Since its founding in 1915, GEHLEN Partnerschaft Beratender Ingenieure mbB has been an integral part of the German engineering landscape. As one of the oldest engineering firms in Germany and the oldest in Düsseldorf, the company has a rich tradition in the planning and realization of structures of all kinds.

Tradition and Innovation

Since its inception, the office has undergone impressive development and has continuously faced the challenges of the market. In the 1950s, the firm made a pivotal decision by deciding to bring more partners into the office. This strategic expansion opened up entirely new possibilities for the office and strengthened its position in an ever-changing market environment.

One of the current challenges in the market is that refurbishment projects are increasingly being realized instead of new constructions, in both residential building and bridge construction. Here, GEHLEN can rely on an outstanding department that deals with existing building construction and has extensive know-how.

"One of our strengths lies in our broad positioning," says Jan Krings, Managing Partner. "We offer structural engineering for buildings of all kinds, from small dog houses to large locks and bridges. This wide range of tasks gives us an enormous expertise and allows us to successfully implement a variety of projects. Especially in hydraulic engineering, we are a pioneer in the implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM). By participating in the Prüfakte NRW, an electronic structural engineering file, we have made a significant contribution to the digitization of the construction industry."

Expertise and Experience

The company structure of GEHLEN is characterized by an owner-managed partnership. With 60 employees, the team designs and sizes structures for various buildings and ensures that they are stable and fit for use. In addition to building construction and bridge construction, the company is also active in hydraulic engineering.

GEHLEN's references include impressive projects such as the structural analysis of the Kö-Bogen and the Gleesen lock project. For the lock on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, the company took on the entire structural design as well as the construction of the entire lock structure as part of a BIM pilot project in hydraulic engineering.

"We offer a wide range of services in structural planning and in the examination of structural engineering proofs," explains Jan Krings, who, like all partners, is also a certified structural engineer. "Our field of activity ranges from feasibility studies and advising the client to the creation of existing plans. We not only deliver statics and execution plans but also economical solutions for the projects. Moreover, we have comprehensive expertise and many years of experience in building physics. We assist in creating sound and thermal insulation proofs as well as in developing and reviewing fire protection concepts and structural fire protection measures."

Philosophy and Future

The philosophy and strategy of GEHLEN are based on a positive company climate and joint activities with the staff. "This is also noticed by the employees. Thus, according to kununu, the company is once again among the approximately 5% of the most popular companies. As an employer, we are very loyal to our employees," notes the Managing Partner, who started in 2008 as a civil engineer at GEHLEN Partnership of Consulting Engineers mbB. "We trust them and give them free rein in problem-solving. The basis for this is good training. I myself had a good mentor for many years and passing on knowledge is vital for our future. To our customers, we see ourselves as service providers and have internalized this service mindset."

In working with clients, the company always looks beyond the horizon and finds the right solution for challenging projects. This has established GEHLEN as a reliable partner for complex tasks and cost-efficient and sustainable solutions in the construction sector.

For the future, the engineering office is pursuing ambitious goals, such as the new construction of all five locks at the lock staircase on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. "It is important to us to strengthen the identity of our office and to be able to continue for the next 100 years," says Jan Krings. "We offer a professional perspective in an exciting environment. Anyone who graduates from high school with good mathematical and physical knowledge and is still undecided which path to take should become an engineer and join a company that focuses on tradition, innovation, and collaboration."