Penang Hill, one of the most popular tourist attractions on Malaysia’s Penang Island, is set to receive a new eight-passenger gondola lift. The site is already served by a funicular railway with two railcars operating between the base and summit stations. Austrian cable car specialist Doppelmayr is now adding a modern aerial cable car system. Gebrüder Weiss managed the transportation of the cable car components: more than 60 containers were loaded at Doppelmayr’s production facility in Wolfurt, Austria, and transferred to the nearby freight terminal. From there, the cargo traveled by rail to Hamburg before continuing by sea to Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, Gebrüder Weiss operates three locations: Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor Bahru.

“Managing a multimodal project of this scale requires precise coordination. Every transport mode must be carefully synchronized, and weather conditions at the ports must be closely monitored to avoid delays and additional costs,” says Michael Kramer, Key Account Manager Air & Sea at Gebrüder Weiss in Wolfurt. “Having our own locations at both ends of the supply chain was a major advantage. The teams in Wolfurt and Penang worked seamlessly together, ensuring that the entire shipment stayed on schedule.”

The containers were shipped from Austria to Malaysia in several partial consignments according to a fixed delivery schedule. After approximately 38 days at sea, each shipment arrived on time at the Port of Penang. The logistics specialists at Gebrüder Weiss Malaysia handled customs clearance and coordinated onward transportation to Penang Hill near Penang Island’s capital, George Town.

“As a global market leader in ropeway engineering, delivering major infrastructure projects around the world, we depend on reliable partners,” says Egon Vögel, Head of Shipping at Doppelmayr. “With Gebrüder Weiss, we have a logistics provider that manages complex transportation projects through its global network, efficiently and on schedule.”

The new Penang Hill Cable Car is scheduled to begin operations in 2026 and will improve access to one of the region’s most renowned destinations. The system will transport passengers from the lower terminal on the outskirts of George Town to the upper terminal at an elevation of about 720 meters (2,360 feet). The summit station is located within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized protected area.

Doppelmayr has been a customer of Gebrüder Weiss for many years. The logistics provider supports the ropeway manufacturer worldwide with tailored transportation and logistics solutions, including overland transport as well as air and sea freight services for international projects and large-scale equipment deliveries.

As of January 1, 2026, Gebrüder Weiss has upgraded its former representative office in Tashkent into a national organization. With this expansion, Gebrüder Weiss is responding to the growing demand for efficient logistics solutions in Uzbekistan. International customers as well as local companies increasingly require reliable transport and supply chain services in the country, particularly in the agricultural machinery sector. Among other things, Gebrüder Weiss organizes the transport of oversized agricultural and construction machinery to Central Asia for this industry.

“We continue to invest in Uzbekistan because we believe in the future of this market and want to support our customers in their expansion into Central Asia with reliable logistics processes,” says Thomas Moser, Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss.

Uzbekistan’s economic upswing is indeed continuing: in 2025, gross domestic product grew by around seven percent compared to the previous year, while growth of approximately six percent is forecast for both 2026 and 2027. Industry, agriculture, and foreign trade are all on the rise. Reforms and tax incentives are making the country increasingly attractive to foreign investors and are driving demand for high-performance logistics and transport solutions.

Strengthening Eurasian land transport corridors
Uzbekistan is playing an increasingly important role in the flow of goods between Europe and Asia. Together with Gebrüder Weiss locations in Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and China, the Central Asian country is strengthening Eurasian land routes. The company has been systematically expanding these connections for many years in order to offer businesses reliable alternatives to air and sea freight – particularly for large-volume industrial and agricultural goods.

The new national organization will be headed by Kamil Ernazarov, who has held a management position in Tashkent since 2019. He describes the situation in the country as follows: “Many companies in Uzbekistan are facing the challenge of making their supply chains more reliable and internationally competitive. With our expanded range of services, we can support them in a targeted manner.”

Gebrüder Weiss currently employs four people in Uzbekistan and offers land transport services (groupage and full truckloads) as well as air, sea, and rail freight. In the medium term, the service portfolio will be expanded to include warehouse logistics services.

On August 1^st, Gebrüder Weiss established a new country organization in the Philippines, expanding its presence in Asia. This strategic move by the international transport and logistics company responds to the growing economic importance of the island nation and further expands its regional network. The logistics provider also recently announced the opening of another new country operation in Thailand.

“The Philippines offers great economic potential. With this new country organization, we are creating additional transport connections for our customers to this high-growth market, while strengthening our network in Asia,” says Michael Zankel, Gebrüder Weiss's Regional Manager for East Asia, and Oceania.

The Philippines is the tenth largest economy in Asia in terms of gross domestic product. It has close foreign trade relations with the USA, China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, among others – all countries in which Gebrüder Weiss has an operational presence. In 2024, the country achieved an export volume of around 73 billion US dollars, while imports totaled just under 135 billion US dollars. Electronic products, consumer goods, food, and raw materials from the Philippines are in particularly high demand.

The first Gebrüder Weiss site in the Philippines is located in the capital city of Manila. From there a team of 14 will handle international air and sea freight transport, manage customs processes, and coordinate national land transport. “In the coming years, we aim to expand our services, particularly offering logistics solutions for key industries such as high-tech, automotive, and consumer goods,” Regional Manager Michael Zankel went on to say.

The Manila metropolitan area is the industrial and economic center of the Philippines, boasting direct connections to international seaports and Ninoy Aquino Airport. The city`s central location between free trade zones such as Clark, Subic, and Cavite, makes the Philippine capital an ideal starting point for logistics activities.

Growing network in Asia and Oceania
With its entry into the Philippine market, Gebrüder Weiss is now active in ten countries in East and Southeast Asia and Oceania. These include Australia, Greater China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. The regional network now comprises 36 locations, with approximately 800 employees, including those in the Philippines.

Gebrüder Weiss is further expanding its transport and logistics services in Poland: since the beginning of 2025, the international logistics company has also been offering its customers national and international partial and full truck loads (LTL / FTL) as well as additional warehousing and logistics solutions, including order picking. Companies can use the myGW customer portal to track their shipments in real time and have all documents available in digital form. The new services complement Gebrüder Weiss’ existing logistics, air and sea freight services on offer since 2020. As a result, the team is growing to 70 employees.

“Our goal is to offer companies in Poland with a first-class and comprehensive range of logistics services,” emphasizes René Stranz, Area Manager Slovakia and Poland at Gebrüder Weiss. “By combining different modes of transport, our customers will be able to react even more flexibly to market requirements and make their supply chains more efficient in the future.” Poland has become a sought-after production and warehousing location within Europe. Its economy grew three times faster than the EU average in 2024 thanks to rising consumer spending. Poland is an important trading partner and export market, especially for German companies, but also for imports from Asia and the US. At the same time, the transport infrastructure is being continually expanded, including a new major airport with an international freight center.

Today, Gebrüder Weiss in Poland has branches in Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdynia and Warsaw. Its customers come mainly from the high-tech, automotive, consumer goods and e-commerce industries. In addition to transport, the logistics provider also handles the storage and order picking of pharmaceuticals that require special refrigeration for companies in the pharmaceutical industry. In order to optimize its customers' supply chains even more comprehensively, the logistics company is also planning to expand its offer as a Lead Logistics Provider in the medium term. “Depending on how the economy develops, further locations are also possible,” says Maciej Szczyglowski, Country Manager Poland Land & Logistics at Gebrüder Weiss. “For example, in Wroclaw or Katowice, where we can imagine new logistics terminals for goods handling.”

The global transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has announced the opening of a new location in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of its continued growth in the United States. This new facility will provide air and sea freight transport services including customs clearance and partial and full-load land transport.

The logistics company continues to expand its activities in North America, in particular to meet the demand for trade between the US and Mexico. Arizona is the most important state for transport to and from Mexico, while Phoenix itself is becoming increasingly important as a central transhipment point for trade across the southern border of the US. In 2023, nearly 20 billion USD worth of cargo moved between Arizona and Mexico. Phoenix complements Gebrüder Weiss' existing Texas locations in El Paso and Laredo, which specialize in the cross-border transport of goods to and from Mexico.

