Milestones

Good for the heaviest tasks, for over 125 years.

Heinrich Baumann established his haulage business in 1888. A look back over this history reveals highs and lows, but always continuous growth. The family moved into heavy goods transport 60 years after the business was founded. In the years that followed, under the leadership of Baumann’s son Rudolf Baumann, the company developed into a heavy goods transport company that enjoyed an international reputation.

A short ride through our history:

Heinrich Baumann establishes a haulage business in Engelskirchen. Back then, goods are still being transported around the mountainous region of the Bergisches Land (in North Rhine-Westphalia) on horse-drawn carts. But the entrepreneur realises early on that business advancement lay in the expanding urban areas.

He moves the haulage company to Bonn.

 Three of his sons are working with him in the business. Clay and glass are transported from the areas surrounding Bonn to the Rheinhafen docks. Later, the horses are replaced by caterpillar trucks.

Heinrich’s son Viktor Baumann takes over the company from his father. The first modern-design trucks are purchased. The vehicle fleet is steadily expanded.

1939: The fleet comprises 8 trucks and 25-30 trailers. When war breaks out, half of the fleet is confiscated and used for war purposes.

1944: Christmas: The company site and the entire fleet of vehicles are completely destroyed in a bombing raid.  In just one night, 12 bombs rain down on the company premises.

1945: Rebuilding starts after the war. The new fleet of vehicles is assembled from the military vehicles that are no longer needed. The transported goods are primarily clay and aluminium.

1948: Bonn becomes the Federal capital of Western Germany. Construction machinery and materials are needed to build the new capital. A military low-loader is converted to become a civilian vehicle. BAUMANN starts up its HEAVY TRANSPORT business.

1950: The first own-design mobile crane is constructed. A crane is mounted onto an American military vehicle.

1957: The first new truck-mounted crane is purchased: a PH lattice boom crane capable of lifting 20 t.

Viktor’s son Rudolf Baumann becomes manager of the company. Under his guidance, the company develops into one of the leading heavy transport and crane companies in Germany.

The company expands to the point where the space constraints in the centre of Bonn make a move to an outlying district of the city essential. Today, the company site in Bornheim-Hersel, to the north of Bonn, comprises an area of 70,000 m2.

A branch is established on a 20,000 m2 site in Leipzig.

Rudolf’s daughter Sabine Baumann-Duvenbeck joins the board. Today, the company employs over 120 staff.