History
Accompanying Europe
Gebrüder Weiss is Austria’s oldest forwarding company. The development also resembles the political and economical development of the region. As a consequence, Gebrüder Weiss is today a globally operating company, which is strongly rooted in the region from the Alps to the Danube.Important historic events
1330: First mention of the name Wizze (Weiss) in a tax list of the monastery St. Gallen.
1445: First documentation of the Milan Messenger Service (Vis & Spehler, Fussach).
1592: After 31 years of court proceedings the Milan senate decides on June 10th that the Lindau Messenger Service may be continued.
1788: Returning from his first journey to Italy, Goethe is brought safely to Fussach by the Milan Messenger Service. He pays a fare of 122 gulden.
1823: Foundation of the company Gebrüder Weiss in Fussach/Vorarlberg.
1872: Relocation of the company headquarters to Bregenz.
until 1914: Gebrüder Weiss set up branches throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as in Vienna, Venice, Genoa and Trieste but also in Buchs (Switzerland).
1921: Ferdinand Weiss assumes the management of the company and sets up branches in Hamburg and Wels.
from 1950 onwards: Expansion phase in Austria: new branches are opened in Innsbruck, Graz and Linz. Introduction of the West European overland transports and the air cargo service.
1968: Heidegunde and Paul Senger-Weiss assume the management of the company.
1972: The company form of Gebrüder Weiss is changed from OHG (general partnership) to GmbH (limited liability).
1974: Intensive investments are made in the branches and the business is internationalised.
1980: Creation of the GW Group with a holding. The organisation is expanding in Switzerland and in the German region around Lake Constance.
1988: The parcel service APS (Austria Paket System) is set up and is followed by cooperation/franchise agreements with DPD (Direct Parcel Distribution).
1989: After the fall of the "Iron Curtain" Gebrüder Weiss expand to the neighbouring Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). A special focus is placed on expanding the branch network in the neighbouring countries (Budapest, Prague, Brno, Bratislava, Maribor, Ljubljana) and in the Far East (Shanghai, Hong Kong, Quingdao).
1997: The Board of Management is extended by two new members (Mr. Arnold Meier, Mr. Peter Kloiber) to four members. Moreover, a central logistics organisation is brought into being.
1998: With the development of the internet services ISIS/IWIS, customers and partners are offered the electronic tracking & tracing of shipments and information regarding the status of the goods at any time per mouse click. The company’s IT is reorganised to SAPR/3 software.
1999: Extension of the branch network in the Czech Republic (Budweis, Hradec Kralove, Ostrava), as well as in Hungary and China (Nanjing). Setup of the subsidiary company inet-logistics.
2000: A joint venture strengthens the position in Singapore. New branches in China (Ningbo, Beijing), Croatia (Zagreb, Osijek, Karlovac) and the Czech Republic (Pilsen). Foundation of the subsidiary company x|vise - innovative logistics.
2001: Gebrüder Weiss acquire a majority participation of the freight forwarders Cargolog Bulgaria and Cargolog Romania. The express forwarding service "ORANGE on time” is launched in Austria. In China new branches are opened in Tianjin and Dalian.
2002: The daily newspaper "WirtschaftsBlatt" awards Gebrüder Weiss the title of "Best Austrian family-run company 2002”.
2003: Heidi and Paul Senger-Weiss are awarded the title "Manager of the Year” by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.A joint venture with Röhlig & Co strengthens the position in the USA with five new locations. Gebrüder Weiss is granted an A-licence for the location in Shanghai.
2004: Gebrüder Weiss is now also actively operating in Serbia-Montenegro. Together with the GW partner Röhlig & Co a new branch is opened in Dubai. The Chinese branch network is further extended (Zhanjiang, Xiamen).
2005: Wolfgang Niessner is appointed CEO of the GW Holding AG. Gebrüder Weiss is the first Austrian company to introduce e-customs. The package freight network System Alliance Europe is founded with 15 partners. The branch network in Slovakia is extended (Banská Bystrica, Senec). Internationally, handling locations are extended (Austria, USA, Germany, Serbia and Romania). GW’s subsidiary company x|vise opens a branch in Dubai.
2006: GW Vienna moves to the new GW terminal in Maria Lanzendorf with 450 employees. The leading Slovak forwarding and express service provider M&G is integrated into the GW organisation.
2007: The usable area of the Memmingen location is tripled. New locations were opened in Taipei (Taiwan) and Montreal (Canada).
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