History
Connecting people, ideas, and businesses since 1882.
The beginning of the journey
The Second Generation
1882 – The Beginning of a Journey Called Erhardt
1882
In 1882, the founder of the company, Eugenio Erhardt Kausler, arrived in Bilbao with his wife, Alwine Lingenbrink. From that moment on, his life, family, and work became inextricably linked to the city that welcomed him.
That same year, he began his business activity as an agent for the German steel company Krupp, with the responsibility of overseeing the purchase of iron ore and its shipment to Essen, as well as managing the ships that sailed north loaded with iron ore and returned to Bilbao with processed steel products.
The city’s financial dynamism was striking: on a single street, Bidebarrieta, just over 100 meters long, six bank offices were lined up. Bilbao had 11 financial firms of varying sizes, including the city’s most important bank, the Banco de Bilbao, founded by local merchants in 1855.
These were years of growth and prosperity in Bilbao, marked by the significant development of mining, industry, and the port.
1882
The origins of the company are linked to its first client, the German steelmaker Fried Krupp GmbH, one of the largest companies of the time.
Faced with the need to supply its foundries with high-quality iron ore, Krupp acquired ownership of several iron mines in Spain and, for long periods, reserved the purchase of quotas from several other mines. To manage its mining interests, Krupp used subsidiary companies or appointed trusted individuals as Agents.
It was in this context that, in 1882, the young Eugenio Erhardt Kausler arrived in Bilbao to manage, through his newly established company and in the capacity of Krupp’s Agent, the quality and consistency of iron ore supplies from the mines of Vizcaya and Cantabria to the German foundries.
1882 – 1919
In the second half of the 19th century, specifically in 1882, in Stuttgart, the brothers Eugen and Karl founded Erhardt & Co GmbH. Around this time, the company established itself in Bilbao, Santander, Cologne, and Rotterdam with an initial capital of 100,000 pesetas. Eugen settled permanently in Bilbao, where his four children were born. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Port of Bilbao was one of the busiest in Europe, and Erhardt entered shipping activities that connected regular traffic with Northern Europe and South America.
Erhardt managed ships that sailed to Northern Europe loaded with iron ore and those returning to Bilbao with processed steel products—railway rails, pipes, and more. Many of these products were manufactured at Krupp’s own steelworks. Erhardt marketed and sold them as the company’s representative.
World War I (1914–1918) had a significant impact on the development the company had begun in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.
1908
In the late 19th century there was major industrial development in Bilbao, which led to a boom in the economic life of Bizkaia. From 1900 onwards more shipping companies appeared that plied regular trade routes sailing out of the port of Bilbao.
Erhardt became the agent in the port of Bilbao for some of these companies, including Norddeutscher Lloyd, Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts Gesellschaft Hansa Linie, Hamburg-Amerika Linie and Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei.
The founder of the company, Eugen Erhardt Kausler, passed away in 1919 at the age of 62, leaving a company ready for the second generation to take over.
1919 – 1951 | The Second Generation
1919 – 1951
By 1919 the founder’s sons Eugenio and Otto were working in the family business. The eldest son remained in Bilbao, where he took over control of the company and had three children named Mercedes, Eugenio and Alberto. Meanwhile Otto took over the family business in the Netherlands: Erhardt&Dekkers.
From 1920 to 1945 trade in Bilbao went into a downturn. The worldwide economic crash reached Spain in the 1930s and the economy was hit by an industrial agricultural and monetary crisis.
During that period the company extended its activities into the chartering business and also began to act as agents for insurance companies, while also maintaining its role as an agent for Krupp and other firms such as Franz Haniel, etc.
In 1946, the brothers Eugenio and Alberto Erhardt joined the family business, and in 1951 their father, Eugenio Erhardt Lingenbrink, passed away.
1921
In 1921, the company was transformed into a Spanish limited liability company in order to continue the business of Erhardt & Co GmbH. The firm E. Erhardt y Cía. Ltda. was established before the Bilbao notary, Mr. Celestino María del Arenal.
The company had its registered office in Bilbao and operated branches in Santander and Barcelona. Both the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and World War II (1939–1945) forced a pause in the company’s activities, leaving it in an economic recession that lasted until 1947.
1951 – 1989 | Architects of a Legacy
1950 …
Erhardt developed a significant industrial branch, encompassing investments in engineering firms, workshops, and factories. This area was led by Alberto Erhardt, who, in 1971, by agreement between the two brothers, became the sole shareholder of the companies within the Industrial Area.
