Messer, the world’s largest privately owned industrial gases specialist, started out in a small workshop – a success story that’s become rare in Germany today: in 1898, Adolf Messer established a small operation in Höchst that manufactured acetylene generators used to produce the fuel gas acetylene from carbide. Before Adolf Messer became a pioneer in welding and cutting technology, he marketed acetylene lamps for the companies operating in and around Frankfurt. 125 years later that business has evolved into the world’s leading privately held company specializing in industrial, medical and specialty gases – a company whose Supervisory Board is chaired by the founder’s grandson, Stefan Messer. His son Marcel Messer leads the family’s welding and cutting technology companies and medical technology businesses.

Messer is celebrating its anniversary under a success story banner that merges the number of years with the underlying idea: the 5 in 125 also forms the first letter of the “125uccess Story” logo. This visual identity represents the umbrella concept for a broad range of national and international activities being launched by Messer in connection with the anniversary – a concept that focuses not only on the Messer family’s lead role, but also most importantly on the employees who sustain the company’s unique values-based corporate culture and have proven to be the key to the company’s success.

With the podcast “Stories,” which is being broadcast weekly through the end of the year, Messer explains what it takes for a company to survive from the dawn of heavy industrialization to the present day. Diana Buss, Head of Corporate Communications, discusses Messer’s history and the stories behind it together with historian Jörg Lesczenski, author of the corporate chronicle “100 Percent Messer.” “Stories” is available on various streaming platforms.

“Summer Jams” is the collective name of the summertime parties scheduled almost simultaneously for the international workforce in the different countries. In true Messer style, the festivities will be colorful and diverse. Fun and personal interaction are the cornerstones of these events. They will also mark the premiere of “Selfie” – a video in which many employees express what Messer means to each of them in one word.

A genuine highlight for music fans will be “Song,” the open-air live concert to be performed by the band “Juli” in September in Bad Soden am Taunus. Residents of Bad Soden will be able to attend the event free of charge. Such free concerts are a traditional part of Messer: the people of Bad Soden have already been treated to open-air concerts by Milow and Cassandra Steen to mark the company’s 120^th anniversary and the opening of the new corporate headquarters.

Back in 2011, the company opened an exhibition about industrial gases at Messer’s headquarters in Bad Soden. This fall, a digital expansion called “Science” will be added to that exhibition. Three-dimensional “flying islands” will present sustainable and future-oriented gases applications along with their history.

Highpoint and culmination of the anniversary festivities will be the “Show” ceremony in October 2023. Among other things, it will feature the world premiere of Messer’s very own musical at the corporate headquarters in Bad Soden – arranged and staged by actors from Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. 

The year of Messer’s 125^th anniversary is also setting business and economic milestones as well: in April, third-generation shareholder Stefan Messer took over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messer. His previous role as CEO is now filled by the capable manager Bernd Eulitz. And in its latest coup, Messer is taking over full control of the Messer Industries joint venture and has accordingly agreed to a long-term strategic partnership with the global institutional investor GIC.