HISTORY 1836 - 1872
The performance makes the difference. Since 1836.
A flourishing textile, iron and metal industry created the framework for economic development in the Prussian Rhine Province in the early 19th century. Steam navigation revolutionized the Rhine trade and Rhine shipping gained in importance.
In this environment of economic prosperity, 25-year-old Leopold Wilhelm Cretschmar founded the company L.W. Cretschmar in Düsseldorf as a "forwarding and commission business".
The young entrepreneur moved into his business premises near the old Rhine crane. In the early years, he primarily focused on transporting goods to and from the Upper Rhine by ship.
The following 3 decades were characterized by continuous expansion. The railroad and the nearby Bergisch industrial area opened up new opportunities for business expansion.
The young company also participated in the rapidly growing Rhine-sea shipping industry, which managed the transportation of goods to seaports in Germany and abroad.
As early as 1846, Leopold Wilhelm Cretschmar worked as a co-founder on the development of the Lower Rhine steam tugboat company in Düsseldorf.
