EXCON Company History: Nearly 40 Years as a Reliable Partner
Learn how EXCON has evolved from a startup in the 1980s into a Europe-wide solutions provider for the finance, automotive, and insurance industries. Our company history highlights key milestones, pivotal decisions, and fascinating insights into nearly 40 years of transformation, growth, and true partnership.
Click here to jump to the individual milestones in our company history:
1987: New Mobility, New Financing Models, New Requirements
The year 1987 marked several developments that had a lasting impact on daily life, public administration, and mobility in Germany. The new credit-card-sized ID card was introduced, the census provided the government with up-to-date data, and in the automotive industry, high-performance 16V technology gained significant prominence.
As higher-end vehicles became increasingly attractive, the demand for flexible financing solutions grew as well. In addition to traditional installment plans, leasing—a concept originating in the U.S.—increasingly established itself as an attractive alternative, particularly for the self-employed and businesses. At the same time, company fleets were expanded, supported by banks, financial service providers, and car dealerships.
However, as financed and leased vehicles became more widespread, new operational challenges also arose. If a customer falls behind on payments, the vehicle may need to be repossessed and returned to the seller or financier. For banks and car dealerships, however, this task is not part of their core business.
EXCON’s first service area emerged from this specific market need: professional vehicle repossession.
1988: The Next Step
In the late 1980s, many former members of the Bundeswehr and police officers were looking for new career opportunities. While numerous former public servants moved into traditional security services, Rolf Marx, Jürgen Geis, and Uwe Hoensch recognized a much more specific market opportunity.
Drawing on their experience, organizational skills, and understanding of legally compliant procedures, they developed a new service: the professional repossession of financed vehicles. The goal was to support financial service providers in recovering unpaid-for vehicles in a structured manner and always within the framework of legal requirements.
As demand grew, it quickly became clear that this service required far more than simply picking up or transporting vehicles. It required negotiation skills, tact, legal certainty, operational strength, and professional organization.
On April 11, 1988, Uwe Hoensch, Rolf Marx, and Jürgen Geis founded the company EXCON in Neu-Isenburg. Uwe Hoensch took over as managing director. Thus, what began as a regional business idea laid the foundation for the company’s further development.
1989/1990: Momentum from New Markets
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification in 1990 fundamentally transformed Germany. For EXCON, this period meant one thing above all else: new markets, new demands, and new opportunities.
With the dissolution of the National People’s Army, a large pool of qualified professionals emerged who were seeking new career prospects. Many former officers and noncommissioned officers possessed experience, discipline, organizational skills, and assertiveness—all qualities that were particularly in demand in the nascent vehicle recovery market.
EXCON recognized this opportunity early on and strategically recruited suitable employees to further build the company. One of them was Jürgen Schulz, a former major in the NVA, who would go on to play a key role in EXCON’s development starting in 1991.
At the same time, reunification opened up new economic opportunities. Demand for consumer goods, vehicles, and financing rose sharply. This also increased the need for professional services related to financed vehicles. For EXCON, this marked the beginning of a highly dynamic phase in which the company had to grow, further develop its structures, and hold its own in an increasingly demanding market.
1991–1994: Professionalization and Growth
Between 1991 and 1994, EXCON consistently further developed its internal structures, processes, and business areas. While strengthening its organizational structure, the company expanded its services for banks, insurance companies, and car dealerships, particularly in the areas of vehicle recovery, security services, cash and valuables transport, and bank security.
A key milestone in 1991 was the establishment of the first branch in eastern Germany by Jürgen Schulz in Dresden. Amid the dynamic post-reunification period, EXCON tapped into new markets, recruited qualified employees, and expanded its network.
Through investments in vehicles, technology, and specialized teams, EXCON further professionalized its operations. At the same time, Forensic Services emerged as an additional business segment, bringing together the company’s existing forensic and legal expertise.
By 1994, EXCON had 15 branches nationwide. During this phase, revenue grew by an average of about 100 percent per year—a strong indication of the company’s successful evolution from a regional provider to a nationwide service provider.
One Step Ahead: Innovation as a Mindset
From the very beginning, innovation has been more than just a buzzword at EXCON. As early as the 1990s, the company consistently embraced IT—at a time when computers were not yet commonplace in many government agencies and businesses. Field operations, branch offices, and central processes were digitized early on and gradually professionalized.
With the introduction of mobile computers, email communication, and later intranet-based workflows, EXCON accelerated order processing, improved data quality, and increased operational efficiency. At the same time, data security was a high priority from the very beginning. Sensitive client, project, and transaction data were professionally protected and secured.
