As a young boy, every Saturday, Johannes Offergeld sat down with his grandfather to do the weekly billing - a long and difficult process. One, that in the end let to a partnership that has now been lasting for over 60 years.

The company Offergeld-Logistik with headquarters in Würselen was founded in 1924. Offergeld-Logistik is one of the leading companies in glass transport in Europe and is also active in warehouse logistics for various industries. Despite its branches in seven countries, the Würselen location is no coincidence. Although the company grew steadily, it is still a family business today. In the meantime, it is run in the third generation by the siblings Brigitte Offergeld and Johannes Offergeld. Family orientation is not the only commonality shared by Offergeld-Logistik and DKV Mobility.

Johannes Offergeld took the time to give us an insight into the partnership between the two companies, which has now lasted for more than 60 years. Among other things, the interview deals with the common views of both companies and the successful and long-standing cooperation.

Newsroom: Mr. Offergeld, ogether with your sister, you are now running the company in the third generation. The company Offergeld has been in existence for 98 years. What makes your company so successful?

Johannes Offergeld: "I believe we are shaped by two fundamental values. On the one hand, it is the reflection on our tradition. Even today, we see ourselves as a family business and pay great attention to a family atmosphere. On the other hand, we also know that nothing lasts forever and that we have to question ourselves again and again in order to stay on time. The economic environment is a decisive factor for us that we must always keep in mind. Over the years, we have therefore developed new segments in addition to pure glass transport and have now also arrived in warehouse logistics with over 350,000 pallet spaces at several locations in Europe."

Newsroom: So the secret is to always be ready for change, despite all the reflection on tradition. A constant that has not changed, however, is the partnership with us, which has now existed for more than 60 years. Do you remember the original decision to work with DKV Mobility?

Johannes Offergeld: "My grandfather made this decision at the time. Even if I have not yet understood the motives as a young boy, I can understand his decision only too well today. I still remember that we sat in the workshop every Saturday and my grandfather did the weekly billing with the drivers. That is check receipts, settle advances, question on-the-go refueling for reason and amount, plan the next week and issue and document new advances. A long process during which you have to stay focused so that no mistakes happen. Today, such a process is no longer conceivable. When the option of cashless payment through DKV Mobility fuel cards came to fruition, the foundation for today's cooperation was laid."

Newsroom: So the foundations were laid more than 60 years ago. Obviously, the partnership has grown healthily, as we may still be your mobility partner today. How has this partnership grown?

Johannes Offergeld: "It's like with cash. My grandfather probably had no idea what the importance of the decision at that time would be. Fortunately, we have continued to grow and DKV Mobility has grown as well. There were always milestones where we had certain demands to which DKV Mobility always had an answer at hand. With the international spread, we needed Europe-wide coverage. In addition, the topic of toll billing gained in importance. At some point we asked ourselves: How long can our driver still look through the window? We asked DKV Mobility this question and were offered a toll box for Europe. In addition, the data was quickly processed digitally, which helped us a lot. At some point, DKV Mobility had achieved such a high Europe-wide coverage that we only used a fuel card - also for practical reasons."

Newsroom: What do you mean by that?

Johannes Offergeld: "Well, if the driver only has one fuel card in use, he will notice much faster whether this card has been stolen or lost, for example. Fuel card fraud is unfortunately a big issue nowadays, because often the simple measures for prevention help."

Newsroom: That's right. A topic that we also notice again and again. That's why we are constantly working to increase the security of our cards in order to help our customers in this area even more. You just mentioned practical handling. You use our services in over 25 countries, isn't it difficult to keep track of things and carry out practical handling?

Johannes Offergeld: "Of course, this is already a lot and must be carefully maintained and monitored. We process this system centrally for the entire group in order to have a timely overview at all times. It is particularly important for us that we always find a high level of professionalism with our partners."

Newsroom: We are glad that we have been your reliable partner in the field of mobility for over 60 years. But has there been a situation in which they were really annoyed about us?

Johannes Offergeld: "DKV Mobility has always acted as a reliable partner to us. Throughout the partnership, I can't remember any elementary problems. I think that's because we've always talked openly and honestly with each other. If we have any requests, they are always resolved quickly. I would go so far as to say that we are a team and trust each other."