“Our logistics services in Phoenix are a further building block in the development of Gebrüder Weiss and strengthen our position in this economically strong region. This allows us to offer our customers greater flexibility in their transports and more reliable supply chains,” says Mark McCullough, Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss North America.

Gebrüder Weiss has continuously expanded its presence in North America in recent years and now operates a network of 17 locations. In addition to Phoenix, the company recently opened a logistics terminal in Elgin, Illinois, as well as branches in Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado and Dallas, Texas. In Salt Lake City, the company acquired the local freight forwarder Cargo-Link in 2024.

For more information about Gebrüder Weiss USA, its services, and locations, please visit gw-world.com/us.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has extended its logistics terminal in Tbilisi, Georgia, by some 13,000 square meters in a move that will further expand its capacities in the Caucasus region. “This expansion is our response to the rising demand for transport and logistics services in the region, which are growing largely due to the increase in trade between the European Union, Georgia, and its neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan,” explains Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO at Gebrüder Weiss.

“This is the third time we have expanded the logistics center since it opened twelve years ago. With this move, the first expansion in 2019, and the location’s connection to the railway network the following year, we now have a total of 142,000 square meters of warehousing,  handling space, railway, parking and open area at Tbilisi, with over 177 staff providing a full range of logistics services to our customers in the region,” explains Alexander Kharlamov, Country Manager for Georgia at Gebrüder Weiss. “We are also using this expansion as an opportunity to further build out our transport services in the Caucasus region and to ramp up our collaboration with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. This will benefit our international key account customers, too,” adds Thomas Moser, Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss. The most recent investment of 11.5 million euros in the Tbilisi terminal brings the company’s total investment in the location to more than 25 million euros since its inception.

More than a decade ago, Gebrüder Weiss recognized the untapped economic potential held by Georgia and the geostrategic importance of the Central Asian countries when it first invested in the region in 2012. As a result, the company chose to establish an own location in Georgia. The logistics center at Tbilisi International Airport has since become a central hub for the growing exchange of goods between Europe and Central Asia, and within the Caucasus region. Free trade agreements with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union have further boosted trade levels and made Georgia an important transit country.

Today, manufacturers in the textiles, household goods, high-tech, and automotive industries all make use of Gebrüder Weiss’s services – from truck and rail transport to air and sea freight, customs clearance and warehouse logistics. Over the past five years, Gebrüder Weiss’s Georgian operation has processed around 130,000 shipments weighing some 470,000 tons.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has expanded its location network in Romania. South-east of Bucharest, in Popesti-Leordeni, the logistics provider has officially launched operations at a new terminal, following a major investment of 20 million euros.

“The second location complements our existing facility west of the capital in Bolintin-Deal, thus facilitating an even more efficient distribution of goods in the metropolitan area. In this way, we offer first-rate conditions to provide even better logistics support to Romania’s emerging economy,” affirms Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss.

The modern terminal has an area of around 19,000 square meters for warehouse logistics, transshipment, administration, and favorable transport connections to the Black Sea port of Constanta and neighboring Bulgaria. It is equipped with heat pumps, and the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) system is under consideration for the future, along with charging stations for electric vehicles. One of the location’s customers is an international paint manufacturer, for whom Gebrüder Weiss stores 12,000 pallets for distribution across the country.

“The increasing traffic load in the capital requires a two-terminal solution enabling us to supply the metropolitan area from two geographic directions, thus making the distribution of goods more efficient,” Country Manager Viorel Leca explains. In the first six months of 2024, the new hub handled 78,000 shipments with a total weight of more than 35,000 tons. “In light of our current warehouse occupancy rate of 70%, we are planning to expand our client portfolio in the near future. The purchased land, with a total area of 70,000 square meters, allows us to build additional storage and cross-dock spaces, depending on future projects", Viorel Leca added.

30th anniversary of Gebrüder Weiss Romania
The opening of the new terminal coincides with Gebrüder Weiss celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of its entry into the market in Romania. Gebrüder Weiss operates a comprehensive network of 13 locations across the country’s key economic regions.

“Over the past 30 years, Romania’s economic development has been impressive, and the country has become a sought-after manufacturing location. We are going to support the growth of industry and commerce in Romania with our logistics know-how into the future,” says Thomas Moser, Director and Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss.

In the past year, 700 employees handled some 1.1 million shipments. Customers include international companies in the automotive, technology, and consumer goods sectors. From its Romanian locations, the logistics provider operates transports by truck to Germany, France, Hungary, and the Czech Republic and handles air and sea freight transports to destinations all over the world.

Over in the Far East, international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is offering dedicated e-commerce solutions for some of China’s most prestigious baijiu brands. Made from fermented sorghum or other varieties of grain, baijiu is considered China’s national drink and is one of the world’s most popular spirits. Premium baijiu brands are considered luxury goods and a status symbol in China.

“We have set up a warehouse in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, complete with its very own team, and developed a logistics solution designed to meet the specific requirements for high-end spirit brands,” remarks Yongquan Chen, General Manager of Gebrüder Weiss in China. Gebrüder Weiss operates 19 branches in the Greater China region.

The company’s services include storage, packing, delivery throughout China, insurance options, shipment traceability, and professional customer service. As soon as a customer orders these products through any of China’s numerous online retail platforms, the relevant data is sent straight to Gebrüder Weiss for order fulfillment. The goods are then collected from the warehouse, inspected, provided with a code, and packed up before being shipped to the end customer by truck or air freight. Many of these famous spirits are produced in the area around Chengdu, a major metropolis in the province of Sichuan. Chengdu is the most modern and economically important city in Western China and serves as a key transport hub. Gebrüder Weiss has been running its own location here since 2006.

Gebrüder Weiss provides its services to baijiu brands, including Quanxing, Fenggu, Jiangkouchun, the Sichuan Liquor Group (Chidu), and Xiaojiaolou. “Gebrüder Weiss’ services have improved our logistics and reduced the amount of damage to our products during transport,” says Wang Xikai, Head of E-Commerce at Quanxing, “This has enhanced our customers’ shopping experience and is helping us to hold our own amid the tough competition in e-commerce.”

Premium spirit brands face a host of challenges when it comes to e-commerce and warehousing. “If the spirits themselves and the packaging are not professionally managed and tracked, this allows fake products to break into the market, which damages the brand’s reputation and undermines customer confidence,” explains Yongquan Chen. Flexibility, quick response times, and reliable customer service are crucial for enabling brands to adapt to changes in consumer structure and consumption patterns.

Traceability guarantees authenticity
Ensuring traceability throughout the process is essential: High-end baijiu products are expensive, and customers absolutely need to be able to trust that they are true originals. “The authenticity of any returned products needs to be verified too,” points out Yongquan Chen. “Our tracking and management system with unique QR codes and corresponding order numbers guarantees this.” The warehousing system assigns each order parcels or gift boxes in the right size. The customer service team is quick and professional in dealing with any after-sales issues, such as overdue orders or changes of address.

Alexander Eberharter (44) has taken over the management of the West region of the international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss on August 1, succeeding Hannes Mayr (65), who is retiring after 41 years with the company. Mayr, who was born in Tyrol, can look back on an impressive career with the logistics company. After joining the company in 1983, he held various management positions in Tyrol, before being appointed Regional Manager West and then Director in 2028. At Gebrüder Weiss, the West region comprises the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol, as well as Switzerland. Salzburg and Carinthia were added to this region at the beginning of 2024.

“Hannes Mayr and his team have made a significant contribution to the success of Gebrüder Weiss in our home region. Thanks to his commitment and professionalism, we continue to be the number one logistics partner for the majority of industrial and commercial companies,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, in recognition of Hannes Mayr’s work. It was not only the international consignors in the West region that benefited from his forwarding and logistics expertise. As chairman of the examination board for forwarding agents, he passed on his knowledge to generations of apprentices for decades. For many years, Mayr also championed the interests of the industry in the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce as Chairman of the Freight Forwarding and Logistics Section.

