Lauterach - 17.03.2010 00:00:00
Gebrüder Weiss on course
During 2009, Gebrüder Weiss, the Austrian transport and logistics company continued to invest in the expansion of its network in India, Central and Eastern Europe.
With intensive marketing and targeted cost management Gebrüder Weiss was able to weather the difficult economic conditions prevailing in 2009 and still achieve a positive result. The interim net sales is EUR 830 million. With a stable equity ratio the company continues to enjoy a sound economic base.
"Gebrüder Weiss was not able to escape completely the worst economic crisis for decades, which resulted in a 10% reduction in global production. A healthy economic base and stable group structure enabled us to trade at the highest level of quality and to continue investing normally to ensure a successful future", said CEO Wolfgang Niessner."We have maintained our long-term investment in logistics installations and mergers & acquisitions. Furthermore, with 4,461 employees we were able to maintain staff levels at almost the previous year's level. Fortunately, the number of apprentices in the company in 2009 has increased by 3% to 175 compared to the previous year ", adds Finance Director Wolfram Senger-Weiss. At just under EUR 30 million, company investments for 2009 correspond to the budgeted value. Cash flow is lower than the previous year's value, but is still higher than investments. "Despite a drop in revenue of 15.7% we are maintaining our equity ratio at over 50%", said the Finance Director.
Seamless Network
2009 was also distinguished by important investments in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. For GW important steps in the South Eastern Europe expansion programme were the take-over of the established freight forwarder and logistics company Eurocargo in Serbia, the completion of the EUR 15 million Euro-Terminal in Bucharest and the first branch of the company in Macedonia. In addition, in Senec, Slovakia, the first steps were made in the construction of the new logistics terminal scheduled for completion this year. With the commissioning of the new EUR 8.5 million logistics terminal in Maria Saal, Gebrüder Weiss has created the capacity required to become the leading logistics provider in Carinthia. In Kennelbach (Vorarlberg) GW acquired the former BUG-Alu site, where more than 140 head office staff have been employed since mid-2009.
Consistent strategy
For Gebrüder Weiss an important step was participation in freight forwarder Diehl in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) in January of this year. With its minority interest Gebrüder Weiss ensures it has an important market share in the region and at the same time consolidates the strategic alliance of the System Alliance Europe (SAE). "Our investments in the previous year mean our network is linked even more closely and our progress in positioning GW as a prominent logistics solution provider in Central and Eastern Europe continues", explains CEO Wolfgang Niessner. "Not only have we optimised structures this year, but we have also made detailed plans for the future. The resulting concepts will be implemented step by step in the coming years", continues the CEO. We shall continue to search for innovative solutions that combine economic, ecological and social aspects in a meaningful manner. As for example, the Orange Combi Cargo, a multi-model transport solution that has saved 9,000 tons of CO2 annually since 2008.
Stability plus
The Gebrüder Weiss parcel service offers the services of DPD in most Austrian regions. "Last year the turnover of the parcel service was EUR 119.2 million", said Head of Department Peter Kloiber. This positive development in the area of consulting is especially satisfying for Kloiber. "The supply chain software solutions of inet-logistics and the consulting advice of x|vise, the logistics consulting firm, showed a positive development in 2009. The two subsidiaries together achieved EUR 8.2 Mio." Last year the business solution provider tectraxx, supplier of logistics solutions for the electrical/electronic sectors, enabled Gebrüder Weiss to achieve a turnover of EUR 13.2 million and ensured a distinct improvement on the previous year's value.
New branches opened in Asia
Heinz Senger-Weiss, the Board of Management member in charge of Air & Sea, was satisfied with the developments in its field in view of the considerable changes to market conditions in the international air and sea freight sector: "The consolidated turnover of Gebrüder Weiss Air & Sea, including joint ventures with its partner Röhlig, was about EUR 212 million in 2009. This basis is due to a continuous expansion of a global network."
"Last year we extended our structures and expertise in India in particular and were able to increase our business clout considerably", explained Heinz Senger-Weiss. "After the acquisition of Tricon Shipping and its subsequent renaming as Weiss-Röhlig India, GW is now represented by 14 branches in the sub-continent and fully covers one of the most important growth markets in Asia", adds Senger-Weiss.
The Gebrüder Weiss Group
The Gebrüder Weiss Group with its headquarters in Lauterach (Vorarlberg) has over 4,500 employees at 137 locations worldwide. The network comprises branches, factories and sites in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, India, the Peoples' Republic of China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, the USA and Canada.
Gebrüder Weiss GmbH
Bundesstraße 110, A 6923 Lauterach
press@gw-world.com
T +43.5574.696.2165
F +43.5.9006.2173
www.gw-world.com
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