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We build for humans

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The RELA AG

We're convinced that even with decades of experience in the field of planning, construction and operation of ports and terminals, the development and implementation of supply chains and the planning and realisation of real estate projects, it's vital to keep evolving. 

We've made our share of mistakes in our decades of professional activities, but we've always tried to see mistakes as opportunities, to analyse and understand their causes to avoid them in the future by adapting our systems.

 

For example, over the last 20 years, we've developed an AI-based predictive maintenance system that reflects all our experience in FM. The analyses derived from this have been incorporated into our standardised service descriptions.

We are and intend to stay a small team of experienced, dedicated and excellent professionals.

This way we can ensure that a full flow of information between our clients, the partners involved and us.

We consider ourselves universally thinking experts with a neutral focus on the respective, individual issues of our customers. 

At any time, we can call on the staff of more than 110 affiliated companies, who support us with their specialised knowledge from their fields. 

We stand by our clients until the project is fully completed and always act in their interests. 

We involve them in the respective decision-making processes – in the end, it is and remains their project.

Prof graduate engineer Thomas Schlipköther,

Chief Executive Officer, RELA AG

Thomas Schlipköther first held various management positions in the construction industry for over 20 years before moving to the logistics sector. He has also been active in this sector for over 20 years.

Schlipköther is also a member of numerous committees and expert panels and is available here with his extensive experience.

corporate responsibility

  • 01/2023 – Chief Executive Officer of RELA AG / Oberhausen

  • 01/2023 – Member of the Supervisory Board of COCUS AG / Frankfurt

  • ​

  • 04/2001 – 12/2022  Member of the Executive Board of Duisburger Hafen AG COO/CTO

  • 04/2001 – 12/2022 Head of Port Authority 

  • 04/2001 – 12/2013 Head of Seaman’s Office

  • 04/2001 – 12/2021 Chairman of the Board of the RU “duisport rail GmbH” (dpr)

  • 04/2001 – 12/2021 Chairman of the Board of the terminal operator “duisport facility logistics GmbH” (dfl)

  • 01/2007 – 12/2022 Chairman of “duisport consult GmbH” (dpc)                                          

  • 09/2019 – 12/2022 Member of the Board of “Duisburg Public Infrastructure GmbH” (DIG)​

  • 1998 - 2001 Director of Walter Bau AG, division „turnkey constructions“

  • 1992 - 1998 CEO of a middle-sized construction company

  • 1980 - 1992 Various site- and construction supervisions, Head of Engineering

Expert commissions and committees

04/2001 – 12/2022

  • Founder member of the “European Rail Freight Association”, ERFA,  Brussels 

  • Vice President of the VDV-committee „rail companies public ports", EöH, Köln 

  • Member of the Board of Directors of Rail Freight, VDV, Köln

  • Member of the Central Board of the “German Port Technology Association e.V.“ HTG , Hamburg

  • Member of the HTG-committee “port planning and logistics”, HTG, Hamburg

  • Member of “Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe”   ALICE, Brussels

  • Member of “German Facility Management Association”, GEFMA, Munich  

  • Member of the Advisory Board of “DK Recycling& Roheisen GmbH”, DK, Duisburg

​04/2001 – Ongoing 

  • Honorary professor for “port management and - logistics & SCM” at the university in Duisburg/Essen

  • Commercial Judge at the District Court Duisburg for cases of the logistics and construction sector

  • Member of the Board of “Research Association for Intermodal Transport e.V.“ - SGKV, Berlin

  • Member of the Advisory Board of the “Center for Logistics and Traffic” - ZLV, Duisburg 

  • Member of the Advisory board of the “Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems” (DST) - Duisburg

  • Member of the Association “Friends of World Maritime University Malmö” - Hamburg

  • Member of the Advisory Board of “EP Power Minerals GmbH”

since 1983

  • Member of the “German Association for Geotechnical Engineering e.V.“ - DGGT, Essen

"The cooperation with Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Schlipköther and his team in the replanning of our first layout, the control of the Europe-wide tendering process and the structural implementation of the bimodal terminal at the Frankfurt (Oder) location was open, cooperative and trusting at all times The project was realized within the planned time and budget. 

When planning the second construction phase for the realization of a trailer port and the development of an operator concept under company law, we benefited greatly from Thomas Schlipköther's extensive experience and detailed specialist knowledge. 

I look forward to planning more projects with him in the future."

Dipl.-Ing. holger Müller

former managing director of TeGeCe Frankfurt (Oder)

It was a great privilege for me to meet a "legendary" person like you are in our world. Let me wish a long healthy professional and personal life! Be sure than in every case I will see the possibility for me, for us or for one of our partners to ask your professional support, I will contact you for sure. Best regards and thanks!

dot. Fabio Predonzani

Sales & Operation Manager GLPS

INT Interporto di Trieste

Thomas Schlipköther leaves big footprints. He played a decisive and formative role in duisport's development into the largest inland port in the world. We thank him for that!

Markus Bangen

CEO of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport)

I like to  express for sure a deep proudness to have taken part with you  and your very special team to a very ambitious project, linking very tightly, human factors with productive capacity and costs. Factors that seems to be in contrast with each other. 

 

Here comes the absolute need “not to stand in front of the answers” of the people directly involved before developing our proposals.

Just following the the operational standards already settled would have probably prevent from taking the right direction.

 

It took a great clear courage and each one of us has committed all his skills and passion to go as a group in one common direction.

 

I would like to thank all of you with deep gratitude

Siro Brieda

CEO

Brieda Cabins Srl

Thank you for your support of the past, and wish you happy and successful in the future, and we should keep in touch.

 

kind regards

Xiaoyun Wang

COSCO SHIPPING Logistics Europe 

In order to be able to continue to grow successfully in Duisburg, one of our most important locations in our TanQuid Group, we have developed a completely new, trimodal transport and infrastructure concept together with Thomas Schlipköther and his team, whose high performance we are helping us to continue to use sustainably grow. In the future we will be able to meet our customers' requests for optimized transport chains even more flexibly. 

A great success. Thank you   for this purposeful and constructive cooperation.

Christopher Dalhoff

COO

TanQuid GmbH & Co. KG

The port of Trier, the only German inland port on the Moselle, is currently geared towards the future. In addition to the digitization of processes, this includes optimizing the infrastructure in order to be able to fully exploit the future potential of logistics services. Prof. Thomas Schlipköther supported us throughout the entire process with his profound expertise. We would like to thank you for the good and trusting cooperation and look forward to future projects.

Volker Klassen

Managing Director, Trierer Hafengesellschaft GmbH

Ever since me and my team started the long and extremely difficult journey of setting up a container terminal in Galati (Romania), Prof. Thomas Schlipkoether, whom I proudly like to name my good friend, believed in this project’s feasibility and encouraged us to keep the work going and never give up.

His extensive knowledge and most precious experience in the construction and logistics industries are our guarantee that with his support the further steps we shall take will shortly lead us to achieving our goal.

Thank you my dear friend, and I wish you nothing but good health and big success in this new pledge you’re taking.

Corneliu Gavaneanu

President & CEO,

METALTRADE GROUP

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