedl (Bruck district) since 2018.

2006
Acquisition of the 37 service stations of Kuwait Petroleum (Deutschland) GmbH, most of which operate under the name Markant. The facilities continue to operate under the previous name.

2007
Opening of the first foreign filling plant for industrial gases. The site is located in Heteren, south of Arnhem.

2008
Commissioning of the first filling plant in France, designed for industrial gases, food gases and refrigerants.

2010
The air separation plant in Le Creusot (France) is officially commissioned. This is the largest foreign investment in the history of the Westfalen Group to date.

2011
Westfalen Gassen Medical (WGM) is founded in the Netherlands, marking the company's entry into the homecare business.

2013
Westfalen builds a technology center for gas technology in Münster's Höltenweg industrial park.

Topping-out ceremony of the Westfalen Tower with Renate and Wolfgang Fritsch-Albert. The tower is the visible sign of the company's successful development and represents a prominent point in the urban architecture of the city of Münster.

2014
Corporate headquarters as a local landmark visible from afar: Inauguration of the Westfalen Tower on Münster's Industrieweg.

2015
Westfalen acquires a majority stake in Medica-Technik GmbH (Brachbach). The company is the basis for the German business of today's Westfalen Medical.

2016
New offering in the mobility market: opening of the first Westfalen Truck Wash facility in Kerpen near Cologne.

Dr. Meike Schäffler is appointed to the Westfalen Group's Executive Board. She is responsible for IT, Production & Engineering and Innovation Management.

An investment in the future: opening of the first Westfalen hydrogen filling station in Münster-Amelsbüren, Hansa-Business-Park.

2017
Renate Fritsch-Albert moves to the Supervisory Board and becomes Chairwoman of the Westfalen Group's Executive Committee. In addition to the future direction of the company, in this role she also looks after the family-owned company's long-standing social commitment.

2018
Wolfgang Fritsch-Albert moves to the Supervisory Board of the Westfalen Group after 41 years in corporate management and takes over as its Chairman. Dr. Thomas Perkmann becomes the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Westfalen Group.

2019
Launch of the new Westfalen Service Card + eCharge. In addition to the benefits of a classic fuel card, it offers access to thousands of Intercharge charging stations across Europe.

2020
Jesko von Stechow completes the Westfalen Group's Executive Board as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Spin-off of the start-up fillibri. The smartphone app enables fast and contactless payment at gas stations.

The Westfalen Group opens its first LNG filling station in Münster-Amelsbüren. Over the next 12 months, further LNG refueling facilities are built in Herford, Herne and Cologne.

2021
Spin-off of the start-up Sustayn, a digital platform for greater sustainability in companies.

The Westfalen site in Hörstel becomes the Group's largest production facility for specialty gases. The company invests a total of seven million euros in the north of North Rhine-Westphalia.

For better supply security: Start of full operation at the Krefeld liquefied gas tank farm. The site is being rebuilt with an investment volume of 20 million euros.

Westfalen presents a mobile hydrogen filling station together with its cooperation partner NanoSun.

Opening of the first Westfalen Mobility Hub in Bornheim near Bonn. In addition to alternative energy carriers, Westfalen offers a broad portfolio of sustainable products and services at these locations.

Launch of the production and filling of technical gases in Münster-Gelmer. The investment volume is 20 million euros.

2022
New brand identity for the Westfalen Group.

Groundbreaking ceremony for a new filling plant for technical gases in Lanken in the Hamburg area.

2023
Respiratory Homecare (RHC) becomes a separate business unit and is to be significantly expanded over the next few years. At the same time, Westfalen intends to establish business with hydrogen, a climate-friendly energy carrier, as a key growth area.

Green hydrogen for commercial vehicles: Westfalen and RWE are planning a joint venture and aim to build up to 70 hydrogen filling stations by 2030. The initial regional focus is on North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.

Westfalen is entering the electricity-based heating market by acquiring a majority stake in the NGC.tec Group, thereby adding sustainable energy systems to its product portfolio in the heating sector.