PLUTA attorney Dr Wehner maintains business operations of forwarder Bruno Schmidt based in Minden

By order dated 11 July 2025, the Local Court of Bielefeld appointed Dr André Wehner, a specialist attorney for insolvency and restructuring law, as provisional insolvency administrator for Bruno Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG. The freight forwarder based in Minden and Hamburg currently has 38 employees and three trainees. The family business, now with its fourth generation at the helm, is continuing to operate without restriction at both locations under the direction of managing director Mr Jochen Schmidt and in close coordination with the provisional insolvency administrator, Dr Wehner from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH.

The company had to file for insolvency on account of liquidity problems, as it was no longer able to properly service its outstanding liabilities. Its financial challenges stem from a number of factors, including increasing competitive pressure and a resulting decline in sales paired with escalating costs in the logistics sector. “I am currently in the process of gaining a comprehensive overview of the company’s economic and legal circumstances as well as the precise causes of the insolvency. At the same time and based on the insights gathered, I am reviewing all restructuring options to preserve the company,” said PLUTA restructuring expert Dr Wehner. The aim is to find a viable and sustainable way forward for the business and the employees. “The company is continuing to operate while this process is underway. All orders are being handled properly. The wages and salaries of the employees are guaranteed up to the end of August 2025 thanks to specific substitute benefits provided under German insolvency law,” added Dr Wehner.

First potential investor expresses an interest

Already this week, the provisional insolvency administrator has arranged initial discussions with a potential strategic investor who has expressed an interest in a possible takeover. “My team and I will now initiate a structured investor process,” added Dr Wehner. The provisional insolvency administrator is being supported in the PLUTA restructuring team by attorney Mr Leon Linz and others.

Bruno Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG has its headquarters in Minden, Westphalia, and a branch in Hamburg. The long-standing company was founded back in 1893 in what was then Arnswalde (present-day Choszczno, Poland). Over time, it has come to specialise in national and international transports, with a focus on partial and full loads. Within Germany, the company operates regular scheduled freight transport services between the Rhine-Ruhr region and northern Germany. It also runs daily services between Minden and Hamburg. Internationally, Bruno Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG operates in Switzerland and other neighbouring European countries (Austria, Luxembourg and Denmark) as well as further afield. It can also handle specific dangerous goods shipments and provide warehouse logistics services.

“With our staff, customers and many years in the industry, we have excellent foundations that we can and want to build on. We have had to take this course of action so that we can now find a solution under court proceedings that will keep our long-standing business operating into the future. Working together with provisional insolvency administrator Dr Wehner, we will do everything within our power to bring about a sustainable long-term solution for our business and staff,” said Mr Jochen Schmidt, managing director of Bruno Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG.

The company currently has a fleet of 16 trucks (tractor units), multiple semitrailers/trailers and a light commercial vehicle. In addition to its main base in Minden, it also operates a non-independent branch in the Hanseatic City of Hamburg.