EWE (utility company)

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EWE AG

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1943
Seat Oldenburg , GermanyGermanyGermany 
management
  • Michael Heidkamp
  • Urban Keussen
  • Wolfgang Mücher
  • Marion Rövekamp
Number of employees 8,508 (2018)
sales 5.7 billion euros (2018)
Branch Energy supplier
Website www.ewe.com
As of July 19, 2019

The EWE AG (formerly energy supply Weser-Ems ) is a utility company in the field of electricity , natural gas , telecommunications , information technology . Organized as a German stock corporation, EWE is currently the fifth largest energy supply company in Germany.

Company profile

EWE operates in the Ems-Weser-Elbe region, in Bremen, Brandenburg, on the Baltic island of Rügen and in western Poland. The company's headquarters are in Oldenburg . Before the liberalization of the energy markets, EWE had a monopoly in the German home regions and therefore still has a very high market share today. It has a 26 percent stake in the Oldenburger Busgesellschaft Verkehr und Wasser GmbH (VWG).

As a 100 percent subsidiary, EWE Vertrieb is the electricity and natural gas provider between the Ems and Elbe, in Brandenburg and on Rügen . EWE Tel , also a wholly-owned subsidiary, has been offering telecommunications services in largely the same regions since September 1996 . EWE Netz operates electricity, natural gas and telecommunications networks in northwest Germany and parts of Brandenburg. Cities and municipalities from north-west Germany now have a 3.1 percent stake in the formerly wholly owned EWE subsidiary. EWE Gasspeicher , also a wholly owned subsidiary of EWE, is an energy service provider in the field of natural gas storage . Gastransport Nord (GTG), a wholly owned subsidiary, was founded in March 2012 as an independent transmission system operator of the L-gas transmission network in the EWE Group. EWE is represented in Bremen by its subsidiary swb , in which the company holds all but one of the shares, which remain with the city of Bremen. With the 100 percent subsidiary BTC AG , EWE offers IT services and software.

Company history

1930 to 1999

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

In 1930 the newly founded Oldenburgische Stromversorgungs AG (Oldag) merged with Weser-Ems-Stromversorgungs AG (Wesag) to form Stromversorgungs AG Oldenburg-Ostfriesland (Strosag). This laid the foundation stone for EWE, and so 1930 is seen as the year EWE was born.

In 1943, the Strosag and the "State Electricity Association Oldenburg (LEV)" merged under the name "Energieversorgung Weser-Ems AG (EWE)".

Another major milestone was the natural gas supply in Oldenburg in 1959, making it the first major city in Germany to be supplied with natural gas.

In 1986, EWE reached 500,000 electricity customers and opened up the waste management business two years later .

The establishment of a natural gas supply in the eastern part of Brandenburg began in 1990.

In 1992 the name was changed to "EWE Aktiengesellschaft".

In 1996, the telecommunications subsidiary EWE TEL GmbH was finally founded.

1998  merged EWE with the regional utilities AG Überlandwerk North Hanover .

The business areas of building security "Gebäude Sicherheit Nord GmbH" and property development (EWE UDG) were developed in 1999, while at the same time the construction of a supply network in Poland began.

From 2000

old logo

EWE entered the IT industry with the establishment of EASY Plus GmbH and Business Technology Consulting AG .

In 2001, the telecommunications service provider nordCom GmbH was taken over and the EWE Foundation was established.

In the following year, in addition to the complete acquisition of the Bremen telecommunications company BREKOM and Stadtwerke Bremervörde , a stake of 74.95% in the telecommunications service provider osnatel GmbH in Osnabrück and a stake of 10% in the Stadtwerke Frankfurt / Oder followed .

In 2003, EWE acquired 47.9% of the shares in VNG - Verbundnetz Gas AG , a gas trading company based in Leipzig, which E.ON had to sell as part of the fulfillment of the conditions for the ministerial permit to purchase E.ON Ruhrgas . This acquisition became legally valid in January 2004. At the same time, the municipal majority owners acquired the 27.4% of the EWE shares from E.ON, which they did not own, by exercising the existing pre-acquisition right , which was also sold by E.ON under the above-mentioned ministerial approval had to be. EWE was temporarily completely owned by the towns and districts of the Ems-Weser-Elbe region. In addition, there was a stake in Stadtwerke Cuxhaven (74.9%) and the regional utility Stadtwerke Bremen (SWB) (32.36%). 2004 saw the increase in the stake in SWB to 49% and the acquisition of 50% of the shares in the telephone company HTP in Hanover

In 2006, a majority of 51% in the telecommunications provider Teleos GmbH & Co. KG in Herford and the remaining shares in the Cuxhaven public utility company were acquired. In addition, the EWE shareholders, four cities and 17 districts from the Ems-Weser-Elbe region, joined forces on November 1 to form a joint special-purpose association, the Ems-Weser-Elbe supply and disposal association .

