The red and white REMONDIS colours have been flying at Brinker Hafen in Hanover for some time now. Since the site, covering some 18,000 square metres, was acquired in June 2023, a great deal has been achieved here: a modern administration building, storage areas for various types of waste and an infrastructure that enables the company to provide circular economy services in the state capital and beyond in a forward-looking manner and in accordance with the latest standards. Representatives from local politics, business and the REMONDIS Group were welcomed for the official opening. Following a few welcoming remarks, guided tours were offered to give visitors an impression of the new branch.
REMONDIS in the state capital of Lower Saxony
REMONDIS in Hanover is nothing new. The old site at Nordhafen already offered a wide range of services relating to commercial and municipal waste management. When capacity there became insufficient, the search for a new base began. This was no easy task in the densely built-up and bustling state capital, but ultimately the site at Brinker Hafen met the criteria for acquisition and new construction. Today, around 90 employees work at the new branch, supported by a fleet of around 50 vehicles. Around 50,000 tonnes of various recyclable materials can be handled there each year.
The new REMONDIS branch at Brinker Hafen in Hanover…
…offers approximately 18,000 square metres of handling space for various recyclable materials
„Together, we have created sustainable processes and structures here for the future that will ensure reliable operations.“
Fabian Lenz, Division Manager REMONDIS Region North
“With this new site, we have laid a very solid foundation for further growth. However, it is not just the infrastructure that matters, but above all the on-site performance and the people who deliver it,” emphasised division manager Fabian Lenz in his opening address. He also expressed his sincere thanks to the staff, who maintained operations at both the old and new sites with great dedication during the transition phase. “Together, we have created sustainable processes and structures here for the future that will ensure reliable operations.” Fabian Lenz also thanked the immediate neighbourhood at Brinker Hafen, which had welcomed REMONDIS with open arms and provided support on numerous occasions throughout the construction phase.
Family businesses as the backbone of the German economy
This sense of community, both amongst our own workforce and in the immediate neighbourhood, fits perfectly with the values of a family-run business like REMONDIS. Norbert Rethmann attended the opening ceremony in person and had words of praise for the work already carried out on site: “As a family business, we bear a huge responsibility as the backbone of the German economy. I am therefore all the more delighted that our company is continuing to grow here in Hanover,” said the honorary chairman of the supervisory board of the RETHMANN Group. “Always hold the ‘family business’ banner high and always put people first,” he advised everyone involved.
Norbert Rethmann, Honorary Chair of the Supervisory Board of the RETHMANN Group, found personal words for everyone involved who had contributed to the success of the site’s development
Dr Volker Müller particularly emphasised the willingness to invest as a key factor for a sustainable economy
A willingness to invest and a great deal of trust in the workforce
Dr Volker Müller, former chief executive of the Lower Saxony Business Associations, also emphasised the value of such a family business: “That is why I have been a proud advocate of this sector for over 40 years.”
In his speech, Dr Volker Müller particularly highlighted the company’s willingness to invest and praised REMONDIS for the close relationship of trust it enjoys with its workforce. “This company is made up of a large number of entrepreneurs who are empowered to make their own decisions. When you allow these decisions to be made, you gain momentum that puts you in a position in the market where things become easier.” Dr Volker Müller also had an appeal for politicians: “It’s simply rewarding when you leave the money within the companies, seize opportunities, can invest quickly – and so my appeal to politicians is: let entrepreneurs invest.” He concluded with words of praise: “With entrepreneurs like you, I have no fears for this economy or for global competition.”
„With entrepreneurs like you, I have no fears for this economy or for global competition.“
Dr. Volker Müller, former chief executive of the Lower Saxony Business Associations
Invisible service providers for the region
The theme of family businesses ran like a common thread through the opening ceremony. This is because not only REMONDIS, but also its sister companies under the umbrella of the RETHMANN Group, provide a wide range of services every day in Hanover and the surrounding region. Four strong pillars whose activities mesh like cogs and enrich public life. Take Transdev, for instance, which operates the Hannover S-Bahn, transporting thousands of citizens every day. The Rhenus Group also runs various local logistics sites. And SARIA, for example, is active in food waste disposal through REFOOD. Last but not least, REMONDIS is active in municipal and commercial waste management and has held the contract for emptying recycling bins in the Hanover region since January 2025. Guido Zoscke, Managing Director of REMONDIS Region North, highlighted just how essential all these activities are and that it is hard to imagine everyday life without them. “A perfectly normal morning in Lower Saxony. Our services are being used without people even realising it. The RETHMANN Group is an invisible service provider, deeply rooted in Lower Saxony and Hanover,” summarised Guido Zoschke.
The opening of the new site underlines our long-term commitment to the city and the surrounding communities. REMONDIS and Hanover, the RETHMANN Group and Hanover – they simply belong together!
From left: Norbert Rethmann (Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the RETHMANN Group), Ralph Müller-Beck (Head of External and Government Relations at Transdev), Karin Hardekopf (Member of the Executive Board of GP Günter Papenburg AG), Fabian Lenz (Division Manager of REMONDIS Region North), Guido Zoschke (Managing Director of REMONDIS Region North) and Dr Volker Müller (former Chief Executive of the Lower Saxony Business Associations (UVN))
Image credits: © REMONDIS
