Merckle group of companies
The Merckle group of companies is the group of companies founded by Adolf Merckle . In 2008 the Merckle Group had around 100,000 employees and generated sales of around 30 billion euros.
development
The nucleus of the group of companies is the pharmaceutical company Merckle GmbH . In 1967 Adolf Merckle inherited the company from his father. At that time the company had 80 employees and had a turnover of four million German marks per year. Shortly after assuming the inheritance, Merckle began to expand the company into a widely branched group. In 1973 he founded the company Ratiopharm , now based in Ulm, in Blaubeuren , which produces generics. In 1994 he founded the pharmaceutical wholesaler Phoenix Pharmahandel .
Merckle's entrepreneurial commitment was broad. He had an extensive and varied network of participations - from HeidelbergCement to the snowcat manufacturer Kässbohrer , the metal works of Zollern GmbH, the Gruschwitz textile works to the ski lift in Kleinwalsertal. Through his majority stake in the electrical engineering company VEM Sachsenwerk , he was also present in the wind power plant business.
The group has been headed by Ludwig Merckle since 1997 , who has managed it after Adolf Merckle handed over the business.
In the financial crisis of 2008, loan collateral that the group had deposited in the form of shares lost value significantly. The creditor banks therefore demanded early loan repayments and further collateral, which could not be provided in full. As a result, the group ran into a liquidity squeeze. Due to this “economic distress of his companies” and the “powerlessness of being unable to act”, Adolf Merckle put an end to his life on January 5, 2009. Shortly thereafter, in January 2009, an agreement was reached with around 40 banks to stabilize the group. Part of this agreement with the banks was the appointment of trustees to oversee the restructuring of the group and the sale of assets. The Ratiopharm Group was sold to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries .
As part of the restructuring, the stake in HeidelbergCement was reduced to 24.4% in September 2009. In February 2010 the sale of the stake in Mepha was announced.
Business areas
The Merckle group of companies comprises the following areas:
- Pharmaceutical trade
- mechanical engineering
- Building materials + cement
- Other areas
The group of companies is managed by various holding companies.
| Shares * in% | Companies | Sales in million euros | Employee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% |
Blauwald GmbH & Co. KG (forest company) |
|||
| over 90% |  |
Phoenix pharmaceutical trade | 23,250 (2015/16) | 29,745 (2015/16) |
| 93% |  |
Kässbohrer all-terrain vehicle (snow groomers) |
183 | 455 |
| 50% |  |
Zollern Group (foundry, drive technology, mechanical engineering) |
533 | 2,900 |
| 26% |  |
HeidelbergCement (cement, building materials) |
17,266 (2017) | 60,424 (2016/2017) |
* e.g. In part via the central holding company Spohn Cement, VEM Vermögensverwaltung and Kötitzer Ledertuch- und Oilcloth works
This list only names the largest and most important known holdings of the Merckle family; a total of up to 100 investments in companies belong to the network.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Billion gambled away: Merckle begs for government credit. In: mz-web.de. November 18, 2008, accessed June 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Company history ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) 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. ratiopharm.de
- ↑ The cause of the crisis ( Memento from October 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Südwestpresse from December 31, 2009.
- ↑ Billionaire Merckle Commits Suicide , Spiegel Online, January 6, 2009
- ↑ See graphic: on FAZ.net Merckle's children and the burden of inheritance
items
- Faz.net February 25, 2012: Merckle's Children and the Burden of Inheritance , Retrieved September 7, 2012
- Reuters, November 19, 2008: The largest companies in the Merckle family empire
- FTD.de, March 17, 2008: Pills, sewing thread, ski areas ( Memento from March 23, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- wiwo.de, October 7, 2003: Adolf Merckle collected works