Alfred Talke GmbH & Co. KG

TALKE, formally Alfred Talke GmbH & Co. KG, is a German logistics company that specializes in serving the chemical and petrochemical industries. Founded in 1947 by Alfred Talke Sr. as a coal transport business in Hürth near Cologne, the company has evolved into a global player offering integrated logistics solutions. Its services encompass transport (road and intermodal), site logistics (warehousing, handling, and container terminals), engineering (planning and construction of logistics facilities), technical services (cleaning, maintenance, and inspection of equipment), and digital services. TALKE positions itself as the "#1 solution partner for the world of chemistry," emphasizing customer centricity, safety, and innovation. The company operates on three continents, with a presence in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. As a family-owned business now in its third generation, TALKE remains privately held and continues to expand its global footprint, recently focusing on industries such as batteries and chemical distribution.

TALKE was founded in 1947 by Alfred Talke Sr., a Silesian carpenter, in Hürth near Cologne, initially as a coal transport business for the chemical industry. In 1952, the company developed its first own truck for transporting acids and caustic solutions, marking a strategic shift toward chemical logistics. Due to space constraints at its original site in central Hürth, a new company headquarters was established in Kalscheuren by 1973 (which was incorporated into Hürth in 1978). In 1972, a second branch opened in Stade, motivated by the construction of a new Dow Chemical plant for which TALKE provided logistics services. A new logistics center with a high-silo facility was inaugurated in Ludwigshafen in 1974 at BASF's headquarters. In 1975, a logistics center at the port of Cologne-Niehl complemented the company's presence in the Rhine region. Further locations in Belgium and the Netherlands followed in the late 1980s. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, TALKE expanded into eastern Germany in the early 1990s by acquiring SpeziTrans in Grimmen and opening a site in Schwarzheide. In 2003, operations began in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, followed by a stepwise expansion across the Arabian Peninsula into Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Since 2015, the company has also been active in the USA. By 2021, TALKE operated at 70 locations worldwide with approximately 4,600 employees. In 2022, the company announced a significant expansion of its warehouse capacity in Schwarzheide, adding 3 hectares to the existing 2 hectares. Founder Alfred Talke Sr. remained active in company management until his death in 1989. His sons Armin (born 1943) and Norbert Talke (born 1948) had already joined the company in 1968 and 1975, respectively. Both served on the management board from 1990 to 2018 and have since been members of the advisory board. The third generation, Alfred Talke Jr. (born 1974) and Armin F. Talke (born 1984), joined the family business in 2002 and 2010, respectively. As of July 2025, the TALKE Group employs approximately 4,800 people, including joint ventures. In the 2020 financial year, Alfred Talke GmbH & Co. KG reported an average of 1,482 employees and a revenue of 170 million euros. The group's equity stood at about 40 million euros at the end of 2019.

• 2022

  Announced expansion of warehouse capacity in Schwarzheide by 3 hectares.

• 2021

  Operated at 70 locations worldwide with approximately 4,600 employees.

• 2018

  Armin and Norbert Talke moved from management board to advisory board.

• 2015

  Began operations in the USA.

• 2013

  Joint venture RSA-Talke DWC-LLC established in the UAE.

• 2010

  Third generation Armin F. Talke joined the family business.

• 2006

  Joint venture Aljabr-Talke & Co. LLC founded in Oman.

• 2004

  Joint venture S.A. Talke Ltd. founded in Saudi Arabia with SISCO and Al-Jabr Group.

• 2003

  Operations began in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

• 2002

  Third generation Alfred Talke Jr. joined the family business.

• 1990

  Armin and Norbert Talke joined the management board.

• 1990

  Expanded into eastern Germany with acquisition of SpeziTrans and opening in Schwarzheide.

• 1989

  Founder Alfred Talke Sr. passed away; sons Armin and Norbert took over management.

• 1975

  Logistics center at Cologne-Niehl port added.

• 1974

  New logistics center with high-silo facility opened in Ludwigshafen.

• 1973

  New company headquarters established in Kalscheuren.

• 1972

  Opened second branch in Stade, motivated by Dow Chemical's new plant.

• 1952

  Developed first own truck for transporting acids and caustic solutions.

• 1947

  Founded by Alfred Talke Sr. in Hürth as a coal transport business.

TALKE positions itself as the leading solution partner for the chemical industry, delivering tailor-made, safe, and innovative logistics solutions globally.

• Transport Services

  Highly performant transport solutions, on the road or intermodal - always reliable, safe and traceable.

• Site Logistics

  Holistic service solutions on- and offsite allow you to fully focus on your core business and help it to grow.

• Engineering Solutions

  Unique engineering and advisory expertise to optimize supply chains and master engineering challenges.

• Supporting Services

  Solutions that guarantee you a continuous and reliable use of your equipment.

• Digital Services

  The digitalization and smart synchronization of processes help to unlock your full business potential.

1. 1TALKE: Leading solution partner for the world of chemistrytalke.com
2. 2TALKE History – Over 75 Years of Excellence in Chemical Logisticstalke.com
3. 3TALKE – Your Expert in Chemical Logistics since 1947talke.com
4. 4TALKE Values – Foundation for Quality and Innovationtalke.com
5. 5Alfred Talkewikidata.org
6. 6Alfred Talkede.wikipedia.org