Harders
In 1958, German-born Henning Harders, 23, boarded the turbine freighter, the “TS Essen” in Hamburg, and sailed to Sydney to establish an office for his employer, a world renowned logistics company.
Henning went on to forge a career in global logistics, dividing his time between Australia and Germany. He also met his wife, Gabriele, and had two sons, Christian and Sebastian, and a daughter, Daniela.
His dream was to build a company of his own, a family business that would become his legacy. In 1987, this vision began to take shape. Henning Harders Pty Ltd., an international freight-forwarding and customs-brokerage business, opened its doors in a small office in Sydney’s Margaret Street. At Henning’s side, his eldest son, 23-year old Christian Harders.
Ever since then, the company has kept on growing, establishing offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Orange and Perth – as well as Auckland and Wellington New Zealand with the acquisition of the global logistics company, Profile Global.
In 2007, Henning’s children became co-owners of the company. Two years later, Henning, aged 74, passed away, leaving his family with wise business advice: “Make friends and help people”.
Today, the extended Harders family counts over 130 staff members, many of whom have been with the company for many years. Their commitment to “treat every shipment as if it were their own” is the reason why the Harders success story continues.
German-born Henning Harders, 23 boards the turbine freighter “TS Essen” in Hamburg and sails 13,900 nautical miles (25,743km) to Sydney.
Henning has been given an important task: his employer, a renowned German logistics company entrusts him with the set-up and management of their Australian office. He masters his task with great success, starting a long career in the logistics industry.
Henning Harders works for large logistics companies all over the world, acquiring a vast amount of experience and professional knowledge. He also establishes an international partner network of reliable agents and operators.
Henning Harders Pty Ltd., international freight‑forwarding and customs‑brokerage, opens its doors in a small office in Sydney’s Margaret Street. At Henning’s side, his eldest son, 23‑year old Christian. Built on Henning’s vast experience and industry knowledge, the company soon earns a reputation for its exceptional service and customer relationships. The client list grows quickly. In fact, Harders’ successful partnership with the chemical industry goes back to these early days of the company.
The Melbourne office is opened. And as further proof of the business gaining momentum, Harders becomes the go‑to logistics expert for some of Australia’s largest producers and importers of food and beverages.
Henning’s children become co‑owners of the company as part of a generational hand‑over.
Henning, aged 74, passes away, leaving his family with wise business advice:
"Make friends and help people".
A growing client base, now including some of Australia’s most renowned retailers, leads to further business expansion – with offices in Brisbane, Orange and large‑scale consolidation warehouses in China.
Harders acquires their New Zealand agent, Profile Global, with offices in Auckland and Wellington. Clients benefit from increased economies of scale, improved market reach and the combined experience of both companies.
Harders Tradeline. Harders acquires consulting, project and Break Bulk Specialist TradeLine Consulting Group. The Harders Western Australian office opens in response to Harders’ expansion into the mining industry.
The Harders team develops a set of Company Values and the Company Mission: “To provide the best personalised international Supply Chain”.
Harders is inducted into the FBA (Family Business Australia) Hall of Fame. For positive contribution to the State’s community, economy and culture.
Harders is accredited with the coveted Australian Trusted Trader status by the Department of Home Affairs/Australian Border Force. To coincide with Harders 30th anniversary, the number of employees grows to 130 staff.
Henning Harders (Australia) Pty. Ltd joins global logistics network WIN Logistics. This move further strengthens our global network, providing us and our clients access to the local expertise and knowledge of more than 9850 independent specialists on all continents.
Specialist divisions “Harders Advisory” and “Harders Trade Management” are added to the Harders Group.
Harders moves history: 30 years after its fall, a 4.5 ton piece of the Berlin Wall is safely moved to its final destination.
As part of our inter-generational succession plan, Adrian Harders joins Harders. Having spent 2 years with a large global logistics provider in Germany and several years at Harders, Adrian has a wealth of industry experience and a keen drive for supply chain innovations. Adrian holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management.
Harders launches Harders Academy. In a sector, where the demand for skilled professionals is constantly growing, our in-house Academy provides logistics managers with the practical skills and knowledge to operate global supply chains successfully. Course topics include: dealing with complex logistics challenges, achieving supply chain efficiency, supply chain data analysis, staying on top of ever changing processes & regulations and supply chain digitisation.
Harders adopts a Work from Home / Hybrid Work system. During Covid lockdowns and restrictions, this arrangement helped us maintain a safe and productive work environment for staff and customers. Today, our hybrid work system provides staff with more flexibility and better work-life balance – while continuing to deliver outstanding service for our clients.
After over five years at Harders and 4 years with KPMG Australia, Julian Harders joins Harders in the role of Commercial Manager. Julian is a Chartered Account and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Finance.
For the fifth time, Harders is the proud recipient of the “Supplier Recognition Award – Best in Logistics”. This award acknowledges our outstanding service for one of Australia’s largest beverages companies.
Michael Clague, National Operations Manager, celebrates his 30th anniversary with Harders.
Harders is extending its third-party logistics and contract logistics services with its Truganina, Melbourne warehouse. The state-of-the-art facility will accommodate 12,461 pallet positions from October 2023.
Staying on top of industry developments and innovations has always been an important part of our business. Take the current digital transformation of our industry, which is driven by a trend towards customisation, individualisation and faster turn-around times. We play an active role in this development, because it gives us the opportunity to share new ideas with our clients and to continuously improve and optimise their supply chain.
Industry 4.0 will facilitate the seamless connection of production, demand and inventory planning, fulfilment and distribution. At the same time, mass customisation and individualisation will require even more flexible supply chains. Thanks to a culture of innovation, we are well equipped to deal with the challenges ahead. For many of our clients, we already synchronised their supply chain with planning, production and retail processes. With our “Logistics 4.0” initiative, we can assist with cost-reduction strategies, forecasting and inventory capabilities, supply chain integration and process optimisation.
Talk to your Key Account Manager or Harders Advisory to discuss how we can future-proof your supply chain.
Harders Logistics 4.0