August Harms GmbH
Our History
August Harms is a fourth generation family-run company. For over 125 years we have been trading a wide range of products with customers and suppliers from all over the world. In the four generations of August Harms, the company has gone through various phases with different owners, starting with the founder August Harms.
01
August Albrecht Harms
In 1898, August Harms founded the company. The company worked closely with companies in Netherlands and mainly supplied Indonesia. They specialized in enamel and porcelain products. During the First World War, business was limited, but German quality continued to be recognized. August Harms died in 1936 at the age of 66.
02
Lorenz August Harms
Lorenz August Harms, son of the company founder, was born in 1901 and was the company's first traveler to visit countries such as Madagascar, South Africa and the West Indies. Despite the Second World War, the company maintained good contacts, particularly in the Netherlands and South Africa. During the war, Lorenz August Harms operated a wholesale business, mainly to Poland and Persia.
After the war, the global business was successfully resumed. During this time, Lorenz August Harms relied heavily on his four sons, while he himself was no longer able to travel. Henning traveled to Africa. Lorenz Jürgen was sent to Latin America, first to Chile and then to Venezuela. Rolf traveled to the West Indies and Gerd supported his father in the office.
.jpeg)
03
Rolf Otto Harms
Rolf Otto Harms first traveled to the West Indies for the company in 1956 for 2 years. In 1959/60 he worked for a year in Vietnam in the local August Harms office. After his return to Germany, the business in Vietnam came to an end due to the start of the Vietnam War.
He then set up a new business in Madagascar. An office was also opened here, which was operated until the end of the 1990s and was the company's core business. Due to increasing competition from France, the main business was increasingly relocated to the Caribbean.
04
Lorenz Sebastian Harms
Lorenz Sebastian Harms joined the company in 1994. In January 1995 he traveled to the West Indies for the first time.
From this point on he was traveling intensively working in sales. From 2005 he gradually took over the management of the company. The main business is still in the Caribbean, plus part of Africa, South America and Oceania.