His successor, Alexander Eberharter, has been with Gebrüder Weiss for 27 years. After holding various management positions at the Gebrüder Weiss site in Hall in Tyrol, he took over as branch manager in Nuremberg in 2017 and was subsequently put in charge of the logistics company’s strategic business development in Germany. He is now responsible for 1,100 employees at 25 logistics locations, six of which will be expanded in the coming years: Pratteln near Basel, Wolfurt in Vorarlberg, Salzburg, Hall and Langkampfen in Tyrol, and Maria Saal in Carinthia.

“The local economies in the western region are very different, but they do have one thing in common: industrial and commercial companies need a logistics provider nearby that gives them access to a global transportation network with high quality standards. We meet this need by tailoring the services of each branch specifically to the needs of regional consignors and integrating them into our global network,” Eberharter explains.

"The expansion in Budapest offers room for further growth in the future. Increasing industrial production, especially in the automotive and electrical sectors, means that demand for transport and logistics services is expected to increase in the coming years, " explained Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, at the opening on April 25, 2024. "We opened our first Central and Eastern Europe branch in Hungary in 1989. Since then, the country has become an important hub for transporting goods between our core markets in the Black Sea region, the Balkans, the Adriatic and Western Europe. Today, our countrywide organization in Hungary is a pioneer in automation and sustainable transport."

Smart technology for greater efficiency
The existing logistics facility was also modernized as part of this work, with inbound storage, material flow and picking now being largely automated using the new AutoStore system. The goods are stored in plastic containers stacked in a frame system. Robots transport the containers to work stations where the goods are picked for shipping.

"This saves time, space, and energy," says Thomas Schauer, Regional Manager Central and Southeastern Europe at Gebrüder Weiss. "We achieve an even higher level of efficiency in how trucks and containers are utilized. Cargometer cameras and 3D scanners measure the packaged items while they are still on the forklift truck. By ascertaining the size and weight of these items, we can make optimum use of the available space.”

Sustainable energy supply and zero-emission delivery
The majority of the energy required for buildings and e-vehicles is supplied by a photovoltaic system with an output of up to 354 kWp. "We use solar power to operate delivery vehicles in the home delivery sector, " explains Balint Varga, Managing Director Hungary at Gebrüder Weiss. "We use e-vans to deliver furniture, consumer electronics and household appliances ordered online to end customers in Budapest and other major cities. This enables us to cut CO2 emissions by around 12.5 tons per month."

Gebrüder Weiss has been present in Hungary since 1989 and today offers full-service logistics at six locations – in addition to Budapest, these are Győr, Zalaegerszeg, Pécs, Szeged and Polgár – with 450 employees – from land transport to air and sea freight to warehouse logistics. Further expansion is planned for 2026 in Győr, where a completely new logistics facility is to be built.

Bavaria’s Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder opened the new branch of GW in Straubing on April 18. On “Logistics Day” (“Tag der Logistik”), when the nationwide industry opens its doors every year, the Minister-President described the 14 million euro investment by Gebrüder Weiss in Straubing as "excellent news at a time when the Federal Government is massively jeopardizing truck logistics in Germany. CO₂ prices are up, tolls have doubled, e-mobility funding has been cut. This is damaging to such a systemically relevant industry, and once again fueling inflation. It can’t be overstated: we need forward-looking entrepreneurs and motivated employees more than ever."

Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, made a clear commitment to Bavaria as a place of business: “The Free State of Bavaria offers us a good set of conditions on which we can base our plans for expansion in Germany. Over the past five years, we have invested 120 million euros in Bavaria with the aim of giving Bavarian industrial and commercial enterprises access to markets both in Germany and around the world.” At the same time, Senger-Weiss was critical of the obstacles facing e-mobility. “E-trucks cost three times as much as diesel-powered vehicles, which is why we need a clear roadmap in Germany on the future of e-truck subsidies.” Nevertheless, his company is taking advantage of every opportunity available to transport freight in a climate-friendly way, eschewing no technology, with the aim of operating its own facilities and vehicle fleet in a climate-neutral manner by 2030. An e-truck is already stationed in Straubing for short-distance transport of general cargo.

During his visit, Minister-President Söder was briefed on operating processes and procedures. Incoming goods are prepared in Straubing over an area of 3,700 square meters for forwarding in Germany, for onward transport to European countries and for air and sea freight overseas. The terminal also serves as a distribution center for the economic regions of Eastern Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate. “Our new location brings us even closer to our customers in Bavaria, to whom we offer reliable transport and logistics solutions, digital services and a direct connection to our global network. We guarantee efficient land transport from a single source with our close-knit network of locations, particularly to Austria and South-Eastern Europe,” said Wolfram Senger-Weiss.

There are already plans in the works to expand the location in the coming years to include additional warehouses and handling facilities. The company is investing an eight-figure amount in expanding the Straubing location.

In recent years, Gebrüder Weiss has built up a dense network of locations in southern Germany and, in addition to Straubing, has its own branches and subsidiaries in Aldingen, Altensteig, Bayreuth, Esslingen, Konradsreuth, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Passau and Waldkraiburg.

Construction work for a new logistics hall has started in the Nagelsee industrial park in the municipality of Aldingen / Baden-Wuerttemberg. The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is leading the building project. “There is a high demand for storage space in industry and commerce. This new building will enable us to provide our customers with 4,000 square meters of additional space for their goods,” explains Yvonne Reichardt, Location Manager of Gebrüder Weiss in Aldingen.

The logistics hall is slated for completion by the end of the year. It will serve as storage and increase capacities for national and international transhipment. The total investment is 8.5 million euros. The special features of the building include a washing plant for special transport containers, so-called euro containers, as well as a rooftop photovoltaic system. The electricity produced will be used for electric stackers and pallet trucks. A heat pump and new charging stations for e-vehicles will also be provided by the logistics company for climate-friendly operations.

Some 60 employees, including six apprentices, are employed by Gebrüder Weiss at the Aldingen location. Each year, the site handles around 200,000 shipments, for customers from the engineering, automotive and construction industries, as well as electronics and metal processing. Aldingen boasts a direct connection to Gebrüder Weiss’s international transport network, with further links into Austria and Switzerland as well as Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region, and Asia.

In Southern Germany, Gebrüder Weiss has a total of ten locations: three in Baden-Württemberg (Aldingen, Altensteig, Esslingen) and seven in Bavaria (Bayreuth, Konradsreuth, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Passau, Straubing and Waldkraiburg).

Cargo-Link was founded in 1976 and, with its 15 employees, is mainly active in the sea and air freight business segments. The company also offers customs clearance services. Cargo-Link operates a 2,000 square meter logistics warehouse close to Salt Lake City International Airport.

Gebrüder Weiss has been active in the USA with its own country organization since 2017. Since then, the logistics service provider has successfully established itself on the market, supported by the continuous expansion of its network. A total of eleven locations now offer transportation and logistics services: the Chicago headquarters, as well as Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, El Paso, Laredo, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco – and now Salt Lake City.

Gebrüder Weiss is expanding its network in Australia with the opening of a new Air & Sea office in Brisbane. This is now the third location operated by the international logistics company in Australia, following on from Sydney and Melbourne. The most important transhipment hub in Brisbane is the container port, which plays an important role in international trade with a record throughput of 1.56 million standard containers (2022).

“Opening a location in Brisbane represents another key step in our efforts to increase our presence in Australia. The services offered here are tailored particularly to customers from the engineering, agriculture and medical equipment sectors,” says Andrew Antonopoulos, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand at Gebrüder Weiss. “The services include air & sea transports, customs clearance and a customized logistics mix for project orders.” Most recently, Gebrüder Weiss organized the transport of an innovative solar car from Switzerland to Australia and back for the ETH Zurich’s aCentauri Solar Racing Team. The Swiss team managed to cover a distance of 3,000 km across the Australian outback using nothing but solar power.

