Relocation and Moving Means Moving People, Not Things
Interview with Michael Donath, Managing Director of Donath GmbH & Co. KG
What began in 1904 in Görlitz, East Germany, remains a medium-sized family business to this day. Donath GmbH & Co. KG combines traditional moving logistics with a growing relocation business. In the conversation, Managing Director Michael Donath and his family provide insight into the daily business operations and the challenges of the market, and reveal why empathy and team spirit are the biggest drivers of success.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Donath, your company has a history that spans over 120 years. From your perspective, what have been the defining developments, and how is Donath positioned today?
Michael Donath: Our company was founded in 1904 by my great-great-grandfather. Since then, it has always been family-owned. We are a classic freight forwarding family: each of us has grown up with the business, literally day and night, and right from the start. The choice was only to work with us or not. We have always chosen the company. Today, we are 50 employees strong, including our stake in Munich. Our annual turnover ranges between 5 and 7 million EUR. The Steinbach site is our headquarters.
Wirtschaftsforum: Which services are the focus today?
Chris Donath: In addition to the traditional moving business, our focus is on relocation services. This market is growing, especially in the B2B sector, because international professionals need comprehensive support. This starts with visa and housing search and extends to kindergarten acclimatization.
Penny Donath: Relocation is more than organization – it's emotional support. We help families really settle in. I myself have made the move to Germany and know how overwhelming that can be. That's exactly why Donath Relocation was created – from practical demand and personal experience.
Wirtschaftsforum: Is there a 'typical' customer?
Chris Donath: No, there are various companies – medium-sized to large, national and international. They recruit professionals from abroad or relocate employees to other locations. And they understand that integration requires more than an apartment and a rental contract.
Wirtschaftsforum: What channels do you use for customer acquisition?
Samantha Donath: LinkedIn is currently our most important B2B tool. But a lot is done through recommendations – and that speaks for us. We often experience that people contact us years later because they have a lasting memory of us and our service.
Wirtschaftsforum: As a family business, you certainly have a special corporate culture. What does it look like?
Samantha Donath: What's special about it is our strong cohesion, the trust, the special humor. It’s not just a mission statement; it's a reality that's lived. You can feel that we work as a team.
Chris Donath: Most of us don't know in the morning how their day will end – because our projects are dynamic. Yet everyone pulls together. And if it gets late, there's pizza. This is our form of fairness: Flexibility and trust – on both sides.
Wirtschaftsforum: And what personally motivates you?
Michael Donath: Family. Togetherness. The trust that we live both inside and outside of work. I can't imagine what else I would want to do.
Penny Donath: It's the helper syndrome (laughs). No, seriously: We are service providers with heart. And when customers tell us they couldn't have done it without us – then we know what we're doing it for.
Chris Donath: I love organization. When others don't know where to start, I already have the checklist ready. That drives me – and I believe it's also a bit in our genes.
Samantha Donath: And it's that feeling of getting up in the morning and looking forward to the day. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Our customers surely feel that too.