ATR Landhandel

ATR Landhandel is a German agricultural trading company headquartered in Ratzeburg, Schleswig-Holstein. It was formed in 1999 through the merger of three long-established family-run agricultural traders: Arp (Sollerup), Heinrich Thordsen (Husum), and Rautenberg (Ratzeburg). The company operates under the umbrella of ATR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, which served as the group holding until 2021. Its core business areas include mixed feed production (ATR Futtermittel GmbH & Co. KG), trade in grain and oilseeds (ATR Landhandel GmbH & Co. KG), and shipping (ATR Schifffahrt GmbH & Co. KG). The group also has international subsidiaries in Denmark and Poland. In 2021, ATR Beteiligungsgesellschaft merged with competitor Beiselen Holding GmbH of Ulm to form BAT Holding GmbH, now operating as BAT Agrar. The ATR brand continues as part of the BAT Agrar group, which describes itself as 'Landwirtschaft aus Leidenschaft' (Agriculture out of passion) and offers agricultural trade, logistics, animal feed, and shipping services. According to the company, it employed over 800 people as of 2020.

The origins of ATR Landhandel lie in three independent, family-run agricultural trading companies in northern Germany: Arp in Sollerup, Heinrich Thordsen in Husum, and Rautenberg in Ratzeburg. Each had been managed by the same families for four or five generations. In 1994, two of the three—Arp and Thordsen—merged. In 1999, the third, Rautenberg, joined, creating the company Arp, Thordsen, Rautenberg GmbH & Co. KG, which became the present-day ATR Landhandel GmbH & Co. KG. The name change to ATR Landhandel was registered in the commercial register in April 2011. The group's shipping activities date back to 1976, when Heinrich Thordsen KG established a shipping department to handle the flexible transport of traded goods. In 1981, a dedicated shipping company was founded, and two dry cargo vessels of the Tora type, Irmgard and Elisabeth, were operated. Both were built at the Husumer Schiffswerft and were joined by two more ships, Ilka (1985) and Maike (1989), also built there. Irmgard and Elisabeth were sold in 2007. In spring 2017, the fleet was expanded back to four ships with the purchase of Henrike and Anouk from Norway. These German-flagged single-deck coasters with box-shaped holds primarily serve international seaborne trade in agricultural products for the parent company, but are also used to transport components for the offshore wind industry. Over the years, the shipping division expanded its services to include chartering, ship management, customs clearance, and average adjustment in the Northern European market. The group also established international subsidiaries in Denmark and Poland. In 2021, ATR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH merged with Beiselen Holding GmbH of Ulm to form BAT Holding GmbH. The combined entity now operates as BAT Agrar, under which the ATR brand continues. As of 2020, the company reported over 800 employees.

• 2021

  Merger of ATR Beteiligungsgesellschaft with Beiselen Holding GmbH to form BAT Holding GmbH.

• 2017

  Fleet expanded back to four ships with purchase of Henrike and Anouk.

• 2011

  Renaming to ATR Landhandel GmbH & Co. KG, registered in April.

• 2007

  Sale of vessels Irmgard and Elisabeth.

• 1999

  Merger with Rautenberg to form Arp, Thordsen, Rautenberg GmbH & Co. KG, the present-day ATR Landhandel.

• 1994

  Merger of Arp and Thordsen.

• 1989

  Addition of vessel Maike to the fleet.

• 1985

  Addition of vessel Ilka to the fleet.

• 1981

  Founding of a dedicated shipping company; operation of two Tora-type dry cargo vessels, Irmgard and Elisabeth.

• 1976

  Heinrich Thordsen KG establishes a shipping department.

Regional agricultural trading and service group with integrated feed, grain, and shipping operations, now part of BAT Agrar.

• Mixed feed

  Produced by ATR Futtermittel GmbH & Co. KG.

• Grain and oilseed trading

  Handled by ATR Landhandel GmbH & Co. KG.

• Shipping services

  Provided by ATR Schifffahrt GmbH & Co. KG, including chartering, ship management, customs clearance, and average adjustment.

1. 1Home - BAT Agrar GmbH & Co. KGbat-agrar.de
2. 2Mediendownloads - BAT Agrar GmbH & Co. KGbat-agrar.de
3. 3ATR Landhandel - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4ATR Beteiligungsgesellschaft - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org