Starting in the mid-1990s, EXCON consistently advanced its digitalization efforts. Under the leadership of specialized IT managers, internal systems, customized applications, and digital workflows were developed, which later also benefited clients. This led to an increasingly digital service portfolio, ranging from process automation and inventory and receivables management to mobile applications and real-time information.
Today, EXCON stands for the combination of operational experience, technological expertise, and practical software development. The company’s early willingness to break new ground has become an integral part of its corporate culture and a key factor in its success for both clients and employees.
2000–2016: New Markets, Digital Solutions, and Continued Growth
The start of the new millennium ushered in a phase of new technological and business opportunities for EXCON. The company leveraged the growing trend toward digitalization to further develop processes, tap into new business areas, and bring client-specific solutions to market.
A key step was the entry into the automotive sector. The collaboration with Kreutz Automotive and the subsequent integration of the company laid the foundation for EXCON Automotive Services GmbH. Under the leadership of Bettina Guggemos, this evolved into a growing business segment, particularly in the areas of dealer audits, after-sales, parts, and accessories.
With Europe-wide audit contracts, new locations in Switzerland, Spain, and Austria, and the expansion of software-supported processes, EXCON continued to gain momentum. The digitization of large volumes of data became a decisive factor for success and strengthened the company’s position in the market.
The financial crisis beginning in 2008 presented EXCON with new challenges. At the same time, it served as an impetus to broaden the business model. In addition to the automotive sector, the insurance market came into sharper focus. Starting in 2010, EXCON Insurance Services GmbH emerged as another viable business segment focused on claims management, expert networks, quality control, and process outsourcing.
Here, too, EXCON consistently relied on its own digital solutions. Following an intensive development phase, a powerful software solution for order entry and process control was launched in 2016. With this, EXCON combined operational expertise, networking capabilities, and digitalization into a scalable service model.
The experience gained during these years led to a broader corporate profile: Automotive, Financial Services, and Insurance increasingly formed EXCON’s strategic triad. The ability to identify new markets, leverage crises as opportunities for growth, and implement digital solutions in a practical manner became a defining factor in the company’s success.
2010–2018: Digitalization, New Services, and International Expansion
Starting in 2010, EXCON consistently expanded its digital capabilities and increasingly applied them to new business areas. The founding of EXCON Insurance GmbH created another key division that supports insurance companies in claims management, process control, and fraud prevention.
In doing so, EXCON combined digital efficiency with on-site operational expertise. Qualified adjusters, investigators, restoration companies, and specialist partners were centrally managed and integrated into standardized processes. This enabled claims to be processed more quickly, transparently, and with a greater focus on service.
In the automotive sector as well, digitalization remained a key growth driver. EXCON developed mobile applications for field teams, digital audit and reporting processes, and the EXCON Digital Suite, which made core services accessible via apps. The goal was always not only to digitize clients’ processes but also to improve them sustainably.
At the same time, this digital strategy accelerated international expansion. Following locations in Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, Italy was added in 2013. By 2016, after winning a major contract, EXCON Automotive was already operating in 48 countries.
At the same time, EXCON responded to new market models, changing customer needs, and the growing importance of services, automation, and platform solutions. The founding of EXCON Information Management in 2016—which was later spun off as fintus—added another building block to the digital transformation of traditional financial processes.
By 2018, EXCON had evolved into a company that combines operational experience, digital technology, and strong networks. New services, mobile solutions, and centralized platforms made complex processes simpler, faster, and more scalable.
Since 2019: From Service Provider to Digital Solutions Provider
Since 2019, EXCON has consistently pursued the digital transformation of its own business model. By combining operational experience, industry expertise, and in-house software development, the company has created an increasingly product-oriented service portfolio for the automotive, finance, and insurance sectors.
Today, the focus is on scalable software solutions, digital platforms, and automated processes that make complex workflows faster, more transparent, and more efficient. These include applications for vehicle tracking, inventory management, audits, and process control, which can be used as standalone solutions or integrated into existing services.
At the same time, EXCON is further expanding its use of artificial intelligence, OCR, and automated workflows. A dedicated IT division for AI, as well as partnerships with technology companies in fields such as robotics, computer vision, connected cars, and cybersecurity, strengthen the company’s capacity for innovation.
As a result, since 2019, EXCON has evolved from a digitally supported service provider into a provider of integrated software and service models. Its strength lies in the combination of technology, operational implementation, a partner ecosystem, and deep market understanding.
