The Simon family owns of one of the world’s leading logistics companies, Dachser Group SE & Co. KG. Headquartered in Kempten, Germany, DACHSER was founded by Thomas Dachser in 1930 and is currently led by Bernhard Simon, representing the family’s third generation.
Starting with a single truck, Thomas and his wife Anni began the family’s transportation business. Within a decade, the company had grown to become the leading transportation company in Germany’s Allgäu region.
In 1960, Thomas Simon, the husband of Thomas Dachser’s younger daughter Annemarie, joined the business and is credited for the company’s “swap body container” innovation. Thomas Dachser died in 1979, leaving the business to his daughters Annemarie and Christa Dachser.
Bernhard Simon, grandson of the founder, joined the family firm in 1989 and became a member of its management team in 1999. Today, Bernhard is DACHSER’s chief executive officer and spokesman for the company’s management board.
In 2021, Bernhard will step down as CEO and lead the company’s supervisory board. Each of Bernhard’s daughters holds a 35 per cent stake in the company, while their six children each own a 5 per cent share.