World’s largest free trade zone driving growth
Australia’s most important partners for its import-oriented economy are China, the USA and other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan, where Gebrüder Weiss also operates its own locations. “We offer efficient end-to-end logistics solutions for connections with the rapidly growing amount of intra-Asian traffic,” says Michael Zankel, Regional Manager East Asia/Oceania at Gebrüder Weiss. Australia’s most important trading partner in Europe is Germany, with bilateral trade rising to a record high of around 17.9 billion euros in 2022, according to Germany Trade & Invest. Negotiations between the EU and Australia on a free trade agreement are at an advanced stage.

Gebrüder Weiss has plans to open additional locations in the north and west of Australia so as to provide blanket coverage for the whole continent. The logistics provider also has a foothold in New Zealand with two locations in Auckland and Christchurch, complementing its presence in Australia.

The two family-owned companies have cooperated in German and European land transport since 1988, making use of each other’s resources and expertise in local markets. While Honold covers the region around Neu-Ulm, Gebrüder Weiss serves customers in Austria, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. “Partner networks play an important role for medium-sized logistics companies, as they allow to organize logistics processes more efficiently and economically, offering customers transports based on the highest quality standards to just about anywhere. In this respect, we have achieved a lot together with Gebrüder Weiss over the past 35 years, and we look forward to continuing to deliver top services jointly in the future,” says Heiner Matthias Honold, Managing Director at Honold.

Both logistics providers have been members of the System Alliance Europe right from the start. Established in 2005, the European freight forwarding network is known for innovative solutions and reliability in transport and logistics, in particular when it comes to groupage freight transport.

By taking over the Cargoline location of amm logistics GmbH, the international logistics company Gebrüder Weiss consolidates its position in Upper Franconia, thus strengthening its land transport network in Southern Germany. The 180 employees will be retained, the logistics locations in Schwarzenbach / Saale and Selb will be continued. The takeover will take place at the beginning of 2024, subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

Following the recent takeover of the Wedlich logistics company in Bayreuth, Gebrüder Weiss announces the next acquisition in Upper Franconia / Germany: with effect from the beginning of 2024, the logistics provider will take over the Konradsreuth location from the forwarding company Amm, which is going to operate under the Gebrüder Weiss brand in future. The location near Hof will be continued in its current structure as part of the German general cargo cooperations Cargoline and NG.network, and will be connected to the network of the international logistics provider. The family business headquartered in Lauterach, Vorarlberg/Austria, will take over the 180 employees working at the location. The takeover is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The activities of the Amm forwarding company in the Nuremberg region will not be affected by this acquisition.

With its history of more than 500 years, Gebrüder Weiss is considered the oldest transport company of the world. Apart from land transports, the company’s services also include air and sea freight transports as well as logistics solutions, which Gebrüder Weiss offers at 180 locations all over the world. It is the trade and industry sectors in the region, in particular, that are meant to benefit from this international presence and experience, according to Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Gebrüder Weiss. With annual revenues of three billion euros, Gebrüder Weiss does not count among the top players of the industry, “but among the medium-sized ones,” as Senger-Weiss emphasizes. With this positioning, Gebrüder Weiss intends to present a deliberate alternative to industry giants. “We are closer to our customers and employees, but can still offer a company-owned global network. In Germany, we are pursuing a clear growth strategy. Konradsreuth is going to play a central role within our national and international land transport network.”

The region of Upper Franconia is an important industry location and an ideal transshipment point for land transports between Eastern Europe and Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Moreover, the Hof container terminal is located directly along the route from Hamburg through Leipzig down to the Adriatic Sea and can also be used for transporting goods by rail. Werner Dettenthaler, Managing Director Land Transport Germany at Gebrüder Weiss, emphasizes the importance of the location: “We are closing a geographic gap in Bavaria with the Konradsreuth location, offering our customers a wide network of locations from Upper Bavaria to Upper Franconia.” The company already holds own branches in Memmingen, Waldkraiburg, Passau, Straubing, Nuremberg and Bayreuth.

Strong partnerships
The memberships of the Konradsreuth location in the German general cargo cooperations Cargoline and NG.network will be continued under the orange flag. “As shareholder of NG.network, we are glad to contribute another location to the network, thus offering our partners and customers even more stability for their transports,” adds Dettenthaler. The cooperations consist of local transport partners with whom Gebrüder Weiss carries out joint land transports throughout Germany.

“In Gebrüder Weiss, we have found an owner-managed logistics company with a sustainable corporate culture who intends to invest in the location and its employees in the long run. Under the orange flag, Konradsreuth is going to maintain the high quality in the Cargoline and NG.network general cargo networks,” says Ralf Amm, the previous owner of the location. The entrepreneur will now focus on developing the Amm Group in Nuremberg.

Alexander Prittig will remain Branch Manager in Konradsreuth under the roof of Gebrüder Weiss. For the experienced logistics expert, this integration holds great potential: “It’s good news for the Upper Franconian business community. Our local know-how will be complemented by an established international network. In this way, apart from national and international land transports, we can also offer air and sea freight as well as other digital services to our customers in future. And for our employees, it means excellent career opportunities in a globally active logistics company.”

“Our new team is located in Laredo directly at the intersection of two countries, both of which are major trading partners. As much as 40 percent of the trade between Mexico and the United States is handled via Laredo,” explains Mark McCullough, Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss North America.

Gebrüder Weiss covers the resulting transport needs with cross-border and US-wide delivery services. Moreover, a logistics warehouse provides 1,500 square meters of floor space for handling goods, including those designated as hazardous. The services provided include customs clearance and bonded storage.

The new location in Laredo is just a three-hour drive away from the Mexican metropolitan region of Monterrey. In the industrial parks, US and European corporations produce electronic goods, chemical products, household appliances, textiles, steel, automotive parts, and food for global export. The exchange of goods with the United States is additionally boosted by a free-trade agreement that facilitates Mexico’s access to the world’s largest consumer market.

Gebrüder Weiss has been active in the United States with its own country organization since 2017. The logistics service provider has been successful in gaining a foothold in the market, continuously expanding its network. A total of ten locations offer transport and logistics services for air & sea, land transport and warehouse logistics: Chicago, where the head office is located, as well as Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, El Paso, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and now also Laredo, Texas.

Werner Dettenthaler, Managing Director Land Transport Germany at Gebrüder Weiss, has known the company for many years and is a firm believer of its service quality: “Wedlich has an excellent reputation as a logistics provider and has deep roots in the Upper Franconia region. It is the perfect addition to our operations in northern Bavaria with its logistics, transport and relocation services, along with the expertise of its employees.” The company will operate in Bayreuth from August 1, 2023, as Gebrüder Weiss – Transport and Logistics and complement the Bavarian locations in Nuremberg, Straubing, Passau, Memmingen and Waldkraiburg.

The forwarding company Wedlich was founded in 1946 and has up to now been owned by the family of the same name. Managing Director Christian Wedlich: “With Gebrüder Weiss, we have found the perfect new owner. Just like Gebrüder Weiss, we focus on the needs of our customers, train our own employees, and are committed to sustainability. As a subsidiary of Gebrüder Weiss, we offer our customers the entire range of services of a global logistics company, and our employees benefit from attractive development opportunities.”

Wedlich operates a modern logistics facility in Bayreuth with a handling and storage area of 15,000 m², as well as another 15,000 m² in nearby Bad Berneck. The company meets its energy needs via its own photovoltaic system installed on the logistics terminal. The system produces 700 megawatt hours of electricity per year, making it the largest photovoltaic system of its kind in Bayreuth at present.

The acquisition of Wedlich is part of an overall strategy in which Gebrüder Weiss is gradually consolidating its network in southern Germany. It was only recently that the logistics company took over B+A Luft- und Seefrachtspedition in Nuremberg. In addition to Bayreuth, nine other locations are part of the Gebrüder Weiss land transport network in southern Germany: Aldingen, Altensteig, Esslingen, Lindau, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Passau, Straubing and Waldkraiburg.

