The sad news from EMO Trans, from Garden City, NY, came completely unexpectedly on Wednesday night (21APR21), and read: “EMO Trans, a global provider of logistics and supply chain management services, mourns the death of its Founder and Chairman, Joachim (Jo) Frigger, who passed away unexpectedly on April 19, 2021.” His sudden death is a huge loss for the entire logistics industry, but especially for his family and the EMO organization.

Jo, the "smuggler"
Last October, Jo celebrated his 80th birthday in Naples, Florida, where he was mostly located of late. We were on the phone for a long time, talking about this and that. He recounted, almost
euphorically, his brief "career" as a smuggler. That was in the middle of the 70s of the last century. The story goes like this: During a stay in his hometown of Opladen near Cologne, he stuck
the seed of a local oak in his shoe and smuggled it, unnoticed by the border inspectors, to the USA. The acorn has long since become a majestic tree which, today, stands north of New York. A
tangible piece of his old homeland on his own doorstep in the USA. A tree under which he could always relax and let his mind wander.
Why do I mention this here? Because it very clearly illustrates his lifelong connection to his native country. He often flew across the big pond to visit old acquaintances and friends in the
Rhineland, casually also taking care of business matters on the side, in his function as co-shareholder of the German EMO Trans.
From DUS to NYC
Joachim Frigger’s career as a forwarding agent began in Düsseldorf, where he worked for various companies, including the forwarding company, Deugro. He was sent to the United States in 1972, to
establish branches there. He then did this for EMO Trans because he was always a keen entrepreneur. At the time, he had a lot of business and private contact with Dieter Haltmayer, the founder of
QCS Quick Cargo Service. A connection that continued over many years until now, despite the geographical distance between Germany and the USA. Dieter and the Haltmayers were equally upset to
learn of Jo’s sudden passing. Not only they, however, but also his numerous friends, business partners, and companions. We, the press representatives, have lost a partner who, in addition to his
work at EMO Trans, always had the overall logistics view in mind, and was able to convey this to journalists in an illustrative and credible manner.
He was the head of EMO Trans for half a century
In addition to the Frigger family, those most hit by his death, there is also much concern within the EMO group about the death of its Spiritus Rector [guiding spirit]. This is echoed in Marco
Rohrer’s words, the President & CEO of EMO Trans: “Jo was not just my boss; he was also my partner, my mentor, and my friend. Through his significant experience and wisdom, he provided
thoughtful guidance and a unique perspective to our discussions, which resulted in better decision making.”
Jo served EMO Trans for 50 years as Chairman, CEO, President, and Founder of EMO Trans USA. Under his tenure, EMO USA developed from a single office at JFK Airport in New York, into a logistics
powerhouse with a presence in every major U.S. shipping hub, and an international reach through the EMO Trans global network. Today, EMO Trans USA has grown to 33 branches nationwide, and employs
400 staff.

His heritage
He will be missed, but things must continue.
In business, he leaves behind a well-established, highly successful company, for which his credo “success by performance” has always been the guiding principle, and which will continue to be so
in the development and practical implementation of customized solutions. The international expansion of the group will continue unabated, in the spirit of Jo Frigger. Its proven conservative
financial policy, always exemplified by Jo, is also unlikely to change. He always rejected risky and credit-financed acquisitions. Organic growth is likely to continue to be the DNA of the
group.
As far as the management of the family business EMO is concerned, he arranged matters early on. In addition to CEO Marco Rohrer, with Jo’s daughter, Jenny, and his son, Sven, 2 Friggers are
already in a leading position. They will certainly also ensure that the longstanding support of the Ampo aid project in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - a project close to Jo's heart – goes on. Ampo,
run by Hamburg-born Katrin Rohde, houses orphaned children and disabled people.
And then there is still the “smuggled” majestic oak recognizable in summer by its typical jagged leaves and its proud, straight trunk. It is symbolic of Jo’s work; his clear attitude, his strong
will, and the upright and wonderful man who has now left us.
Heiner Siegmund
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Peter Ullmayer (Sunday, 25 April 2021 23:52)
It was a pleasure meeting Joe,
enjoyed doing business together!
Also spend some good times together!
RIP JOE
Dieter Haltmayer (Monday, 26 April 2021 14:27)
Deeply moved I read the news of the death of Jo Frigger, an old friend of mine.
We knew each other from the very beginning of our careers. As a Cologne native, he worked in the 1960ies as an export manager for agent Deugro in Düsseldorf, while me as a resident of the same city, worked in the freight department of carrier BEA. Particularly when it came to favorable rates, he was one of BEA’s best customers. After I had founded Quick Cargo Service in 1974, we became competitor. But regardless of our respective business activities, we always remained friends and enjoyed seeing each other at trade fairs like Air Cargo Europe in Munich.
In those early days of our careers, air freight was still in its infancy. LH operated 2 Convairs and I had a small office in Düsseldorf. BEA still utilized DC 3 freighter aircraft offering a payload of 2,900 kg on the route between Düsseldorf and London. At that time, the cargo world was still very manageable.
Finally, I like to express my condolences to Jo’s wife Karin and the entire family. Jo will definitely be missed at Emo, he was a freight forwarder from head to toe. May he rest in peace.
Dieter Haltmayer
With kind regards / Kind regards
Dieter Haltmayer
Managing Director / President
Hector Mejia (Wednesday, 28 July 2021)
I will miss Mr. Frigger, and will always be grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Emotrans family in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico.
EMOLOGISTICS,
My deepest sympathy to all the Family