Biesterfeld becomes a member of Maschinenraum

Hamburg / Berlin

The family-owned company Biesterfeld, one of the leading international distributors in the plastics and rubber industry as well as in the field of basic and specialty chemicals, becomes part of Maschinenraum. The alliance of around 50 Mittelstand companies, as well as university partners and other innovators, is working together on the digital transformation of German Mittelstand. The Biesterfeld Group is pursuing a dynamic growth course and would like to use the exchange with other members of Maschinenraum to share ideas on the challenges associated with further international growth and the transformation of the company as well as the industry. 

Biesterfeld was founded in 1906 as a trading and service company in Hamburg and is fully family-owned. The group of companies offers application expertise and consulting on a broad product portfolio in the three business units Biesterfeld Plastic, Biesterfeld Performance Rubber and Biesterfeld Specialty Chemicals. The company is active at over 40 locations in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. 

Sharing knowledge – promoting innovation

Thomas Arnold, CEO of the Biesterfeld Group, emphasizes: "Change and innovation are only possible if we share knowledge and experience. As a distributor, we have always done this at eye level and in close exchange with our partners. At Maschinenraum, we are now also looking forward to closer exchange with family-owned companies from other industries."

Dr. Henrik Harms, member of the extended Executive Board and Director Corporate Strategy, adds: "Innovation is increasingly happening in networks and ecosystems. Networking beyond known boundaries and implementing projects via co-development are becoming key success factors for family businesses that aspire to remain a sustainable partner and employer." 

"Cooperations mostly take place within one's own industry – but in order to remain competitive in the long term and to master the challenges of our time, cross-industry cooperations with other companies must also be entered into. Because we all know that industry boundaries are increasingly blurring and new business models are emerging precisely at their interfaces. This is also exactly what drives Biesterfeld – we are very pleased to now have them on board," says Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum.

About Maschinenraum:

Maschinenraum, a shared innovation ecosystem from Mittelstand for Mittelstand, unites German Mittelstand and family businesses to boldly shape the future. Already, around 50 family-owned companies – including Viessmann, Fiege Logistik, Dussmann Service and Paracelsus Kliniken – have joined Maschinenraum to jointly drive the digital and sustainable transformation of German Mittelstand.

About Biesterfeld:

Biesterfeld was founded in 1906 as a trading and service company in Hamburg and is fully family-owned. The group of companies offers application expertise and advice on a broad product portfolio in the three business units Biesterfeld Plastic, Biesterfeld Performance Rubber and Biesterfeld Specialty Chemicals. The company has more than 900 employees worldwide at over 40 locations in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.