"The Past Governs the Presence – Our Challenge is the Future."

This quote by graduate engineer Jürgen Tietjen not only defines the company philosophy, it also expresses the mindset of the Tietjen family. The course is already set for the third generation.

Content of this page:
A Tradition of Progress, Innovation and Growth, Future Challenges, The Family Enterprise, The Company History

Wilhelm Tietjen, father of the current owner and CEO Jürgen Tietjen, established the company in the early 1930s. The enterprise started as a blacksmith’s shop. At the time, shoeing horses was the main business. The company grew and changed with the times into a business serving the agricultural machinery sector.

Jürgen Tietjen took the helm of the company in 1978 after graduating as an engineer from the polytechnicum in Cologne (Fachhochschule Köln, Germany) and following four years of work experience with the leading provider of brake and vehicle control systems WABCO. As his main field of study Jürgen Tietjen chose the engineering of agricultural machinery. Early on, the current owner recognised the prevailing trends in the industry. In the early 1980s, the German legislator passed laws regulating that tractors, trailers and other trailer-type agricultural machinery had to be equipped with pneumatic brakes. Jürgen Tietjen greeted the change with ideas and the spirit of innovation. Abreast with the changing industry, he developed retrofit kits for the wide range of machinery for the agricultural and construction industries.

It is a happy moment for every company owner when he sees the next generation carrying on the family business. Hauke Tietjen has joined the company management in the later months of 2008. Junior CEO Hauke Tietjen has stepped into his father’s shoes. Like his father, he studied mechanical engineering in Cologne with the engineering of agricultural machinery as his elective subject. Hauke Tietjen now guides the engineering aspects of the company. His current goals include optimising the technical documentation and the digital shop as well as increasing the company’s Internet presence. With his son Hauke joining the company, Jürgen Tietjen is now able to spend still more time and energy on the distribution.

The course for the future of the company was already set in 2006. Investment decisions like e.g. the construction of a 2,000 m2 production hall were definitely easier to make with the company succession secured.

Jürgen Tietjen is proud of the strong interest and engagement of his son and successor. He is particularly enthusiastic because father and son “think alike”. A case in point is Hauke Tietjen’s input in a research project involving Tietjen products. Once the research project is done, Hauke Tietjen wants to tackle an idea, “which has been the senior CEO’s favourite brain child for many years”.

The Tietjen Company is ready for the future and set to meet any challenge. There are no signs of anyone putting on brakes.

The Tietjen GmbH (LLC according to German law) is a true family enterprise. The spouse Christel and daughter Yvonne work in the administration supporting the 40 team members.

1936: Wilhelm Tietjen purchases a piece of real estate and builds a
         blacksmith’s shop and a shed on it.
1950: The business now includes the repair of agricultural vehicles.
1952: The first apprentice is accepted.
1953: Wilhelm Tietjen builds a new workshop.
1978: Graduate engineer Jürgen Tietjen continues the family 
         enterprise.
1988: Foundation of the Tietjen GmbH
1990: Construction of a new hall to provide more workshop space.
1996: Demolition of the old blacksmith’s shop and the old 
         workshop; a new hall for engineering work and an office
         building is build.
1999: Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000
2002: Construction of an additional warehouse hall.
2006: Expansion of the office space.
2008: More office space expansion.