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.”

“The fact that our partnership with Gebrüder Weiss has developed so successfully over 45 years is thanks in no small way to the employees of both companies, who have shaped this cooperation at various levels through the trust they have in each other’s work,” adds Reiner Heiken, CEO of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.
Together, the two logistics service providers offer comprehensive land transports across Europe. While the cooperation involves Gebrüder Weiss covering Austria, Switzerland, Southern Germany and most of South-Eastern Europe with its own locations, Hellmann serves customers in Central and Northern Germany, Poland, Spain, the UK, Turkey, as well as the Baltic and other Eastern European states.

A successful partnership since 1977
Back in 1977, when borders within Europe were still quite impermeable, the partners initially worked together on customs clearance matters at their branches. This marked the beginning of a collaboration that gradually developed into an even closer one over decades to come. In 2005, they founded System Alliance Europe (SAE), a cooperation of leading medium-sized freight forwarding companies. In 2008, the two companies extended their partnership to Germany as well as numerous Central and Eastern European countries. Ever since, customers have had access to daily transport connections between these regions. The foundations for a 50-year golden anniversary are stronger than ever.