Abelló Linde Centenary Book

Presentation “100 years of Abelló Linde”
Communicative and a great traveller: this is the portrait of the
Centrepreneur Carl von Linde throughout his life. Proof of this is offers,
amongst other things, by the over 3,000 letters he wrote throughout
his professional lifetime: to his partners, his employees, to customers and to
friends. Carl von Linde was an outstanding engineer and entrepreneur. And above
all, he was a great traveller, highly sociable and communicative.
A hundred years ago, this was not so obvious, and yet Carl von Linde,
during one of his numerous trips, particularly around Europe, met Isidro Abelló in
Paris at the end of the 19 th Century. This meeting signified a starting point for a
successful joint venture which reaches its centenary this year: their meeting led to
the foundation of the family business “Isidro Abelló” back in 1907; and Carl von
Linde initially held a 25% share in this business.
This year, Abelló Linde is celebrating its one hundredth birthday, and this
anniversary is, above all, a reason to be joyful. But this is not all: an anniversary is
always an opportunity to recapitulate and to look forwards.
When I look back, what I see first of all are two entrepreneurial characters
who even now continue to be a fine role model. Decision, curiosity, vision: these
traits stood out above the rest. From the outset, the spirit of adventure, the
closeness to customers and the capacity for innovation characterized the company.
And even now, they are the inducement and the driving force behind both Abelló
Linde and the entire Linde Group.
The Linde Group no longer has much in common with the office full of
engineers of that time. And Abelló Linde has changed too. However, remembering
our origins also induces us to carry on with the work of the founders, with all our
efforts and maximum enthusiasm.
With the merger of Linde AG and BOC to form the Linde Group, we have
established the foundations for a successful future. Today, the company is better
than ever. The Linde Group is the world leader in the gas sector, and for Abelló
Linde, this also represents a further boost for its corporate position.
I am certain that we, too – with exactly the same idea as Carl von Linde
and Isidro Abelló – can work on our joint future with breadth of vision, an open
mind and tenacity. Above all, I would like sincerely to thank all of you who took
part in this success, for your commitment and work.
I wish you and us every success in our joint venture over the next century.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle
PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF LINDE AG