Hans Gatzemeier, Managing Director at ELA Container Offshore GmbH, caught up with us at PES to talk about the history of the company and its rapid growth over the last few years. In 5 years, ELA Offshore has blossomed into a flourishing global business. It’s still family owned and run and sets great store by this. The emphasis is on partnering around the world with like-minded family businesses, who are very proactive when it comes to responding to the clients’ requests.
PES: Hi Hans, welcome back to PES. We’ve talked a lot about ELA Container in our last few publications. It’s a very well-known company. We thought it would be interesting to know what ELA actually means. Is it an abbreviation or does it mean something else altogether?
Hans Gatzemeier: The name ELA comes from the initials of the company founder’s wife. Her name is Elisabeth Albers, so EL stands for Elisabeth and A for Albers. The word ‘Container’ was added to indicate which sector the firm operates in.
PES: It would be really interesting to hear a little more about the company’s history.
HG: The business was established by Bernhard Albers in 1972. His idea was to renovate disused shipping containers and convert them into flexible spaces for use on land. As demand grew, Albers decided to develop his own type of container. Lightweight, high-quality and tailored precisely to its intended use, this formed the basis for today’s ‘premium container’.
The family business is now under second-generation management. With 30,000 containers, 850 employees and 15 sites around the world, ELA has become a leading provider of high-quality, flexible units for all kinds of industries.
PES: You emphasised that the containers were designed exclusively for use on land, so how did your first few offshore projects come about?
