Discover our history

With effect from 01 April 2020 Stephan Schnabel takes over as Chairman of the HELM AG Executive Board.

With this, the family-owned company will also once again be family-managed.

With the participation in the Swiss company Phargentis, HELM develops the advanced therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

HELM establishes Methanol Joint Venture

HELM Proman Methanol AG is established on 01 July, in which HELM participates as a majority shareholder along with two long-term business partners. The newly established company is structured as a sales and distribution platform and has a head office in Europe, Asia and America respectively. This creates the optimal conditions for access to key international markets and secures the supply of Methanol to North America.

North America’s largest methanol plant comes onstream

The Texan production plant Natgasoline LLC, in which HELM has a participation, commences operation in June. With an annual production capacity of 1.75 mt it is one of the largest plants of this type in the world.

Tianjin Sales Office was opened to focus on chemical distribution activities in the Bohai Bay region.

HELM opens regional Head Office in Singapore

By opening a regional Head Office in Singapore, HELM generates a dynamic growth in Asia’s emerging markets.

Chengdu Sales Office was inaugurated to focus on chemical distribution activities in Western China.

Department of Fertilizer was established for product exports from China.

Chemical distribution reached RMB 500 million of annual sales in China.

Dieter Schnabel takes over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Hans-Christian Sievers becomes Chairman of the Executive Board of HELM AG on 1 January.

The first shipments of methanol and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) arrived in China from HELM AG’s joint venture in the Middle East.

HELM takes a stake in Amarin Technologies.

HELM takes a stake in Amarin Technologies, S.A., Buenos Aires and therefore, in the development of special trans-dermal healing plasters with active ingredients.

HELM China Co., Ltd., a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, was formed to consolidate business operations at China level and start local distribution across the country.

Beijing Representative Office, Shanghai Representative Office and HELM Guangzhou Co., Ltd. were closed, with teams and business consolidated under HELM China.

In Saudi Arabia, production begins with 330,000 metric tons of vinyl acetate monomer and 460,000 metric tons of acetic acid per annum.

Of these production volumes, HELM markets 300,000 metric tons and 180,000 metric tons, respectively.

The Oman Methanol Company, in which HELM holds a stake, starts to operate the production plant in Sohar.

1.05 million metric tons of methanol are produced there each year. HELM is the exclusive marketing partner.

Sales revenues of the HELM Group exceed the 5 billion Euro mark for the first time, at Euro 5,811,355.

With Saudi partners HELM founds a joint venture in order to produce acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer.

HELM invests in the Arab world.

HELM takes a stake in the Oman Methanol Company (OMC) in Sohar.

Foundation of a legally independent distribution company in Guangzhou, China, and establishment of a distribution business for chemicals

The HELM group celebrates its 100th anniversary.

The Crop Protection division presents its first own formulation development.

The combination product Fungomil controls downy mildew, leaf blights and rots in vines, fruits and vegetables.

HELM takes a stake in establishing a tank terminal in the port of Cochin, India.

Science advances at HELM.

The first in-house developed pharmaceutical generic medication Calcitonin, used to combat osteoporosis, is rolled out on the market.

HELM participates in establishing a tank terminal in the port of Ningbo, People’s Republic of China.

Opening of our Shanghai Office in the year 1988.

Opening of our Beijing Representative Office.

This is followed by further opening in Shanghai (1988).

Dieter Schnabel becomes Chairman of the Executive Board.

Hermann Schnabel hands the management of HELM AG over to his son with the words: "Take care Dieter." The development from trading to international marketing begins.

HELM begins with marketing methanol from Trinidad & Tobago.

Today 4.1 million mt of methanol per annum are produced in five plants at that location.

Start Business in China, Beijing in the year 1981.

The fertilizer business is further extended.

HELM establishes the subsidiary HELM Düngemittel GmbH. 2014 the fertilizer activities were integrated into HELM AG as Business Unit Fertilizer.

HELM becomes a family-owned stock corporation.

Now the focus also lies on Asia: HELM Japan Ltd. is founded in Tokyo. In the following decades, the international expansion was intensively pursued.

The first foreign subsidiary is established: HELM Skandinavien A/S, Copenhagen.

Hermann Schnabel takes over the company from Karl O. Helm.

With primary focus on chemicals he constitutes the company that today operates worldwide.

Karl O. Helm establishes an import-export company in Hamburg for merchandise of every description.