The history of Klüh

Essentially, the history of Klüh Multiservices as a company is also the history of Josef Klüh. Josef was the name of the grandfather, the father, and the current sole owner of Klüh Service Management GmbH.

In 1911, Josef Klüh (the grandfather) founded a small cleaning business in Düsseldorf.

Josef Klüh (the father) took over the business in 1938. After he was killed in Vitebsk in Russia in 1943, his widow Elisabeth Klüh-Thron and the grandmother, Maria Klüh, restarted business activities in 1946.

In 1962, Elisabeth Klüh-Thron handed over the business to Josef, who was just 20 years old. From then on, success came quickly. His sales acumen and passion turned Klüh into one of the leading providers in Düsseldorf by 1964, and was soon impressing customers throughout the state.

By 1976, the company already employed around 3,000 staff. SANITAS Klinikdienste GmbH was founded to provide services in the healthcare sector.

In 1991, the company expanded through the targeted acquisition of WSD (Wach- und Sicherheitsdienst GmbH Co. Zentrale KG), laying the foundation for Klüh Security.

In 1992, developments in outsourcing in healthcare led to the foundation of Klüh Catering.

Klüh began its international expansion in 2000, starting with an order for the newly-built airport in Athens.

In 2014, Josef Klüh was voted “Düsseldorfer of the Year” in his home town, in the “Businessmen” category.

In 2016, Klüh exceeds the turnover barrier of 700 million Euros.

Today, Klüh Service Management is a leading international multiservice provider. With companies in eight countries and around 50,000 staff, Klüh is one of the world's leading facility services providers.