Contatto
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Cronologia della Ditta di Commercio del Tè Dethlefsen & Balk GmbH, Amburgo
Culto del tè dal 1836
1836 – Gustav C.H.J. Bal(c)k founds the company in the historical
centre of Hamburg to import “miscellaneous spices and tea”. A retail store for
Tea and Spices opens in the Admiralitätsstraße 39.
It is a
historical fact that in the year 1836, Mr. Gustav C.H.J. Bal(c)k (then still
written with a -ck-), established an import company for Miscellaneous Spices and
Tea in the old part of Hamburg at the address Neue Burg 20. His business worked
out so well that in 1837 an assistant was employed. In the same year, the
company moved to Admiralitätsstrasse 39, where a retail business was
established.
1846 – The business concentrates on tea imports from
China
In the course of the year, Gustav C.H.J. Balk changed his main
business activities to the import of tea from China . China was at that time the
classical tea country.
If today we enjoy a cup of tea, we should remember
that all knowledge about tea had its origin in China where tea has been a part
of the way of life for centuries. The way teas were packed in China in those
days was a work of art. Wooden chests lined with mats of hemp on the outside and
a foil of lead on the inside were manufactured for exportation. Finally, the
precious contents of those chests were fit for the long voyage to Europe
.
In the meantime, Gustav C.H.J. Balk concentrated his business on tea
only, although his company was still registered under Export and Import of
Miscellaneous Spices and Tea. 1846, he rented a whole house in
Admiralitätsstrasse 37 and employed eight assistants, an indication on how well
his business was doing. Soon, even this larger domicile no longer met his needs
and in 1858 the firm moved to Rödingsmarkt 79.
For the first time, the
company opened a Banco Conto under its own name at the Norddeutsche Bank. For a
company to have its own bank account was in those days no matter of course but
rather an honor for a trading company.
1870 – The enterprise is handed over to Gustav Balk and Amandus
Dethlefsen enters the company. Enrolment into the Commercial Register under the
name Dethlefsen & Balk „Theehandlung en gros“
When the company’s
founder Gustav C.H.J. Balk passed away in 1870, he left the company, which with
good cause was to be regarded as his very own lifetime achievement, to his son
Gustav. Gustav had already been active for several years in the paternal
company. In the same year Gustav Balk merged with the merchant Amandus
Dethlefsen and expanded the business under the company name Dethlefsen &
Balk – Theehandlung en gros. At the same time the company moved to Kleine
Reichenstraße 21 and in October 1870 they enrolled at the trade
register.
1878 – First stock exchange spot at “Pfeiler 14”
From
1875 on, the company had a bank account at the Commerz- und Discontobank in
Hamburg . Finally, in 1878, Dethlefsen & Balk had their first place at the
commodity exchange at Pfeiler 14. This was at that time a place where merchants
met daily to discuss and conclude deals.
1892 – Relocation to the “Hamburger Speicherstadt”, Holländischer
Brook 22
In the 1880s, the free port area within the Hamburg harbour
was established and from 1881 to 1888 the largest connected warehouse complex of
the world, the so called Speicherstadt, was built. Dethlefsen & Balk moved
again in 1892 and rented an office and store rooms in the Speicherstadt at
Holländischer Brook 22.
1893 – Amandus Dethlefsen retires. The company is handed over to
Heinrich R.G. Balk
In 1893, Amandus Dethlefsen left the company
after 23 years of activity as shareholder. At the same time, Heinrich R.G. Balk
joined the company. The Balk family business was in its third
generation.
When Gustav Balk left the company in 1899, his son Heinrich R.G.
Balk became sole proprietor. In keeping with the technical progress, the first
telephone in the company was installed at that time.
1904 – Member of the „Versammlung eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg
e.V“ (Assembly of respectable merchants in Hamburg)
In 1904,
Heinrich Balk received a special honor. He became member of the Versammlung
eines ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg e.V. (Assembly of respectable merchants in
Hamburg ).
Heinrich Balk retired and sold the firm in 1905, thus giving
up Dethlefsen & Balk as a family business.
The new owner, Hugo Emil
Erhardt Baumgarten, restructured the enterprise. In the same year he introduced
the still well-known telex address PECCO. Unfortunately we do not have
information about the company’s activities at that time. However, probably so
that he did not have to run the comapny alone, Hugo Baumgarten took Caesar
Christian Albert Bethe into the comany as a shareholder and established a
general partnership (Offene Handelsgesellschaft) under the new address Pickhuben
6.
During the years of World War I, inflation and the economic crisis led
to great problems for the enterprise but thanks to good business relations, the
company survived the hard times.
1931 - Transformation of the company into a GmbH
In 1931,
Dethlefsen & Balk was changed into a company with limited responsibility and
a capital of 20,000 Reichsmark. Managing directors were the two shareholders
Baumgarten and Bethe. After Hugo Baumgarten’s death in 1932, Albert Bethe was
left as single managing director. In 1933 the employee Curt Julius Peter
Schmoller received the power of attorney and in 1935 he became managing
director.
In 1937, the owners Curt Schmoller and Albert Bethe dissolved the
Ltd. Company and an OHG (general partnership) was formed with the same capital.
At the beginning of World War II, Albert Bethe died. Curt Schmoller ended the
general partnership but continued to run the company as sole
proprietor.