The flagship company was Mecánica de La Peña, dedicated to the design and manufacture of industrial equipment and turnkey plants. This third generation of the Erhardt brothers, together with the Sendagorta brothers, participated in the creation of the engineering firm SENER, now a global leader in aerospace. Other companies within the Engineering and Industry branch included ERPO, Talleres Moreda, Talleres Serantes, TAMESE, MECANER, EINSA, INDESA, SACES, SINOR, among others.
1955 …
Erhardt’s history as a shipping company has developed through the companies Naviera Eco, Tráficos Navieros, and Off-Shore España.
Naviera Eco was established with a single objective: the construction and subsequent operation of five vessels for both regular line traffic and tramp shipping. Tráficos Navieros (TRAFINASA) operated three sister ships for line traffic, which were later incorporated into tramp shipping. Off-Shore España was founded in the 1970s with the purpose of handling oil platform anchors, providing supply services, and performing towing operations; it operated along the coasts of Spain, Italy, France, Ireland, and the North Sea.
Today, Erhardt Offshore offers a comprehensive range of specialized services for the oil & gas industry.
1964
From its beginnings, Erhardt offered coverage for risks arising from commercial shipping through represented insurance companies. For this reason, in 1964, it established ERCOS, S.A. de Seguros y Reaseguros.
By 1981, the insurance company had 30 offices across Spain. In the 1980s, the company went public and began trading on the Madrid Stock Exchange in 1987. During these years, the sector underwent a profound transformation, with foreign insurers gaining the freedom to establish themselves in Spain. In this context, Erhardt requested the cessation of its stock market listing and negotiated the sale to Allianz. In December 1988 and 1989, Allianz, Europe’s leading insurer at the time, acquired the shares of ERCOS.
1989 – 2025 | From Family Roots to Global Horizons
The fourth generation, with Eugenio Erhardt Oraá as president and his brother Rafael Erhardt Oraá as vice president, drove the modernization of the company. The IT division was created with Serikat, 21st-century logistics were implemented, and operations in the port business were launched. The company grew and began its process of internationalization. During this period, the Erhardt Group was structured into four lines of business: Logistics, Steel & Trading, Technology, and Insurance & Risk Management, with more than 30 companies and a presence in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.
1991
Since the early 1970s, Erhardt had a significant Information Systems department (then referred to as “mechanization”). By the late 1970s, our analysts and programmers were providing services to the banking sector, and the newly established Basque Government also requested our IT services.
This was the seed of an activity that formally began in 1991 with the creation of Serikat, Erhardt’s flagship in the IT sector. Today, the Erhardt technology division boasts more than 30 years of experience, talent, work, and technological expertise.
2005
At the beginning of the 21st century, Ertransit was established with the goal of strengthening its position in the logistics sector. Although the new company was officially founded in January 2005, it is the result of over sixty years of operations as freight forwarders under other brands that had already achieved a leading position, particularly in groupage traffic between the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary and Balearic Islands.
With the creation of Ertransit, logistics platforms were established in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands. The new company set out to tackle new challenges in international markets and to provide innovative, client-integrated logistics services.
2006
At the beginning of the 21st century, Erhardt strengthened its presence in ports such as La Coruña, Ferrol, Bermeo, Cartagena, and Vigo, initiating a process of industrialization, investing in talent, and making significant investments in process improvement and technological development, applied to the eco-friendly and efficient management of goods at the port.
In the early 21st century, Erhardt developed the first eco-friendly hopper for bulk solids, one of the most advanced anti-pollution systems in the sector, implemented closed-loop systems for bulk transport, and created the first geodesic dome for coal storage. These processes and technologies, over time, have become standards adopted by the Spanish port sector.
2007
In 2007, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of a business venture that began in the second half of the 19th century. A project born from dreams and aspirations, the result of successes and failures, the sum of efforts and sacrifices over four generations. Looking back, we recognize the thousands of people who have contributed their talent, commitment, and best efforts to shape and sustain this business project that is Erhardt.
2016
In May 2016, Ertransit Shanghai was established to operate and provide full logistics services as a Chinese company (with Spanish capital) and with an NVOCC license to offer maritime consolidation services.
The company’s team in China is composed of both Spanish and Chinese personnel, focusing especially on traffic between Europe, China, and Latin America.
2017
And it does so by creating MatErh, a company focused on comprehensive risk management, aimed at identifying, preventing, and addressing both known and unknown threats that affect any organization. Accordingly, MatErh also provides the best market solutions for transferring risks to the insurance sector.
The company was born from Erhardt’s deep knowledge of the technical, financial, and business fundamentals of the insurance industry, reviving an activity that has been part of the company since its beginnings as a representative of insurance companies and through its own company, ERCOS, S.A. de Seguros y Reaseguros.