“Our location in Bratislava, which we expanded two years ago, has played a major role in this success. The additional warehousing and handling capacities have improved our efficiency in handling shipments and strengthened our position in the field of warehouse logistics ,” says René Stranz, Country Manager Gebrüder Weiss Slovakia.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Gebrüder Weiss has continuously expanded its network in Central and Eastern Europe and is now one of the leading logistics companies in South-Eastern Europe. The company has established a strong presence in Slovakia and is one of the country’s top logistics providers with more than 200 employees at four locations.

Located at the heart of the Gebrüder Weiss network in Europe, Slovakia acts as a central logistics hub with direct transport links to neighboring countries and to South-Eastern Europe. This offers numerous advantages for the company’s international customers, especially from the high-tech and automotive industries.

Looking ahead, Gebrüder Weiss plans to continue its course of growth in Slovakia. A new warehouse was recently put into operation in Dolný Hričov and there are plans to further expand the Bratislava location. It is also planned to further develop the digital customer portal myGW and promote sustainability measures, such as the use of e-vans and the installation of a photovoltaic system in Bratislava.

“Nuremberg is one of the top logistics locations in Germany and our German Air & Sea network will be given a particular boost by the acquisition. B+A’s many years of expertise in the air and sea freight business are a perfect addition to the existing Gebrüder Weiss branch in Nuremberg, which has so far been focused on land transport and logistics. This will enable us to offer our customers in the Nuremberg metropolitan region an even more comprehensive range of services,” says Robert Stahlschmidt, Country Manager Air & Sea Germany at Gebrüder Weiss.

The freight forwarder B+A was founded in Nuremberg in 1982 and is an expert in international air and sea freight services. It offers project transports and weekly container transports by sea from Asia, among other things. The groupage freight containers (LCL) are shipped from logistics centers in China and Taiwan to Hamburg, from where they are then taken by rail to Nuremberg before being delivered to regional companies.

“We look forward to becoming part of an equally sound yet ambitious family business. Our employees have excellent, long-term prospects under the umbrella of Gebrüder Weiss. We will in future be able to offer our customers the entire product range of a globally operating logistics company from a single source,” says Andreas Tylewski, managing partner of B+A. The company’s 20 employees will be kept on and the company will continue to operate under the name “B+A Luft- und Seefrachtspedition GmbH”.

Gebrüder Weiss has been operating in Nuremberg since 2017, having since also gained a foothold in the Air & Sea segment in this important core market in Germany. The company provides air and sea freight services at central hubs throughout Germany: Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Straubing – and now also in Nuremberg. The company’s already dense land transport network in southern Germany was further expanded with the acquisition of the freight forwarder Rentschler in Baden-Württemberg at the start of the year.

Since the country organization was founded in 2017, Gebrüder Weiss has continuously expanded its network of locations and services in the USA. Today, in addition to air and sea freight services, the logistics provider also offers its customers national and international full load services, heavy transports and specific logistics solutions, with the portfolio ranging from goods warehousing and local distribution to e-commerce solutions. “Gebrüder Weiss has firmly established its brand and services in the market over the past five years. Our customers benefit from a globally integrated network with a high level of local expertise,” says Mark McCullough. Only recently, the company moved into a larger head office in Chicago and opened another logistics warehouse. Gebrüder Weiss operates a total of five warehouse locations in the USA and employs 130 people in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, El Paso, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco – and now also in Miami.

Gebrüder Weiss opened a logistics terminal in the Kreckelmoos industrial estate in Reutte on March 22. The location is specifically designed to meet the requirements of locally based businesses in Tyrol, Austria. This will make the trips for the collection and delivery of import and export goods shorter and more flexible. They reach Reutte directly, are cross-decked and stored there, and delivered via short routes, including as express shipments. Customs clearance as well as air and sea freight services complete the on-site portfolio. The logistics company has invested around eight million euros in the new building, which was completed in less than a year. The location complements the existing Gebrüder Weiss branches in Innsbruck, Wörgl and Hall in Tyrol as well as the Bavarian ones in Memmingen, Waldkraiburg, Passau and Nuremberg.

Günter Schmarl, Branch Manager Tyrol at Gebrüder Weiss, explains what positive effects this has: “We reduce trips over the busy Fernpass road between Tyrol and Bavaria and provide relief for regional traffic because we bundle storage capacities scattered across the district close to the shippers and recipients of goods. Not only is this more efficient for everyone involved, it is also in keeping with the sustainability and climate strategy of the state of Tyrol, which aims to have regional distribution centers for the collection and delivery of goods.”

Some 30 employees are to be employed in Reutte in the mid-term, and there are also plans to train apprentices here. The terminal obtains most of its energy requirements from a 600-square-meter photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the hall. This system saves eleven tons of CO₂ per year and generates clean electricity for a heat pump that is used to control the ambient climate of the logistics center. Gebrüder Weiss aims to operate all of its logistics facilities around the world in a climate-neutral way by 2030, with the company increasingly relying on electricity from renewable sources to this end.

Gebrüder Weiss Reutte at a glance

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss posted turnover of 3.01 billion euros for fiscal 2022. This translates into a year-on-year gain of 18 percent (2021: 2.54 billion euros), and builds on the positive trend of recent years. “We have succeeded in adhering to and advancing our strategic goals in a challenging environment. We have expanded our position in the core markets of Central and Eastern Europe, the United States and Asia, while moving forward with our focuses on digitalization and climate neutrality by 2030. The rewarding results across our divisions are proof positive that we are a solid organization that is fit for the future,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO at Gebrüder Weiss. The equity ratio also rose and has been restored to its previous level of 60 percent (2021: 57 percent); this increase underlines the company’s resilience and demonstrates that Gebrüder Weiss offers its workforce secure jobs.

The Land Transport division posted 1,479 million euros in sales, a gain of 16 percent (2021: 1,277 million euros). The Home Delivery service performed at last year’s level, delivering some 1.53 million shipments to private households in Austria and Eastern Europe (2021: 1.58 million consignments). As a result, Gebrüder Weiss maintained its market leadership in this segment. Major progress was also reported by Air & Sea, which closed fiscal 2022 with sales at 1,272 million euros, a plus of 24 percent (2021: 1,024 million euros). This surge was driven mainly by the high freight charges of the shipping companies and airlines. DPD Austria, which is partly owned by the Gebrüder Weiss parcel service, was able to sustain its volumes: in 2022 it shipped 66 million parcels (2021: 66.5 million).

International network expanded
Despite economic challenges in 2022 deriving from the war in Ukraine, energy issues and rising inflation, Gebrüder Weiss adhered to its investment strategy. A total of 67 million euros were devoted to consolidating the company’s own network and augmenting its international locations and services. The main focuses were Germany, Hungary, Romania and the United States, along with Turkey and Georgia. The latter two countries are chief links on the Middle Corridor, along which the logistics specialist extended its services to Central Asia and China.

In the key German logistics market, Gebrüder Weiss was able to cement its position in both Air & Sea and Land Transport. In southern Germany, the renaming of the Bavarian freight forwarding company Lode as Gebrüder Weiss Waldkraiburg was concluded. The continued expansion of the land transport network is planned for the south of Germany, with the takeover of the Rentschler shipping company (Baden-Württemberg) in early 2023 marking a first step. Having an enlarged network naturally prompted growth in the workforce: employee numbers rose by six percent to some 8,400 (2021: 7,900)

Continued focus on digitalization and sustainability
The year 2022 also saw the company sustaining its digitalization strategy “Best of Both Worlds,” which Gebrüder Weiss views as a winning combination of operational and digital competence. This included the next stage in the rollout of the digital service portal myGW, which delivers real-time information as to the exact whereabouts of customers’ goods – thus ensuring optimum transparency along the entire supply chain. “Our goal is to give our customers the best solutions for their supply chains, while confining our environmental impact to a minimum. Toward that end, we are constantly investing in our logistics terminals and digital tools, while simultaneously training our staff and identifying environmentally friendly transport options,” Wolfram Senger-Weiss explains.

