OT Logistics: about forwarding and transport in infobox – 160 years C.Hartwig Gdynia

C.Hartwig Gdynia from the OT Logistics Capital Group, celebrates its 160th anniversary in July 2018. The company dates back to the Grand Duchy of Poznań with its roots. C.Hartwig Gdynia just after Poland regained its independence in 1918 became a state company acting as a national freight forwarder. The construction of the port in Gdynia was crucial for the company. C.Hartwig has been present in it since 1926 and already in 1929 served 11% of Polish foreign trade while providing brokerage services. In times of PRL, the company was one of the most important companies in international shipping
And logistics. Currently C.Hartwig Gdynia is a private company, which is part of the OT Logistics Capital Group.

See also: General Adam Duda: The Adelaide used can block the development of the shipbuilding industry.

The celebration of the 160th anniversary of the establishment of C.Hartwig Gdynia is, among others, an exhibition exhibited at the Gdynia Infobox Change Observatory located in the cultural and information centre of Gdynia. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 27 July (Friday, 4:30 p.m.).

– The history of our company is almost twice as long as the city of Gdynia. For many decades the company developed with the increase in the importance of Gdynia on the Polish coast. We are pleased that, with the support of the city authorities, we can now share the souvenirs gathered by us and by our employees. We also want to invite residents to a meeting with our expert in Infobox, where we will tell a little about what the forwarding from the kitchen looks like," says Mirosław Klas, responsible for organizing exhibitions on C.Hartwig Gdynia.

The exhibition presents photographs and materials showing the history and development of the company. Some of the exhibits are presented thanks to the commitment and courtesy of former employees of the company. The exhibition on C.Hartwig Gdynia can be viewed until 18 August.

History of C.Hartwig Gdynia

On July 1, 1858, Carl Hartwig, a citizen of the Grand Duchy of Poznań, founded a small tannery. The business Hartwig used favourable conditions for economic development throughout the region. The subsequent development of agriculture, industry and trade has generated demand for transport services. Specialists in transport regulations and customs, transport and customs tariffs and goods were sought. Carl Hartwig decided to meet these needs. The shipping company C.Hartwig soon collaborated with railway companies, dealing with the delivery and collection of goods from railway stations. She also provided packaging and storage services, supplies of construction and heating materials and specialized in moving. The launch of sheep's wool fairs in Poznań made C.Hartwig join their organization. This combined, among others, with the transportation and storage of wool in specially built warehouses.

After the company's founder's garbage his work was continued by the next owners. Another point in the history of the Company is closely related to Poland's regaining independence. In December 1918 it was acquired by the Polish authorities. In the following years, branches were opened in Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice and Lviv. The company had its points also in Austria and Germany, and had its representatives in almost all European countries.

The construction of the port in Gdynia was crucial for the company. C.Hartwig has been present in it since 1926, already in 1929 the company operated 11% of Polish foreign trade, while providing brokerage services. The company's development broke off World War II.

Upaństwowiona firma reaktywowała działalność 15 maja 1945 r. i na przełomie maja i czerwca tego roku wróciła do Gdyni, prowadząc działalność spedycyjną (obejmującą również teren portu gdańskiego). W latach 60-tych, C.Hartwig współdziałał z gdyńskim portem w zakresie wdrażania konteneryzacji. W lipcu 1965 r. gdyński oddział zorganizował pierwsze dostawy mięsa w dwudziestostopowych kontenerach chłodniczych do Wielkiej Brytanii, a w roku 1968 Ministerstwo Handlu Zagranicznego (MHZ) zakupiło z inicjatywy C.Hartwig pierwszych 100 kontenerów, które przekazano PLO. Znaczenie Spółki w rozwoju przewozów kontenerowych znalazło potwierdzenie w decyzji MHZ, który w 1971 r. wyznaczył już C.Hartwig Gdynia jako głównego spedytora międzynarodowego w zakresie przewozów kontenerowych.

See also: Tranship ORP Sarbsko in dock. He'll get a better sonar.

Współczesny etap rozwoju firmy rozpoczął się 1 lipca 1995 r. wraz z przekształceniem C.Hartwig Gdynia S.A. w jednoosobową spółkę skarbu państwa. Zaledwie kilka miesięcy później C.Hartwig Gdynia, jako pierwszy z grupy C.Hartwig, stał się prywatną spółką akcyjną. Od tego momentu rozpoczął się nowy etap w historii C.Hartwig Gdynia S.A. nierozerwalnie związany z dynamicznym rozwojem firmy i jej działalności na rynku międzynarodowym.

W 2014 r. spółka stała się częścią silnej polskiej Grupy Kapitałowej OT Logistics, co otwarło nie tylko nowy etap w jej historii, ale i szereg nowych możliwości. W 2016 r. rozpoczął się proces połączenia C.Hartwig Gdynia z prężnie działającą spółką Sealand Logistics, który został zakończony na początku 2018 r.

Źródło: OT Logistics

Shipbuilding – more news from the industry can be found here.