Porta: Co-founder Gärtner retires

Hermann Gärtner, co-founder of the Porta group of companies, is retiring from all management positions in the furniture retail group, thus finally handing over his life's work to the next generation.

This marks the end of an era after more than 57 years, and not only for Porta. Hermann Gärtner was one of the outstanding personalities in the post-war history of the German furniture trade. Together with his partner Wilhelm Fahrenkamp, who passed away a few years ago, he turned Porta from very small beginnings into a billion-dollar company with around 7,300 employees and at the same time decisively shaped the history of the Begros purchasing association.

"We owe him a lot," says his daughter Birgit Gärtner, who took over the management of the group of companies as managing partner together with Achim Fahrenkamp back in 2004. The latter adds that he is glad that both of them were able to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the company founder over many years. "We will continue the company in his spirit, but also set it up for the future with new impulses," the two managing partners emphasise.

Hermann Gärtner, however, will remain closely connected to Porta as a shareholder and through the advisory board. In addition, he wants to dedicate himself to the Andreas Gärtner Foundation, which he founded in 1993 in memory of his late son and which provides unbureaucratic support to people with mental disabilities and their families.

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