To underscore the company’s commitment to sustainable goals and its pledge to contribute to climate protection globally, Gebrüder Weiss published a Sustainability Report in 2022. In line with its targets, the logistics specialist intends to achieve carbon neutrality at all of its terminals by 2030. One key element in this transition is an increase in power from regenerative sources; last year Gebrüder Weiss installed four new photovoltaic systems at sites in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. All told, 22 such systems are now already in operation, reducing CO₂ emissions by 1,110 metric tons annually. In 2023, the rollout will continue in these countries and in Eastern Europe.

Nor has time stood still when it comes to alternative drive options. After successful long-distance trials with the company’s own hydrogen-powered trucks, Gebrüder Weiss is planning further investments in this technology. In 2023, five new H_2—powered trucks are due to hit the roads in Germany. Moving forward, the number of electrically powered vans used in urban goods deliveries is due to further increase in Austria and Eastern Europe.

For 2023, Gebrüder Weiss is anticipating a renormalization of the logistics industry. Shipment numbers are currently declining somewhat, and the cost of transport by air and sea has dropped to 2019 levels. As a result, lower sales are expected. Global geopolitical factors may bring additional challenges. Wolfram Senger-Weiss: “The pandemic has proven that the logistics industry can perform under pressure and react swiftly to changing conditions. In the past year, Gebrüder Weiss has been able to further solidify its financial base and drive innovations – while remaining close to our customers and answering their needs with relevant digital services. In light of the current economic forecast, the high inflation rate and the war in Ukraine, we are – needless to say – circumspect and concerned. However, ultimately we remain a strong organization and that gives us confidence.”

Gebrüder Weiss opened a new location in the Albanian capital of Tirana on February 6, thereby closing the geographical gap between Montenegro and North Macedonia and enabling the international transport and logistics company to expand its transport connections in South-Eastern Europe. Gebrüder Weiss locations in the West Balkans include Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

“There has been a sharp rise in transports to and from Albania over the past decade, with the majority of imported goods coming from the European Union. It is our aim with the location in Tirana, the country's most important transport hub, to offer customers from industry and trade in the EU direct connections to and from Albania,” says Thomas Moser, Director and Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss.

The conditions are promising: The logistics service provider has a well-developed land transport network in neighboring countries and in Central and Eastern Europe. “The first step will involve us expanding the existing groupage freight line between North Macedonia (Skopje) and Albania in both directions. There are also plans to establish new connections to Albania’s main trading partner, Italy,” says Dorina Islami, Country Manager of Albania at Gebrüder Weiss.

Albania’s economic outlook has brightened again following the coronavirus pandemic, with an expected growth of around three percent for 2023. Imports such as food, machinery, chemicals, and textiles make up the majority of the country’s balance of trade. Exports to the European Union, with a free trade agreement in place since 2009, include clothing and food, iron and steel, and other raw and construction materials.

The international transport and logistics service provider Gebrüder Weiss is taking over the Rentschler Transport + Logistik forwarding company based in Altensteig, Baden-Württemberg, with effect from January 1, 2023. Following the 100 percent takeover, 80 employees will transfer to Gebrüder Weiss. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

“Rentschler’s scope of services and location offer ideal conditions for the network enhancement we are pursuing in Southern Germany. In the triangle formed by our Aldingen and Esslingen branches in Baden-Württemberg, in particular, shippers from industry and commerce will benefit from bundling effects for transports,” explains Werner Dettenthaler, Managing Director Land Transport Germany at Gebrüder Weiss.

“Under the umbrella of Gebrüder Weiss, our growth perspectives and development opportunities are expanding. This strategic step gives our customers access to a broader range of services as well as connections to the global network of an established full-service logistics expert,” adds Andreas Rentschler, Managing Director at Rentschler Transport + Logistik. The freight forwarder specializes in groupage freight, partial and full load transports in Baden-Württemberg and operates a logistics terminal in Altensteig.

This acquisition is another step in the growth strategy of Gebrüder Weiss in Southern Germany. The Altensteig location, 60 kilometers south of Stuttgart, complements Gebrüder Weiss’ existing Southern German land transport locations in Esslingen, Aldingen, Lindau, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Straubing, Waldkraiburg, and Passau.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is preparing for Türkiye’s growing appeal to European importers and exporters by making more specialists and transport connections available. The main focus is on transports between Türkiye and its key trading partner, Germany, as well as the Benelux countries. Early in December, as part of expanding its services, the logistics company fully integrated the recently-acquired freight forwarding company 3S Transport & Logistics into the Gebrüder Weiss Türkiye country organization. 

“The demand for transport on the Middle Corridor route is steadily increasing. Due to the increased transit volume, Türkiye is gaining further importance as a central logistics hub between Europe and Asia,” says Thomas Moser, Director and Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss. The Middle Corridor runs from Europe through Türkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to China, providing an alternative route to the Northern Corridor, which runs through Russia. “Thanks to the fully integrated additional capacities of 3S Transport & Logistics, we are well prepared for this development. We are pleased that, as the transition period comes to an end, the rebranding process has reached a successful conclusion,” adds Mişel Yakop, Country Manager Gebrüder Weiss Türkiye. In addition to the location in Istanbul, the 3S Transport & Logistics location near Düsseldorf was also integrated into the Gebrüder Weiss organization. It acts as a center of competence for transports between Türkiye and Germany as well as the Benelux countries.

Gebrüder Weiss has been present in Türkiye for ten years with locations in Istanbul and Izmir and, since 2021, in Mersin on the eastern Mediterranean. The main activities of the 70 employees include partial-load transports as well as air and sea freight services, pharmaceutical and multimodal transports as well as warehouse logistics and customs clearance. All three locations play a central part in an axis of GW branches stretching across Central and South-Eastern Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia, where, along the New Silk Road, the logistics company is present with its own branches in Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China. 
 

Spedition Lode will now finally become Gebrüder Weiss Waldkraiburg following a transition phase under the name GW Lode. The rebranding process reached its conclusion on November 1. It was one year ago that the international transport and logistics company acquired the freight forwarder in Upper Bavaria and integrated it into its own network, with all 60 of its employees moving under the umbrella of Gebrüder Weiss.

The driving force for this acquisition was and is the work of Gebrüder Weiss to expand its network in southern Germany. The Waldkraiburg location, which specializes in land transport, distribution and warehouse logistics, is situated 70 kilometers east of Munich, meaning it fits perfectly into the Gebrüder Weiss network.

“By integrating this operation, we have been able to consolidate our land transport network in Bavaria and can now serve the markets in Germany, Austria, Central and South-East Europe with an even greater level of efficiency,” says Werner Dettenthaler, Regional Manager Land Transport Germany. “We are pleased that, as the transition period comes to an end, the rebranding process has reached a successful conclusion.”

The Waldkraiburg location complements the existing land transport branches in Aldingen, Esslingen, Lindau, Memmingen and Nuremberg. A strong network has been created especially in eastern Bavaria, through the close connection of the Passau, Straubing and Waldkraiburg locations. The benefits to customers from this acquisition include a significantly wider range of services, as Gebrüder Weiss offers national and international land transport, air and sea freight services, along with logistics solutions focusing particularly on the automotive and high-tech industries.

The population is young and the economy has been growing for years. Vietnam exported goods worth 319 billion euros in 2021. Ten years earlier, the figure was 84 billion euros. That’s how long ago it was that Gebrüder Weiss opened two of its own locations in the South-East Asian country: one in the economic center of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the second 1,600 kilometers further north in the capital Hanoi. “Today we know that was the right decision,” says Cristian Predan, Area Manager South-East Asia at Gebrüder Weiss. “The economic environment in Vietnam has improved steadily since we opened our first location there. The country’s road and port infrastructure has been expanded, while demand for consumer and industrial goods is rising among the exceptionally young population.”

