More than 100 years of history in Bonn

It is a long and eventful company history which characterises Am Zehnhoff-Söns today. When we speak of tradition, we mean this: we retain the best from past decades; we have the courage to do this time and again; and we are determined to master every challenge and to continue to take the same pleasure in logistics which has driven our family for over 100 years in order to lead the company to success.

At this point we would like to give you an overview of our Company group, which has been established for more than 100 years.

August am Zehnhoff

*1879 – †1945

Anna am Zehnhoff

*1884 – †1961

Louise Am Zehnhoff-Söns

*1925 – †2015

Wilhelm Söns

*1924

Gregor Söns

*1956

Alfons Am Zehnhoff-Söns

*1959
  • 1907

    At the age of 28 August am Zehnhoff founds a company in Bonn for “freight forwarding, barge transportation and warehousing”. While office and warehouse facilities are located at Römerstraße 45–53, barge-handling is undertaken at the associated Handelswerft near the present Beethoven Halle in Bonn.
  • 1910

    August am Zehnhoff becomes agent for well-known Rhine carriers, enabling him to cover the whole extent of the Rhine from Rotterdam to Basel under his freight concept.

1924

The new Port of Bonn at Bonn- Graurheindorf is founded. August am Zehnhoff acquires real property and builds his first warehouse in the port precinct.
  • 1945

    Frequent bombing during the 2nd World War destroys significant parts of the company’s movable and immovable facilities. Shortly before the end of the war the unthinkable happens: August falls into the hands of the Gestapo and is never seen again. His widow Anna becomes the new owner and starts to rebuild the ruined company.
  • 1958

    As a result of fraudulent activities the company is threatened with collapse. The owner calls upon her son in-law, Wilhelm Söns, who is working in Hannover and is married to her daughter Louise, to take over the management of the company. Wilhelm Söns sees it as his duty to do so.
  • 1961

    The widow of the company founder, Anna am Zehnhoff, dies. After a lengthy dispute over the estate Louise Am Zehnhoff- Söns subsequently becomes the legal owner.
  • 1970

    Business continuously improves; the company expands its market position and makes the first major investments in the truck-fleet.
  • 1979

    The August am Zehnhoff Company takes over the port forwarder Halm und Richrath GmbH and integrates this into the Am Zehnhoff-Söns company group.

1984

The company expands further and moves its office from Römerstrasse to a newly built office building at the Port of Bonn.
  • 1993

    To meet market requirements and concentrate synergies the Am Zehnhoff-Söns Container GmbH and the Am Zehnhoff- Söns Verkehrs GmbH are founded. Under the management of Wilhelm Söns his two sons Gregor and Alfons act as authorised representatives for these companies.
  • 2002

    Louise Am Zehnhoff-Söns and her husband transfers her shares to her sons Gregor Söns and Alfons Söns. At same time the companies are merged: Am Zehnhoff-Söns Container GmbH and Am Zehnhoff-Söns Verkehrs GmbH are merged to form Am Zehnhoff-Söns GmbH International Logistic Services. Gregor und Alfons Söns assume the company management, Wilhelm Söns serves as advisor.
  • 2003

    The August am Zehnhoff individual company transfers the operational business to Am Zehnhoff-Söns GmbH International Logistic Services and converts to a partnership. From then on the partnership acts as a holding company, with Wilhelm, Gregor and Alfons Söns as shareholders.
  • 2004

    Am Zehnhoff-Söns GmbH and Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH found the Bonner Hafenbetriebe GmbH as a public private partnership. Am Zehnhoff-Söns takes over the operational port management.
  • 2006

    To strengthen its East Asia business Am Zehnhoff-Söns enters into a joint venture with JAG Globlistics in China.
  • 2007

    On June 2nd the company celebrates its first centenary at a morning ceremony at the Maritim Hotel and an evening event on board the MS Rheinenergie with more than 500 guests.
  • 2011

    The upward trend continues unbroken at the port, with turnover and employee numbers growing. Over €16 million is being invested in the new container terminal. Ludger Söns, the son of Louise Am Zehnhoff-Söns and Wilhelm Söns, has now entered the family business, bringing with him invaluable practical and engineering knowhow. In a move to preserve the family tradition, Alfons Söns will be changing his name to Alfons Am Zehnhoff-Söns.

2012

The expansion at the port will be concluded with a presentation ceremony in the summer of 2012. Joined by trade and political representatives, the managing board will be presenting the new technical features. High sheet piling was rammed into 100 metres of bankside, surfaces reinforced, and a second container bridge built. Containers areas were enlarged and the inclined bank converted into a high top bank. Now, the Port of Bonn can berth end to end four modern Rhine ships each 135 m long, and some sections even allow ship to ship handling. The desperately needed capacities at the Bonn Rhine terminal are now available, and the port is best equipped for the future.
  • 2015

    On 17 February 2015, Louise Am Zehnhoff-Söns, Senior Manager and daughter of the founder August am Zehnhoff, died at the age of 89. Her ownership from 1961 to 2002 laid the foundations for the growth and size of the AZS Group.

    In the same year, another terminal in Trier will be joining the portfolio on the Mosel. AZS has hence created a link between the Mosel ports and the major port areas in Northern Europe, and therefore a competitive alternative for the industry, trade, and logistics sectors. The new air cargo office at the Troisdorf-Spich cargo centre commenced offering a wide range of air cargo services as a neutral handling office at Cologne Bonn airport. In addition, the end of the year will see the opening of a new Hamburg branch that will be able to meet the intermodal needs of our international agents and customers to even greater precision.
  • 2017

    In February, the “Moselexpress” starts as third transport mode at the port of Trier, providing a weekly block train connection between Europe’s biggest container port in Rotterdam and the Multimodal Terminal Trier. The train carries 100 TEU each voyage, which creates a competitive alternative to direct trucking. Thanks to the great success a second departure each week can be established in October.
  • 2019

    The management of the Am Zehnhoff-Söns Group has been extended for strategic alignment. Alexander Am Zehnhoff-Söns, Andreas Am Zehnhoff-Söns, Oliver Neugebauer, Gerd Thiebes and Thomas Butscheidt are now in general management position under the leadership of Gregor Söns and Alfons Am Zehnhoff-Söns.

2021

As part of the further expansion,additional areas are being created in Bornheim in the Rhineland: administration and central warehouse find a new home here in an innovative logistics center.
Am Zehnhoff-Söns GmbH
International Logistic Services

Port of
Bonn

Terminal Bonn

Hafenstraße 1
DE-53117 Bonn
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Tel.: +49 (0) 228 6893-0

Head Office and
warehouse Bornheim

Logistics center

Marie-Curie-Strasse 2-10
DE-53332 Bornheim
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Tel.: +49 (0) 2227 92007-0

Branch
Hamburg

Sales North

Sperberhorst 6-8
DE-22459 Hamburg
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Tel.: +49 (0) 40 36 915 460


Am Zehnhoff-Söns
Multimodal Terminal Trier GmbH

Port of
Trier

Terminal Trier

Am Moselkai 4
DE-54293 Trier
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Tel.: +49 (0) 651 200 625-0


© by Am Zehnhoff-Söns GmbH International Logistic Services