Location · Essen
Alexander Kaminski for companies in Essen
Alexander Kaminski — creative director, brand strategist and marketing lead from Hamburg — works remote-first with companies in Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia). From the coal and steel location of the Krupp era to a service-driven corporate-headquarters city with the highest concentration of listed head offices in the Ruhr region.
Essen in context
Essen is the headquarters of three DAX corporations (E.ON, RWE, Brenntag) as well as several MDAX companies (thyssenkrupp, HOCHTIEF, Evonik), making it the densest concentration of listed head offices in the Ruhr region. Once a mining town shaped by Krupp and coal, Essen transformed into a service and administrative location after the closure of the last Zollverein colliery in 1986, with the energy industry, retail head offices (ALDI Nord, Deichmann) and healthcare now defining its structure. As the base of numerous energy suppliers, Essen is also regarded as Germany's informal energy capital and a central stage for the shift toward the energy transition.
Key industries: Energy industry (RWE, E.ON, STEAG) and energy-transition cluster, Corporate headquarters and business services (headquarter functions), Retail and retail logistics (ALDI Nord, Deichmann, MEDION), Chemicals and materials industry (Evonik, Brenntag), Construction and plant engineering (HOCHTIEF, thyssenkrupp), Healthcare and medicine (Universitätsmedizin Essen, GLG hospitals).
Roles for Essen
Each role as a dedicated service for companies in Essen (pages in German):
- Creative Director in Essen
- Brand Strategist in Essen
- Naming Expert in Essen
- Marketing Director in Essen
- Product Strategist in Essen
- Product Manager in Essen
- Product Visionary in Essen
- IP Creator in Essen
- Creator for Machines in Essen
FAQ — Essen
Why are so many large corporations based in Essen?
Through Krupp and hard-coal mining, Essen was an industrial power center; after the structural change, its administrative and headquarters functions remained. Today three DAX corporations - E.ON, RWE and Brenntag - as well as thyssenkrupp, HOCHTIEF and Evonik are headquartered in the city.
What role does the energy industry play in Essen?
Essen is home to several large energy suppliers (including RWE, E.ON and STEAG) and is therefore often called Germany's energy capital. The city is a focal point for energy trading, grid operation and the industry's transition toward renewable energy.
How has Essen developed since the end of mining?
The closure of the Zollverein colliery in 1986 marked the end of hard-coal mining in Essen. Today's UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein became a location for culture, design and the creative industries, while the city as a whole evolved into a service, retail and administrative center.
Which sectors shape Essen's Mittelstand?
Alongside the corporate headquarters, retail and retail logistics (ALDI Nord, Deichmann, MEDION), healthcare with Universitätsmedizin Essen, construction and plant engineering, as well as business-service providers and engineering offices, shape the city's mid-sized economy.