CoESS Vice-Chairman and Family Entrepreneur Friedrich P. Kötter Celebrates 60th Birthday
Essen (21 September 2026). Friedrich P. Kötter celebrates his 60th birthday on 21 September. For more than three decades, he has played a decisive role in shaping the development of the KÖTTER Group. With foresight, determination and entrepreneurial creativity, the business graduate took a leading role in transforming the long-established family business into an integrated and digitalised service group. Today, with more than 16,000 employees, it ranks among Germany’s top ten facility services providers and is the largest family-owned company in the security industry. The management team and all employees warmly congratulate Friedrich P. Kötter and wish him all the best and continued success for the future.
Security and services are built to a large extent on integrity, trust, reliability, fairness and innovative strength. Friedrich P. Kötter embodies these values in a particularly strong way. He joined the management of the family business together with his sister Martina Kötter in 1994 and, as a third-generation family entrepreneur, combines entrepreneurial continuity with the ambition to identify emerging trends at an early stage and translate them into tailored solutions for customers.
“Taking responsibility for others and ensuring seamless service requires not only professional expertise, but above all the willingness to understand the perspective and needs of others and to work successfully as a team,” says the current Chairman of the Administrative Board. “A company – and particularly a service provider – is only as good as the people connected with it. On the occasion of my birthday, I would therefore especially like to thank our employees for their commitment. My thanks also go to our customers, many of whom have been with us for many years, as well as to our partners.”
Continuing organic growth / Renewed call for political reform
With entrepreneurial foresight, a keen sense for new markets and a strong awareness of global trends, Friedrich P. Kötter has further developed the diversification strategy initiated by his father, Fritz Kötter, while also strengthening the Group through targeted mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Today, the portfolio, delivered entirely through the Group’s own resources, combines security services and technology, cybersecurity, cleaning and personnel services into an all-inclusive package that is unique in Germany. At the same time, KÖTTER is an experienced partner for specialised services ranging from technical facility services and aviation security to fire and rescue services and services for the justice sector.
“This positioning as both a systems provider and specialist service provider will continue to determine the strategic direction of our Group in the future,” emphasises Friedrich P. Kötter. “It forms the central basis for our objective of achieving further organic growth, while selective M&A activities may also remain an option.” In this context, he once again calls on policymakers to create lasting economic momentum through far-reaching reforms: “Entrepreneurship in Germany finally needs to be valued more highly again and supported by sensible framework conditions. Otherwise, deindustrialisation will continue – something we are already experiencing directly as a business-related service provider.”
Commitment to leading industry associations / Responsibility for society and the region
These are key economic issues that the entrepreneur also actively promotes through leading national and international industry associations. He additionally uses his global network to support the professional development of the German security and services sector by bringing in new ideas and positive examples from abroad. For 30 years, he has been a member of the Board of the International Security Ligue. Since 2002, he has served on the Board of the Aviation Security Services Association International, representing leading European aviation security companies, and since 2014 he has acted as First Vice-President of the Confederation of European Security Services. At national level, Friedrich P. Kötter has, among other roles, served as Vice-President of the German Federal Association of the Security Industry (BDSW) since 2013 and as Vice-President of the German Federal Association of the Services Industry (BDWi) since 2018.
Born in Essen, Friedrich P. Kötter remains closely connected to his home region, the Ruhr area. As a personal member of Initiativkreis Ruhr, he contributes to shaping the future of the region. Closely linked to this is his voluntary commitment as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of JOBLINGE gAG Ruhr, which supports young adults on their path towards vocational training. In addition, as a founder and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the muTiger Foundation, Friedrich P. Kötter is committed to promoting civil courage. He also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NATIONAL-BANK AG.
Die KÖTTER Unternehmensgruppe
Die KÖTTER Unternehmensgruppe ist eine moderne und innovative Firmengruppe mit Stammsitz in Essen, die seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1934 ein Familienunternehmen ist. Als professioneller Facility-Services-Anbieter steht die KÖTTER Unternehmensgruppe für maßgeschneiderte Systemlösungen aus einer Hand, bestehend aus Consulting, Sicherheitsdienstleistungen, Sicherheitstechnik, Cyber Security, Reinigungs- und Personaldienstleistungen. Die KÖTTER Unternehmensgruppe erwirtschaftet mit ihren rd. 16.400 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern in den mehr als 100 Niederlassungen in über 60 Städten bundesweit einen Umsatz von 770 Mio. € (Zahlen für 2025). Weitere Infos: koetter.de
Kontakt:
KÖTTER GmbH & Co. KG Verwaltungsdienstleistungen
Carsten Gronwald, Pressesprecher, Tel.: (0201) 2788-126, Carsten.Gronwald@koetter.de