HKL co-founder Bernd Meyer passes away

Bernd Meyer, co-founder and longtime managing partner of German rental company HKL Baumaschinen, passed away on 27 August aged 69, HKL has announced.

Mr Meyer, who founded HKL with Claus Städing in 1970, was a well known personality in the German construction industry and considered a pioneer of the country's rental market.

The rental business was established first in Lübeck, and then in Hamburg and Kiel, the three locations providing the HKL name. Today, HKL Bauamaschinen is one of Germany's top two equipment rental companies, with over 120 offices and a nationwide presence.

Among his most notable initiatives was the establishment of one of the first equipment rental stores in the former Eastern Germany, in Rostock in 1989. HKL now has 30 branches in the territory.

During his almost 40 years with HKL, Mr Meyer held numerous responsibilities in addition to his main role as chief executive officer. These included the management of numerous HKL locations in areas such as Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Nordrhein-Westfalen verantwortlich.

He retired from active management in 2006 but remained on the company's board to provide advice and practical help.