1950 – Trade relations undergo a restructuring process under Curt
Schmoller after difficult years of war. The new address of the company:
Sandtorkai 2/3 in the Hamburger Speicherstadt
During the hard time
after World War II, which brought the business to an almost complete standstill,
the reconstruction began. Because with tea import alone the business could not
be sustained, fishery products were also imported. However, since business was
generally bad, this line of business was abandoned in the following
year.
From 1950 onwards the tea business picked up again. The business
relations to customers both abroad and inside Germany picked up. The business
premises were in the meantime at Sandtorkai 2/3
1970 – The enterprise becomes a limited liabilities company.
Expansion of the product range to include flavoured teas and trading with tea
accessories begins
In 1970, Curt Schmoller sold his company. The
enterprise was changed into a Ltd. again. The following managing directors were:
1972 Erhard Buettner, 1973 Walter Stahl, 1974 Dr. Klaus L. Diemer and Günter
Petermann, 1974 Mathias Kloth and Walter Stahl.
In the mid-seventies
Dethlefsen & Balk GmbH additionally started to deal with tea accessories
and, by doing this, made an important step forward to secure its future.
In
order to be able to serve the rapidly growing market of new specialty tea shops
quickly and efficiently, in 1978 the head office of the company was shifted from
the center of Hamburg to Wandalenweg 26 where a further warehouse was built. The
import warehouse remained in the free port area where all tea specialties were
stored for prompt dispatch.
From 1986 – 150 years D&B – the company specialises in the
delivery of tea and accessories to specialty teashops. The first catalogue with
standardised tea and accessories appears
Besides the tea import,
export and wholesale, Dethlefsen & Balk has specialized in the supply to tea
shops. For this line of business, D&B offers approximately 300 different tea
qualities in the standard catalogue assortment, practically packed into retail
bags containing 1 kg of tea.
The accessories wholesale line, which ranges
from tea filters to samovars, from tea sets to all kinds of sugar, from mugs to
decorative tins and tea balls, etc. makes up almost half of the turnover
today.
In order to optimize the storage and logistic procedures, under the
direction of Mr. Hans H. Nack, the complete company moved in 1990 to Moorfleeter
Strasse 40 in the Hamburg Billbrook trade area.
1998 – Jens Meier and Marcus Clausen take over the post of managing
directors
From the start, the operating Managing Directors were keen
to implement new ideas and break new ground with the result that D&B can
boast to be a modern, progressive company.
Let’s begin at the beginning...
the first step was to renovate our warehouse and introduce a new logistics
system. This optimization enabled us to enhance our service and reduce delivery
time. As a consequence, our company has become even more reliable.
We
also expanded and optimized our tea assortment and focussed on the creation of
innovative flavours. Alongside many classic teas we also have several originals;
these have become a precious complement to our assortment by proving their value
as an ever growing market segment. Several times a year we inform our customers
about our latest inventions.
Our accessories assortment has rapidly brought
us to a leading position in this sector. We have so successfully designed and
created our own products, that today they guarantee for quality and profit. Our
clients have shared their knowledge of the consumer market and helped us along
in developing a strategy by which our exclusive products present a design which
everyone recognizes at a glance, thus making D&B products even more
competitive and trendy.
2002 – Expansion and relocation to Hermann-Wüsthof-Ring in
Hamburg
The year 2002 was extremely important for the company. In
order to do justice to the ever growing demands on our warehouse and on the
administration, we moved into a building which offers excellent warehouse
possibilities. This step was decisive for the optimization of our offices and
work.
The move was not the only important step our company took. After
extensive research and preparation we presented our new coffee selection. With a
choice of 15 selected coffee specialties and an exclusive selection of coffee
accessories we set yet another milestone in D&B’s history. The success of
this new catalogue was well above our expectations. This section of our products
is also steadily growing.
All of these changes have contributed to our
success as one of the few market leaders in the tea, coffee and accessories
fields. Due to the good cooperation with our customers, we are able to provide a
very good service. We naturally guarantee for the quality of our exclusive
products.
It must also be said, that all this success would never have taken
place had we not had a young, motivated, energetic team.
We try very hard to
communicate and to live by our company philosophy: to be number one in the
service offered, in the care of our customers and in the selection of products.
This brings us to the present... but don’t worry, we are already planning the
future! Curious? Just wait and see!
2003 – Market leader for tea accessories
2004 – Digitisation: D&B goes
online. The first B2B Web shop is installed and a subsidiary is founded in the
USA. The product range is further enriched by exclusive confectionery items and
Premium coffee from the in-house roastery
2006 – Modernisation of the EDP
storage system by making use of a „Pick-by-Voice“ solution and rental of larger
warehouse premises
2008 – Modernisation of the tea production
facility
2010 – Expansion of the coffee roastery to two roasting
plants
2012 – D&B employs over 100 people for the first time in its
history
2016 – Modernisation of the tea and coffee production facilities,
extension of the delivery warehouse and the administrative offices and market
launch of the in-house iced tea brand “Tea on the Beach“
2017 – Launch of the
“Tea since 1836“ brand
2019 – First electrically powered car in the D&B
fleet
2020 – Presentation and tasting rooms expanded and refurbished
2021
– Relaunch of the facelift of the Café Cult packaging
materials