In 2007 EWE took a 39.9% stake in the regional Turkish natural gas supplier Bursagaz AS , based in Bursa, and acquired all of the shares in the telecommunications company BCC Business Communication Company GmbH , based in Wolfsburg . In 2008 EWE AG increased its shares in the Turkish utilities Bursagaz AS and Kayseri Dogalgaz AS from 39.9% to 80% each. The remaining 20% ​​of the two companies each belong to 10% of the Turkish Çalik Holding and 10% each to the municipalities of Bursa and Kayseri.

On August 26, 2008, EWE TEL and "Teleos GmbH & Co. KG", based in Herford, merged into one company. The two regional telecommunications companies were merged with retroactive effect from January 1, 2008 and have been operating as "EWE TEL GmbH" ever since. Teleos was initially continued as a brand of EWE TEL GmbH. Since June 1, 2011, the services in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe area have been offered under the EWE brand.

In 2009 EWE TEL acquired the majority in "Martens Antennen- und Kabelanlagen-Gesellschaft mbH", a regional cable network operator in Hamburg and the surrounding area with its own fiber optic network . Martens was sold to ACN Telekabel Holding GmbH in June 2011 .

Osnatel GmbH has been 100% owned by EWE TEL since January 2009 and was merged with EWE TEL GmbH in June 2009 with retroactive effect from January 2009.

In June 2009 EWE announced that it would acquire the remaining 51% in SWB; EWE now holds 100% of SWB, one share remains with the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen . In July 2009 EnBW took a 26% stake in EWE's capital; the entry took the form of a share purchase and a capital increase.

EWE TEL GmbH has been offering its products under the EWE brand since June 2011.

In 2015, EWE announced that it would sell its VNG shares, which the company had previously increased to 74.2 percent, to EnBW and, in return, buy back the shares that EnBW holds in EWE. Also in 2015, EWE AG acquired 90% of the Grünspar GmbH online shop in Münster. In October 2016, the company presented a new corporate strategy to be the leading energy company for the north of Germany by 2026 and to continue operating profitably in the market.

Business figures

The Group's turnover in the 2014 financial year was EUR 8.134 billion, and the profit for the period was EUR 146.3 million. In 2013 and 2012, period results of EUR 57.2 million and EUR 138.8 million were generated, while in 2011 a loss had to be reported.

Shareholder

As of April 20, 2016, 64% of the shares in EWE were held by Weser-Ems Energiebeteiligungen GmbH , Oldenburg and 20% by Energieverband Elbe-Weser Beteiligungsholding GmbH , Oldenburg; Both companies are ultimately controlled by public corporations in the EWE supply area. EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg holds 6%, but will part with this share by 2019. EWE itself holds 10%. A new strategic partner will be sought from 2017.

In December 2019 it was announced that the French private equity investment company Ardian will hold 26% of the shares in EWE in the future .

In January 2020, EWE and Telekom founded Glasfaser NordWest GmbH & Co. KG in order to strategically advance the fiber-optic expansion in the northwest.

After approval by the Federal Cartel Office at the end of December 2019, the transaction was completed on February 28, 2020. The ownership structure at EWE AG is now as follows:

  • EWE association with 74%, thereof
    • Weser-Ems-Energiebeteiligungen GmbH 59%
    • Energieverband Elbe-Weser Beteiligungsholding GmbH 15%
  • Ardian with 26%.

Others

Sponsorship

Criticism in the context of sponsoring / suspected corruption

In September 2011, EWE came under fire for sponsoring the “Sign” prevention program at schools in Lower Saxony; Expenditures in the millions have not been adequately controlled for several years. A little later, the then CEO Werner Brinker was accused of having linked sponsorship of the Eberswalde State Horticultural Show in 2002 with the acquisition of shares in the local public utilities. The Neuruppin public prosecutor's office had investigated Brinker and another member of the board of directors for granting advantages , but stopped the investigation in return for a corporate fine of 400,000 euros. In October 2011 it emerged that the entire Supervisory Board of EWE had not been informed of the fine. Brinker and the then chairman of the supervisory board, Günther Boekhoff , called this a mistake “from today's perspective”. In November 2016, EWE announced that it would significantly reduce its sponsorship commitment.

