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DKSH in Singapore

DKSH in Singapore

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History

Fifteen years after having established himself as a reputable merchant and partner in Hooglandt & Co., W.H. Diethelm in 1886 decided to leave Singapore and to return home, worn out by long and nerve-racking negotiations trying to take over the business from the Hooglandt family. The final agreement was only reached in the autumn of 1886 when W.H. Diethelm was already back in Switzerland. Once completed, W.H. Diethelm founded his own company in Zurich in 1887 - the foundation of what was later to become one of the largest Swiss merchant houses, the Diethelm Group.
In the early 20th Century, Singapore served as the springboard for Diethelm to expand operations into neighboring Malaysia and on to Thailand and Indochina.
Hooglandt & Co. still exists today - for nostalgic reasons we have kept the company alive all those years even though it has not been operative for many years.

History milestones

1871

Wilhelm Heinrich Diethelm leaves Switzerland for Singapore

1880s

Diethelm establishes himself as partner in Hooglandt & Co

1886

Return to Switzerland

1886

Diethelm takes over business from the Hooglandt family

1887

Founding of Diethel’s own trading company in Switzerland

20th century

Diethelm expands into Malaysia, Thailand, and Indochina

2000

The Diethelm Goup joins forces with the Edward A. Keller Group to form Diethelm Keller Holding

2002

Diethelm Keller Services Asia merged with SiberHegner Holdings to form the DKSH Group, today’s No. 1 Market Expansion Services provider with focus on Asia