The early years: 1934 – 1968.

On 1st April 1934, Josef Rethmann Sr. (1904 – 1990) purchased the company Brakemper in Selm. This small haulage business had four horses and five carts, among them a removal cart, a wedding carriage and a hearse. Despite the date of the transaction, the purchase was anything but an April fool's trick. However, no-one realized at that time that this purchase would become the foundation of a successful family-run business.

In 1939, the company's current owner, Norbert Rethmann, was born – the Rethmann family's third child. The family's oldest son is Joseph Rethmann, who was born in 1935, and who was followed just over a year later by his sister, Maria.

This haulage contractor transported everything that needed to be transported: beer, parcels, cases, brides and grooms etc. And in 1940, it signed its first contract to transport refuse. At that time, the refuse – mostly rubble and ash from the Selm mine – was still collected by horse and cart.

The name of the company, which had been called "Spedition Heinrich Brakemper, Inh. Josef Rethmann" for ten years, was changed after the monetary reform in 1948. It was then called: "Firma Josef Rethmann".

Modern times reached Selm in 1959 when it took its first step towards joining the environmental service branch. The town decided to make its waste collection system more environmentally friendly. Beating his fellow competitors, Josef Rethmann was awarded a contract to carry out "dust-free disposal" in Selm. In order to achieve this, the haulage company purchased its first modern vehicle.

Norbert Rethmann joined his father's company in 1961. He worked in several positions there, including that of truck driver, and spent much time thinking about how the refuse business could be expanded. He was able to concentrate on these thoughts even more when the company was divided up in 1963. His father handed over the haulage business to his son Joseph Rethmann and Norbert Rethmann was given the refuse collection division. Despite splitting the company into two, Josef Rethmann Sr. still kept a close eye on the business to begin with. At that time, the company owned a beer/lime lorry, a delivery vehicle for rail freight and a refuse lorry.