Landwirtschafts­verlag Münster congratulates Franz-Josef Möllers on his 75th birthday

Landwirtschaftsverlag Münster congratulates its long-time supervisory board chairman Franz-Josef Möllers on his 75th birthday, which he celebrates on June 28. Möllers led the supervisory board of Germany's tenth-largest trade publisher from 2002 to 2018, during which time the company developed from a pure agricultural publisher to an increasingly international provider of media and services in the fields of agriculture, food and rural life.

“Farsightedness, courage and entrepreneurial flair distinguish Franz-Josef Möllers. The Landwirtschaftsverlag has benefited from this in the long term. Under his leadership, the Supervisory Board has initiated and promoted the implementation of good ideas. This is exemplified by Landlust and the founding of Deutsche Medien Manufaktur, of which he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board until recently, the investment in the trade fair company European Green Exhibition E.G.E. in Berlin, and the founding of the subsidiary LV digital, which bundles all non-journalistic services offered by Landwirtschaftsverlag,“ says Friedrich Steinmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Landwirtschaftsverlag, describing the work of his predecessor. He added that these decisions set the course for the company's current economic success.

Möllers is characterized by a clear compass and unshakeable fundamental convictions, Steinmann continued. “One of these fundamental convictions is the journalistic independence of media. Only independently operating editorial teams produce first-class content that meets with the sustained interest of readers. That is the secret of the success of top agrar, profi, Wochenblatt für Landwirtschaft und Landleben and all the company's other titles,“ Steinmann is convinced.

Möllers is not only concerned about the economic development of the publishing house, however. “Because he believes that successful companies must always bear social responsibility, he persuaded the three shareholders of the publishing house to establish the LV Münster Foundation in December 2012,“ Steinmann recalls of the foundation's beginnings. The foundation promotes science, education, art, culture and the preservation of historical monuments in rural areas.

Good employees need to be paid properly, and they should also share in the company's success. That's why the Supervisory Board decided back in 2016, at Möllers' suggestion, to introduce employee profit-sharing. Employees of the publishing house can invest in the publishing house through a silent partnership and in return receive a very attractive return on their invested capital.

Möllers is still active today for Landwirtschaftsverlag and its subsidiaries and holdings. For example, he continues to head the supervisory board of the trade fair company E.G.E. and is active at project level in the LV Foundation. The “Award for Partnership in the Food Value Chain from the Farmer to the Shop Counter“, organized by the LV Münster Foundation, QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH, Lebens-mittelverband Deutschland e.V. and Bundesverband des Deutschen Lebensmittelhandels e.V., is largely due to his initiative.

The supervisory board, management and staff of Landwirtschaftsverlag extend their warmest congratulations to Franz-Josef Möllers on his birthday, thank him for his many years of commitment to the publishing house and wish him all the very best for the future.