About us
In 1914, before the company of Hans Reinke was founded, Max Reinke in the town of Tilsit, East Prussia, took over the firm of Rudolf Weber, a saddler and trader in shoemaker’s supplies. In 1928, Hans Reinke joined the company, which was to close down because of the war at the end of 1944. At the beginning of 1946, Hans Reinke, who had trained in business practices, moved with his wife Edith and their two children, Hans Joachim and Marlen, from Rathenow near Berlin to Hamburg. On 30 June in the same year, Hans Reinke founded the company bearing his name.
Until the currency reform in 1948, up to 30 people were employed cutting rubber bands from old car tyres on specially developed machines. In 1949, the company was transformed into a partnership and moved into business premises in the Hamburg borough of Altona.
Business activity increasingly covered trading in leather and rubber for the shoe industry.
Hans Reinke (right) at a leather fair in Pirmasens in 1964.
Hans Joachim Reinke joined the firm in 1956, and the range was extended to include leather for clothing. His sister, Marlen Reinke, started working for the company in 1961. Fabrication began taking more of a secondary role, and trading included ‘all kinds of leather’. The beginning of the 70’s saw the decline of the German shoe industry. New markets had to be opened up and increased effort was directed towards business with the orthopaedic industry. Hans Reinke died in 1977. His two children, Hans Joachim and Marlen, took over the company management. The company was transformed into Hans Reinke Handelsgesellschaft mbH. Hans Joachim Reinke junior started with the company in 1990. Business activity changed to trading in cattle hides for upholstery purposes. Extensive collections in the automobile and furniture sector and a growing warehouse brought an increasing number of customers both at home and abroad. In 2000 and 2002 respectively, Hans Joachim Reinke and Marlen Reinke left the company. 2003 brought a move to the new Branstücken premises covering a total area of more than 2,500 m² in Hamburg’s district of Osdorf.
Trade in rolled material, above all SKAI® and Alcantara®, has been expanded. Now, in 2010, the firm of Hans Reinke has 17 employees and permanent agencies in Benelux, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, the Baltic Republics, Scandinavia, Russia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Further agencies are planned.