Exports include products from the electronics, mechanical engineering, aviation, chemical and food industries. Gebrüder Weiss mainly transports these goods for its customers to Singapore, South Korea, Europe, and the USA. Last year, the company increased the number of air and sea freight shipments by around 30 percent compared with the previous year. In Vietnam, Gebrüder Weiss manages several activities, including the spare parts logistics of European mechanical engineering companies, and operates a logistics warehouse for an international furniture manufacturer – including picking, packing, labeling and customs clearance.

Vietnam is already the tenth country in which the logistics company has its own branches in East Asia and Oceania. The network now includes locations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand. Currently, the potential benefits of extending the network to neighboring countries of Vietnam are being evaluated. Gebrüder Weiss already organizes cross-border land transports to Cambodia as well as domestic sea transports from the south to the north of the country.

With a new location in Mersin, the transport and logistics service provider Gebrüder Weiss has expanded its network in the south of Turkey. The activities carried out from the country’s second-largest port include air and sea freight services, as well as intermodal land transport. Mersin is a central logistics hub on the Mediterranean Sea for shipments to the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

“Turkey is an emerging growth market and, with its location on the Mediterranean Sea, an important freight handling facility for transports between Asia and Europe. Mersin represents another region being developed by us for our customers, following on from Istanbul and Izmir. Favorable transport connections to the Mediterranean region as well as the proximity to industrial operations in the hinterland are all advantages offered by the new location,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss. Mersin is connected to the northern economic centers of Kahramanmaras, Konya and Kayseri, from which mainly textile and agricultural products, chemical industry and mechanical engineering are exported. “The key factor is the location’s immediate proximity to producers. In addition to air and sea freight services, we also offer local customers pharmaceutical and multimodal transports as well as warehouse logistics and customs clearance,” adds Çiler Keskinel, Country Manager Air & Sea Turkey at Gebrüder Weiss.

Turkey becomes more important as a Silk Road hub 
The Country also serves an important gateway function on the so-called “Middle Corridor” of the New Silk Road towards Central Asia and China. This offers an alternative to the transports via the Northern Corridor through Russia, running from Turkey (Istanbul), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan to China. “We have our own locations in most of the countries along the Middle Corridor and are familiar with the local legal and cultural particulars in these regions. We are also seeing increased demand from our customers for shipments on this route,” says Senger-Weiss. The transit time is currently between 35 and 45 days, as the route also crosses the Caspian Sea.

Mersin is the third Gebrüder Weiss location in Turkey, in addition to Istanbul and Izmir, where the company has been organizing partial-load transports along with air and sea freight services with 75 employees since 2012. By taking over the freight forwarder 3S Transport & Logistik last year, Gebrüder Weiss also further expanded its transports from Istanbul to Germany.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss posted preliminary net sales of 2.54 billion euros for the 2021 financial year. This translates into a year-over-year rise of 43 percent (2020: 1.77 billion euros). More than 70 percent of this increase was generated by the Air & Sea business. The global shortage of cargo capacity resulted in shipping companies and airlines repeatedly raising their rates. The fact that these costs were passed on became a key contributor to the upsurge at Gebrüder Weiss, although this also created special challenges.

“2021 was another exceptional year and characterized by great volatility. The imbalance between low cargo capacities and high demand had a huge impact. It required considerable effort and dedication for us to deliver suitable transport solutions to our customers despite the bottlenecks. I am proud of everything our employees have achieved under these difficult conditions,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO at Gebrüder Weiss.

To meet its customers’ needs in 2021, the company organized additional air freight charters by implementing “preighters,” i.e., converted passenger aircraft. The acquisition of the Ipsen Logistics operations in Germany, Poland, and Malaysia at the end of 2020 marked an important step forward for the global network. In total, the Air & Sea and Logistics division reported annual sales of 1,030 million euros (2020: 470 million euros).

The Land Transport and Logistics division succeeded in closing the year with sales up 16 percent to 1,277 million euros (2020: 1,104 million euros). To boost efficiency, Gebrüder Weiss deployed innovative technologies and strategies to handle transport planning, dispatch, and freight measurement; an intermodal link from Vienna to Germany’s Ruhr region was established. All of the Land Transport product groups set new records for consignments.

Via its Home Delivery service, Gebrüder Weiss transported some 1.74 million shipments to end consumers in Austria and multiple eastern European countries, further extending its market lead in this segment (2020: 1.37 million consignments). DPD Austria, partly owned by Gebrüder Weiss parcel service, delivered more than 66.5 million parcels in 2021. This corresponds to a 16 percent year-over-year increase; it was powered mainly by strong private-consumer business.

Robust market position in central and eastern Europe
In Bavaria, Gebrüder Weiss consolidated its southern German land transport network with a number of acquisitions. These were flanked by takeovers in Bulgaria and Turkey, while new locations were established in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. All told, the logistics company invested 112 million euros in new construction and the expansion of existing sites (2020: 75.6 million euros) – the highest investment volume in the company’s history. The augmented network also required a larger workforce: the headcount rose by 8 percent and now totals nearly 8,000 employees.

14,500 users tap into the new myGW portal
With the goal of optimizing logistics processes for its customers, Gebrüder Weiss is turning increasingly to digital tools: “Expectations regarding speed, efficiency and transparency have risen enormously throughout the supply chain. The international rollout and further development of our myGW portal represent a major milestone,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss. The digital platform offers customers real-time information on the flow of their goods and is already being utilized by more than 14,500 users across 19 countries. At the same time, several supply chain management projects were realized for high-profile customers. The logistics organization plans to continue growing in this area and enlarging its palette of digital services. “The Covid crisis has, however, also exposed the importance of controlling physical infrastructure. Our ‘Best of Both Worlds’ strategy – modern digital tools on the one hand and logistics facilities, cargo capacity, and well-trained employees on the other – has once again proven the right way forward,” says Senger-Weiss.

Carbon neutrality by 2030
The logistics specialist intends to achieve CO2 neutrality at its locations by 2030. In moving toward that goal, last year alone, eight photovoltaic systems were installed at logistics terminals in Austria and Germany. Further locations are due to be added this year. The company is also implementing new technologies: one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered trucks has already demonstrated its value in logistics operations, while other alternative drive technologies using liquid gas and electricity are in service for heavy goods and Home Delivery shipments. Gebrüder Weiss introduced a zero-emissions program offering its customers the option of paying a surcharge to offset the carbon emissions of each logistics service they use. These funds go towards supporting certified climate protection projects.

“Mexico’s position as a production location for the US automotive, steel, and textile industries is becoming increasingly important. With our new location in El Paso, we can now offer our customers cross-border transport services with a focus on full loads.,” explains Mark McCullough, Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss USA.

With a population of around 700,000, El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas and a major border crossing point for goods traveling between Mexico and the United States. Its largest industries include textiles, automotive, biomedical and electronics. The city is conveniently located for traffic-related purposes, on Interstate 10, which runs from the west to the east coast of the United States. Some of the largest hubs in the United States – including Chicago, the Dallas/Fort-Worth metropolitan area and Los Angeles – are just a short flight away from El Paso airport.

Gebrüder Weiss has been active in the USA with its own national company since 2017.  From this date, the logistics provider has established itself stably on the market and continuously expanded its network. A total of eight locations now offer transport and logistics services for air & sea, land transport and warehouse logistics: Chicago (head office), Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, El Paso, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

The transport and logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss has finished incorporating the operations of Rhenus Bulgaria into its network. As a result, four new locations have been added to its national subsidiary in Bulgaria – in Burgas, Svilengrad, Varna and Plovdiv. The 80 former employees of Rhenus Bulgaria can now look forward to fresh career perspectives as members of the Gebrüder Weiss family. The staff members from its Sofia site are relocating to the Gebrüder Weiss national headquarters just outside the capital in Musachevo, which is being further expanded. This move marks Rhenus Bulgaria’s withdrawal from the domestic transport market and the transfer of these operations to Gebrüder Weiss.