At the beginning of February 2017 it was announced that the successor Matthias Brückmann had arranged a donation of 253,000 euros to the foundation of Wladimir and Witali Klitschko in October 2016 . There is different information as to whether or not a consideration in the form of PR appointments was agreed by Vitali Klitschko. The only thing that is certain so far is that there is no written agreement. The process was investigated internally by KPMG . On February 3, 2017, Brückmann informed the public that he would now take over the donation privately. On February 7, 2017, the EWE Supervisory Board unanimously recommended that the supervisory body remove Brückmann from his position on the Management Board. On February 22, 2017, the supervisory board of EWE AG unanimously decided to dismiss Brückmann without notice. In connection with the public discussion about potential successors for vacant positions on the executive board, allegations were made that responsible supervisory board representatives had been shown extensive favors in advance. At the beginning of 2017, accusations were made public in the Handelsblatt that many orders in the network area were only awarded by executives in return for personal benefits. According to its own information, EWE had these allegations examined with external support from KPMG. The chairman of the EWE Supervisory Board, Bernhard Bramlage, announced the result of this review in September 2017: “The allegations of corruption (...) have not been confirmed - as have most of the other allegations in the room. They were plain and simple baseless. "

Web links

Commons : EWE AG  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Board of Directors
  2. ↑ a b The group in figures
  3. ^ History of EWE AG
  4. ↑ EWE increases stake in Turkish energy supply company - company becomes majority shareholder in Bursagaz and Kayserigaz , Oldenburg, October 28, 2008.
  5. ↑ EWE merges subsidiaries EWE TEL and Teleos
  6. ↑ Press release from ACN Telekabel ( Memento of the original from July 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.deutschetelekabel.de
  7. ↑ ewe.com - company profile swb AG , accessed on August 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ EWE and EnBW welcome the decision of the Federal Cartel Office: Start of a new strategic partnership , July 6, 2009.
  9. ↑ Press release: EWE sells VNG stake in EnBW and acquires its own shares. October 16, 2015, accessed March 17, 2016 .
  10. ↑ Oldenburg supplier acquires majority in Grünspar online shop , accessed on August 9, 2015
  11. ↑ EWE will be the leading energy company for the north of Germany by 2026 , accessed on December 17, 2016
  12. ↑ EWE ends a mixed business year with a positive annual result. April 23, 2015, accessed March 17, 2016 .
  13. ↑ EWE holds its own in a difficult market environment. April 23, 2014, accessed March 17, 2016 .
  14. ↑ EWE achieves a clearly positive result. March 12, 2013, accessed March 17, 2016 .
  15. ↑ EWE earnings burdened by special effects. March 1, 2012, accessed March 17, 2016 .
  16. ↑ http://www.ewe.com/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2016/04/ewe-und-enbw-haben-neuordnung-ihrer-beteiligungsrechte-ab-ewe-ag  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.ewe.com  
  17. ↑ EWE AG: Press release of December 6, 2019: EWE continues to focus on growth with investor ARDIAN , accessed on January 3, 2020.
  18. ↑ Mathias Radowski: Glasfaser Nordwest is taking off. EWE AG, January 15, 2020, accessed on March 26, 2020 (German).
  19. ↑ EWE AG: Press release from February 28, 2020: EWE and Ardian start cooperation , accessed on March 31, 2020.
  20. ↑ For people and the region - sponsoring at EWE. In: www.ewe.de. Retrieved March 17, 2016 .
  21. ↑ http://taz.de/Spendenkrimi-bei-EWE/!t168/
  22. ↑ http://taz.de/Oldenburgs-Energiekonzern-EWE-im-Zwielicht/!80462/
  23. ↑ Matthias Brückmann: Did Brückmann really care about the Klitschko donation? Handelsblatt, February 23, 2017, accessed on February 24, 2017 .
  24. ↑ Karsten Krogmann / Jörg Schürmeyer in nwzonline.de: Affair with Ewe boss Brückmann. Klitschko rejects "deal" with the Oldenburg group , accessed on February 3, 2017
  25. ↑ Karsten Krogmann / Jörg Schürmeyer / Marco Seng in nwzonline.de: Controversial payment of 253,000 euros. EWE boss now pays Klitschko donation out of pocket , accessed on February 5, 2017
  26. ↑ Top of the EWE supervisory board: Brückmann should go. In: www.ndr.de. Retrieved February 7, 2017 .
  27. ↑ EWE fires CEO Brückmann. In: www.nwzonline.de. Retrieved February 22, 2017 .
  28. ↑ Jürgen Flauger, Sönke Iwersen: The network is checked . In: Handelsblatt . February 17, 2017, p. 16 .
  29. ↑ EWE AG: Supervisory Board of EWE AG concludes investigation. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on November 7, 2017 ; accessed on November 1, 2017 (German). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ewe.com

Coordinates: 53 ° 8 ′ 20.4 "  N , 8 ° 11 ′ 46.6"  E