LEO Award: Category “Entrepreneur”
On the evening of September 19, 2025, the historic Hagenbeck Dressage Hall in Hamburg once again served as the stage for the LEO Awards (Logistics Excellence Optimisation) – one of the most prestigious honors in the logistics industry in the German-speaking world. This year, our CEO Hans Thomann was honored in the “Entrepreneur” category.
For us at Thomann, this is not only a special moment but also recognition of an entrepreneurial journey that uniquely connects music, e-commerce, and logistics.
For the 18th time, DVZ – Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung presented this award as part of a festive gala to individuals who set new standards through entrepreneurial foresight, innovation, and social commitment. The LEO is awarded in several categories, including “Entrepreneur,” “Innovation,” and “Lifetime Achievement.”
Growth with vision
What began as a small music shop in the family home in Treppendorf, Upper Franconia — with a barn once serving as the cardboard box storage — has, under the leadership of Hans Thomann, grown into the world’s largest online retailer for musical instruments and equipment. Today, our product range includes more than 120,000 items, from guitar strings to grand pianos. Up to 40,000 parcels leave our in-house logistics center each day, reaching customers in over 140 countries.
The fact that this logistical achievement not only works, but also plays a key role in customer satisfaction and global reach, is the result of decades of investment in infrastructure, processes, and IT and reflects an entrepreneurial mindset that goes far beyond traditional retail.
Our logistics are an essential part of our brand identity. When buying musical instruments online, customers expect not only great prices but also fast, reliable, and secure delivery worldwide. That’s exactly where our strength lies. Our logistics team ensures that every product arrives at the right place at the right time. To achieve this, we combine highly automated processes with individual quality checks.
Four personalities, one mission and a successful evening
Alongside Hans Thomann, three other industry leaders were honored: Christiane Bauer (Emons Spedition) for her innovative HR project “Why not logistics”, Sascha Feldhorst (Motion Miners) for his AI-driven process optimization, and John H. Niemann for his lifetime achievements surrounding the Jade-Weser Port.
We congratulate all the award winners and are proud to stand alongside them in highlighting the opportunities and strengths of the logistics industry.
We thank DVZ and the LEO jury for this recognition. A special thanks goes to our CLO Max Molkenthin and the entire logistics team, who ensure every day that our customers’ musical dreams are set in motion safely and swiftly — helping us spread music around the world.
Photos: Hinrich Franck, Marco Grundt