"Our more finely meshed network and new personnel will help us meet our Bulgarian customers' logistics requirements even more effectively. At the same time, we are expanding our service portfolio in the area of end-consumer deliveries," says Marieta Grigorova, the country manager at Gebrüder Weiss Bulgaria. Following the integration of Rhenus, the group is now providing Home Delivery options in Bulgaria. This includes the transport of furniture, household appliances and home entertainment products purchased online – to and beyond the customers' front doors. The two-man teams will also assemble furniture and connect electronic equipment. In several central and southeastern European countries, Gebrüder Weiss ranks among the market leaders in home deliveries.

Gebrüder Weiss Bulgaria has been active in the country's land transport, air and sea freight and logistics segments since 1993. In the 1990s, following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the logistics company expanded its operations eastwards from central Europe. Today it can tap a tightly knit network of hubs across various southeastern European countries.

The international transport and logistics service provider Gebrüder Weiss is taking over Istanbul-based 3S Transport & Logistics with effect from January 1, 2022. The Turkish forwarding company specializes in partial load transports between Turkey and its key trading partner Germany. With this step Gebrüder Weiss Turkey doubles its transport volume and positioning itself as a top player for transports with Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The takeover also means that 22 employees of 3S Transport & Logistics will move under the umbrella of Gebrüder Weiss Turkey.

“3S Transport & Logistics is a logistics service provider that has been firmly established on the Turkish transport market for many years and that we are now going to integrate into our organization. This will strengthen the position of our location in Istanbul as a strategic anchor, linking Europe and Asia and the New Silk Road,” explains Thomas Moser, Director and Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss. 
“Our customers will have the benefit of access to a much broader range of services, and our employees have new prospects for the future,” say Ilhami Seval and Sehel Zenbil, the two former Managing Directors of 3S Transport & Logistics. Both will be on hand to support Gebrüder Weiss Turkey as consultants during the integration process. The takeover also includes an operational location in the Düsseldorf area with seven employees. “For Gebrüder Weiss in Turkey, this is an important step for our growth, and it is strengthening our service portfolio. We are looking forward to the cooperation,” adds Mişel Yakop, Country Manager Gebrüder Weiss Turkey.

Gebrüder Weiss has had a presence in Turkey since 2012 and currently has locations in Istanbul and Izmir. Its main activities include partial load transports as well as air and sea freight services. Istanbul is at the heart of an axis of Gebrüder Weiss branches stretching across Central and South-Eastern Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia, providing links to the New Silk Road corridors.

The transport and logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss is taking over the operations of Wolf Internationale Spedition GmbH and Air System Luftfracht Spedition GmbH in the Lower Bavarian town of Straubing. The companies’ 20 employees possess considerable expertise in international forwarding – in both the land transport and air and sea freight sectors. The new Gebrüder Weiss branch will be based at a recently purchased 45,000 m² portfolio property in the Sachsenring industrial park.

"Our transfer to Gebrüder Weiss enables us to give our employees a secure future with additional opportunities to advance their careers. Thanks to the company's international network and customer portal, we can now offer our customers a one-stop shop serving all their needs," notes Katja Wolf, previous managing owner of Wolf Internationale Spedition GmbH. In the medium term, between 40 and 60 attractive new jobs are due to be created across the forwarding business at this latest Gebrüder Weiss location.

"With Katja Wolf and her two teams on board, we have an outstanding platform for evolving our new location. In line with our ‘Best of Both Worlds’ strategy – with its twin focuses on physical and digital competence – we will continue to invest across southern Germany in people, our own logistics facilities and vehicles, all paired with digital services," explains Werner Dettenthaler, Regional Manager for Land Transport Germany at Gebrüder Weiss.

By opening a new location in Straubing at the start of October, the international transport and logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss is taking a further stride in consolidating its land transport network across southern Germany. The branch in the lower Bavarian commercial center will be based at a newly acquired, 45,000 m² portfolio property in the Sachsenring industrial park.

“We will be growing Straubing into a major hub within our expanding southern German land transport network, enabling regional companies to access the entire Gebrüder Weiss service portfolio,” announced CEO Wolfram Senger-Weiss. In the medium term, his company will be offering between 60 and 80 attractive new jobs in every area of the forwarding business. Up to 120 new roles are envisaged in the long term.

The new Straubing location will complement the existing southern German branches in Aldingen, Esslingen, Lindau, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Passau, and Waldkraiburg – the facility added most recently following the acquisition of Spedition Lode. "With the new site in Straubing, we are creating a tightly meshed land transport network extending from Nuremberg to Austria and the Czech Republic, and offering customers from commerce and industry a direct link to the Pan-European Gebrüder Weiss network," explains Werner Dettenthaler, the company’s Regional Manager for Land Transport Germany. 

With effect of October 1 this year, the international transport and logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss will be acquiring Spedition Lode GmbH – which is based in Waldkraiburg, Bavaria. Following the 100 percent takeover of the family-owned specialists in land transport and warehouse logistics, its 60 employees will be joining the ranks of Gebrüder Weiss. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
"Lode's service portfolio is the perfect fit for our land transport network in southern Germany. Aided by the company's employees, we will continue to tap the site's potential to consolidate our general cargo network," says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chair of the Gebrüder Weiss Management Board.

With this latest acquisition, Gebrüder Weiss is posting another landmark in its southern German growth strategy. Its tightly-meshed network of land transport hubs helps trade and industry senders to serve their markets in Germany, Austria and Central and Southeastern Europe. Located 70 kilometers east of Munich, the Waldkraiburg site will connect with Gebrüder Weiss' southern German land transport branches in Aldingen, Esslingen, Lindau, Memmingen, Nuremberg and Passau.

Lode's operations focus on land transport, distribution and warehouse logistics, and special services. As a shareholder of 24plus logistics network, the company is already integrated into an extensive general cargo system. Under the guidance of its previous co-owner Rüdiger Lode, the new subsidiary will initially trade under the name GW Lode GmbH. "New growth opportunities are opening up for Spedition Lode within the Gebrüder Weiss group. Our customers will benefit from a significantly broader range of services and we can offer our employees new career opportunities," says Rüdiger Lode.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is also maintaining its growth course in Slovakia. There, the company can look back on a financial year with strong sales. “The positive development is largely the result of high demand in the e-commerce sector. In addition, we were able to attract important customers who were impressed with our tight network and direct connection possibilities to all European markets," says René Stranz, Country Manager Gebrüder Weiss Slovakia. In the area of land transport and home delivery, for example, the company recorded an increase in shipments of around 40 percent.

New warehouse, more employees
Gebrüder Weiss has responded to the growing volume of shipments by expanding its logistics space at the Bratislava location. There is now almost 20,000 square meters more space on site. In addition to new offices and spacious outdoor areas, the warehouse capacity has been increased by 5,000 square meters (total: 15,000 m2) and the handling area by another 2,200 square meters (total: 6,000 m2). The number of employees also increased by 20 percent. “This means we are well equipped to smoothly handle shipment peaks, such as on Black Friday, and to meet our customers' expectations in terms of precision and service quality,” says Stranz. 

The logistics company invested around seven million euros in the expansion, taking ecological aspects into account as well; for example, installing an intelligent heating and cooling system and paying attention to LED lighting and low-energy consumption equipment throughout. Looking ahead, the company already has its sights set on possible further growth: an additional area of 10,000 square meters is available for future extension.

High economic stability
The sustainable management of the logistics company was also confirmed in July by the certificate of the rating agency Bisnode / Dun & Bradstreet. Gebrüder Weiss received the maximum score and is therefore one of the “Top Rating Companies” in Slovakia. Under this category, the renowned credit rating service provider groups together such companies that are characterized by financial stability and high creditworthiness.

Gebrüder Weiss has been represented in Slovakia since 1993 and today operates four locations there with around 180 employees. Many of its customers come from the high-tech, automotive and e-commerce sectors. In the coronavirus year of 2020, they were also able to win a major international customer from the cleaning technology sector.