2018
Erhardt received the Vodafone-DEIA Innovation Sariak 2018 Award for Business Innovation. “The award recognizes companies and institutions that stand out for their determined and bold commitment to innovation as a means to ensure greater efficiency and productive success.”
The award was accepted by Eugenio Erhardt Barrenechea, who, in his speech, acknowledged the work of “the thousands of people who, over five generations, have given their best to this company” and presented Erhardt as “an open corporation that has always sought to connect people, ideas, and businesses.”
2020
New times, new initiatives. COVID sparked the momentum so that, in April 2020 and in the midst of lockdown, the Steel & Trading division set out to incorporate new products to be marketed in a new market that was emerging in our environment.
After an initial trial phase focused exclusively on the healthcare sector, the decision was made to invest in the creation of a new business line: Erhardt Nonwovens was born. The new brand markets “nonwoven fabrics” to sectors such as healthcare, automotive, furniture, construction, and agriculture.
2022
In 2022, Erhardt launched an internationalization plan that led to the opening of new offices in Abu Dhabi (2022), Saudi Arabia (2023), and the United States and Turkey (2024), thereby strengthening the presence of its division specialized in project cargo logistics, Erhardt Projects, across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Also in 2023, a new Erhardt Lines subsidiary was established in Portugal, expanding our maritime transport services in a market where we already had a solid track record in road container transport.
These initiatives aim to support our clients in their strategic projects, building long-term relationships based on trust and maintaining a presence close to their decision-making centers. In this way, we continue to consolidate our position as a provider of integrated logistics solutions on a global scale.
2023
Erhardt Drives the Unification of Its Brands Under a Single Identity
The diversity of brands we managed did not accurately reflect the reality of our organization. For this reason, we have launched a unification process aimed at strengthening the visibility of our services under a single brand: ERHARDT.
With this change, Erhardt seeks to showcase the best of our organization, integrating the capabilities and talent of our divisions: LOGISTICS, TECHNOLOGY, STEEL & TRADING, and INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT.
This step marks a milestone in our evolution, positioning us as the integrated partner our clients need, with the solidity and coherence required to deliver the best services and resources under a unified identity.
2024
In March 2024, the new facilities of the agri-food terminal at the port of A Coruña, in Punta Langosteira, were inaugurated. With an investment of over €45 million, this modern infrastructure consolidates TMGA – Terminales Marítimas de Galicia – as a benchmark in agri-food traffic in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
TMGA, the pioneering company operating at Punta Langosteira, has experienced significant expansion over the past nine years. It currently spans more than 47,000 square meters and has a storage capacity exceeding 250,000 tons of agri-food products.
The terminal incorporates cutting-edge technology, with innovative equipment and systems that automate processes and prioritize sustainability. Among its advancements are eco-friendly hoppers and horizontal transport systems designed to reduce CO₂ emissions and minimize environmental impact.
2025 – Present | Fifth Generation: Open to the World, Close to the Client
A process of integrating assets and capabilities has been launched, consolidating an organization capable of delivering global solutions in a coherent and efficient manner.
2025
The year 2025 will be remembered in Erhardt’s history as a year of transition and generational change. In April, Eugenio Erhardt Oraá, President of the Group for nearly four decades and a highly respected figure in the business world, passed away.
Eugenio, a member of the fourth generation of the Erhardt family, dedicated his entire life and energy to his company and his family. He took the helm of the company at a very young age, during a challenging period, and played a fundamental role in the evolution of Erhardt’s legacy, guiding the company with vision and commitment. His leadership was characterized by building trusting relationships with employees and all those with whom he had business ties, as well as by his constant drive to grow the company and support the personal and professional development of its people.
Beyond his professional achievements, Eugenio will be remembered for his humanity, integrity, approachability, and ability to inspire those who worked alongside him. His legacy will endure in the culture and spirit of Erhardt, and in all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Earlier, during the Erhardt Group Annual Convention, an important leadership transition had been announced. Eugenio Erhardt Barrenechea assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Erhardt Group, taking responsibility for managing its various business units.
Meanwhile, Rafael Erhardt, also a member of the fourth generation, became Chairman of the Board, focusing on the Group’s strategic functions.
During the Convention, the new CEO took on “the commitment to project the company into the future while maintaining the values that have defined its history of over 140 years.” He emphasized the importance of generational continuity, recognizing the legacy of his predecessors and reaffirming the fifth generation’s commitment to the company’s sustainable growth. “We do not understand leadership in any way other than through personal commitment, closeness, agility, and action,” he stated.
Additionally, the transition process has extended to the Group’s main divisions. As of January 1, Patricio Erhardt Barrenechea leads the Logistics Division, while José María Erhardt Barrenechea assumed the role of CEO of the Insurance and Risk Management Division.