Roland Spahn, grandson of the company's founder and long-standing owner of W. Hartmann & Co. GmbH, has transferred all shares in the company to the non-profit Walter Hartmann Foundation in Ahrensburg. The foundation is now the sole owner of the company, with future profits being used to support its charitable purposes.
The transition that has now been completed has been a long-planned one. As early as 2022, Roland Spahn spoke publicly for the first time at the summer party about his plans to step down from the company's management and transfer ownership to a foundation. With Gregor Krausa and Sascha Michalke taking over as Managing Directors on 1 January 2023, the operational transition had already been completed. The transfer of ownership now marks the final, consistent step in this process.
For customers and business partners, nothing will change: W. Hartmann & Co. GmbH will remain fully intact as a company and will continue to operate as usual. Roland Spahn will continue to support the company strategically in his role as Chairman of the Foundation's Board.
The decision to place the company under a foundation has a personal background – and a clear purpose: Hartmann will remain independent for the long term, while future profits will be used for a specific charitable cause. This includes the “Down-Town” project, a residential development for people with intellectual disabilities, which is supported by the foundation and is due to welcome its first residents shortly.