Newsroom: Is this the most important point of our partnership?

Johannes Offergeld: "Yes, definitely. Trust and appreciation are the be-all and end-all. We know what we have in each other. DKV Mobility means consistency for us. I can count our contact persons over the years on one hand. This is a great sign and shows us that we are still an important customer. I believe that our contact person would be at our door within 2 hours to solve challenges together."

Newsroom: It's great that our commitment is also perceived as such on your side. Let's say you have one wish for future cooperation, what would that be?

Johannes Offergeld: "One topic that concerns us is the digital linking of the fuel card with the driver. In my opinion, this is a step forward. Our aim is to always be modern and future-oriented. As already mentioned, fuel card fraud is increasing more and more, especially due to rising prices. We have to protect ourselves as much as possible. This is a topic that is incredibly difficult and always causes headaches. We know that DKV Mobility is working on solutions, but the other side is not sleeping either."

Newsroom: Yes, digital expansion is on top of our agenda. We also see the need to offer our customers even better protection. At this point, you can be honest: Do you think we are moving fast enough?

Johannes Offergeld: "DKV Mobility is definitely always on edge and has its finger on the pulse. This has always distinguished this company. The issue of "protection" is still at the top of the agenda and we have jointly implemented various measures to limit the damage caused by card misuse. In order to prevent this completely, some steps are still necessary, to be sure, but we can certainly take them together in the future."

Newsroom: A nice assessment that we would like to confirm in the future. Our strength is based on the strong foundation we have: our many years of experience. There is probably hardly anyone who can describe our path so far as well as you can. How do we differ today from DKV Mobility 60 years ago?

Johannes Offergeld: ""At the beginning of our partnership, the main focus was on no longer being dependent on cash. In our opinion, this is what DKV Mobility stood for 60 years ago. In the middle of our partnership, i.e. about 30 years ago, the focus was much more on digitization. Everything has become more modern and better linked. Today, in my opinion, DKV Mobility is facing new challenges: developing new energy sources and enabling new mobility. Actually, DKV Mobility has always stood and still stands for recognizing new trends and making them more efficient. This is the central thread that runs through our common past."

Newsroom: You just mentioned it. The road to the future is green for us. We have a strong focus on sustainability. For example, we replaced our fuel cards and switched to the environmentally friendly material PETG. Is it important to you that your mobility partner acts sustainably?

Johannes Offergeld: "Of course, that's on the agenda today. Sustainability is important and one of the defining issues in today's world. In my opinion, the challenge is to combine sustainability with profitability. And: no one knows exactly what the future of mobility really looks like. Here, too, it is important to observe all developments in order not to lose touch at some point."

Newsroom: That's right. In any case, it helps to be prepared for anything. Normally, this is no problem as a DKV Mobility customer. But let's say you can only use one of our services and no other. Which service would you choose then?

Johannes Offergeld: ""That's a difficult question, but I think despite the wide range of products and services that I no longer want to miss in everyday life, I would probably do the same as my grandfather and secure cashless payment. Today, the cash supply of the drivers would be even more difficult to implement than in former times and therefore I would part with a heavy heart from the other services so that my drivers can continue to pay with the fuel card."

Newsroom: So that's how the circle closes. Not only in the common history, but also in this interview. Our last question: How would you describe us if you only had three words available?

Johannes Offergeld: "The first thing that comes to mind is "competent". DKV Mobility is a very professional partner with whom we always feel that we are in good hands. Secondly, I would say "comprehensive". I think the network speaks for itself and needs no further explanation. The last word that comes to mind is "honest.". As already mentioned, our partnership is characterized by appreciation and mutual trust. I am convinced that DKV Mobility is an honest partner."

Newsroom: Thank you very much for this assessment, we are pleased that you are still talking about us in such high tones after more than 60 years. We appreciate this and take your feedback as motivation to make the next 60 years of partnership at least as successful. We would like to thank you very much for the journey through the past together and the time you have taken for us. And always remember: In an emergency, we will be at your door in 2 hours.

Johannes Offergeld: "With pleasure. I am pleased that our cooperation continues to be so positive. It is a pleasure to see that our companies have grown together in recent decades and that we are writing such a success story together."