Beginnings of the Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstrasse

Strong organisations need strong persons. Looking back at the beginnings of the Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstrasse GmbH company, you cannot leave out Dr. Jürgen Gromer, former President Tyco Electronics, former savings bank director Otto Gebhardt, and Georg Stolle, mayor in retirement. In addition to the financial participation and the extensive set-up costs, which were borne by the Sparkasse Bensheim bank, this trio knew how to bring themselves into the successful development of the company right from the start with their personal engagement. Even today, they still accompany the activities of the Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstrasse with enormous personal effort.

In 1998, the company was founded under the name "Mittlere Bergstrasse". Initially, this company was integrated as an independent "Wirtschafts- und Kommunalberatung"  department within the Sparkasse Bensheim.

On the initiative of county administrator Matthias Wilkes, the "Mittlere Bergstrasse" company was renamed into the "Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstrasse" in 2005 and received its present legal form as a GmbH. This was followed by a new orientation to include all the municipalities in the Bergstrasse district.

From 2006 to 2012 Dr. Carl-Christian Beckmann was the Chief Executive Officer of the Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstraße. He divided the company into the following four segments: "Employer Service", "Business Founder Advice", "Municipal Care" and "Location Marketing".

Since the 1st of February 2012 Dr. Matthias Zuerker is Chief Executive Officer of the company.

The Wirtschaftsfoerderung Bergstrasse supports the economy in the region of Bergstrasse and sticks up for the jobs connected. It attends to on-site companies, advertises for investments in the location of Bergstrasse, accompanies founders of a new business and gives advice to municipalities, citizens as well as to companies in reference to questions regarding energy efficiency and to renewable energies. In addition it considers itself as a service unit for its 22 associated municipalities and also operates as a moderator between its partner municipalities as well as between federal and regional authorities in questions of economic developments in the district of Bergstrasse.