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Dachser UK

Dachser builds new location in Kassel

The family-owned company is investing some EUR 25 million in the construction of a new logistics location

Kassel/Kempten, July 13, 2020. Logistics provider Dachser has started construction on a new branch in Kassel, the economic centre of northern Hesse. Located in the Lohfelden commercial zone, the new transit terminal for industrial goods with adjacent offices is due for completion by summer 2021. In the medium term, the new branch will create roughly 200 jobs. 

The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place today, attended by Dr Alexander Friedrich Wachter, Vice President of the Kassel district government, Norbert Thielen, deputy mayor of Lohfelden, Michael Schilling COO Road Logistics Dachser, and Alexander Tonn, Managing Director European Logistics Germany, who is responsible for Dachser’s transport and storage business for industrial goods in Germany.

“Thanks to Dachser’s closely integrated logistics network, transports departing from the new Kassel branch will reach all economic centres across Europe within 24 to 48 hours. Dachser customers throughout Europe will benefit from fast delivery times and our consistently high service quality,” says Andreas Fritsch, General Manager of Dachser’s Ostwestfalen-Lippe logistics centre in Bad Salzuflen, explaining the strategic relevance of the new location. Fritsch will assume responsibility for the new Lohfelden facility in Kassel, which falls under the Bad Salzuflen group; Mathias Oetter will be the local branch manager. A large share of the new branch’s customers will come from the region’s robust industrial production companies, Fritsch explains. 

Dachser’s new facility in central Germany is conveniently located at the interchange of the A7, A44, and A49 highways. Construction work on the approximately 78,000 m2 lot in the Lohfelden commercial zone began this April. The transit terminal will have approximately 6,400 m2 of floor space and 78 gates for loading and unloading trucks. A 2,500 m2 office building will be built adjacent to the terminal as well. 

The new facility in Kassel rounds off Dachser’s own groupage network for industrial goods in Germany and will replace the company’s long-standing regional partner Schmelz Transport und Logistik. Dachser will continue working with its trusted partner until building work on the new Dachser branch is completed next year. 

About Dachser

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organisations represent Dachser in 44 countries.  

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Robert Erni to become Dachser CFO

Effective January 1, 2021, 54-year-old Swiss citizen Robert Erni will take over as CFO from Burkhard Eling, who will become CEO of the family-owned company.

Kempten, June 23, 2020 – Dachser is appointing experienced logistics CFO Robert Erni to succeed Burkhard Eling. Erni will begin his onboarding phase at Dachser as Deputy Director on September 1, 2020.

Most recently, the 54-year-old was CFO at listed logistics provider Panalpina, where he headed the merger with Danish logistics group DSV. During his time at Panalpina, he successfully managed various acquisition projects in addition to two substantial SAP rollouts and the organisational changes these required, thus supporting the company’s global growth strategy. Erni began his career at logistics company Kühne+Nagel, where he held posts in Hong Kong, India, Argentina, and the US before returning to his home country of Switzerland, where he was in charge of global controlling at company headquarters.

“Robert Erni is an extremely experienced CFO who has spent over 30 years working in the logistics sector,” explains Dachser’s current CFO Burkhard Eling, who will become CEO as of January 1, 2021. “We are delighted to have him on our new Executive Board and look forward to working with him to address future challenges in a way that creates value and growth.”

Dachser CEO Bernhard Simon, who will head the company’s Supervisory Board as of 2021, adds: “Being CFO of a family-owned company like Dachser is about much more than mastering the figures: our CFO maintains close relations with our shareholders, shapes the strategy process, and in so doing also plays a major role in the operational business. In Robert Erni, we have found a CFO who can fully meet these requirements from January 1, 2021, onward”.    

About Dachser

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organisations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com.

Dachser opens new warehouse in Karlsruhe

43,000 pallet spaces for chemical industry products

Kempten, June 17, 2020 – Dachser has begun operations at a new hazardous materials warehouse with 21,800 square meters of floor space in Malsch, near Karlsruhe, Germany. The specially equipped facility can safely store chemical products and hazardous materials such as paints, coatings, and adhesives in a total of 43,000 pallet spaces. Dachser invested more than 20 million euros in the warehouse.

Baden-Württemberg is one of the top five German states for chemical industry revenue. As such, there is strong demand there for logistics companies that can serve as a reliable transportation partner while also offering safe storage of chemical products and hazardous materials. Dachser’s Karlsruhe logistics centre has grown along with its customers to become a pivotal logistics hub for chemical products in the global logistics provider’s European network. A further advantage of the location is its excellent connections to France—the number one destination for German chemical exports. “Constantly growing demand from the chemical industry made building the new facility an absolute must,” said Bernd Großmann, Branch Manager Dachser Malsch. 

Construction work for the new hazardous materials warehouse began in spring 2018, and the first customers began to move in during February 2019. With the official launch a few weeks ago, all work is now complete. All the hazardous materials warehouse’s transportation, storage, and logistics services are now up and running, with direct daily routes connecting it into Dachser’s close-knit European network.

Expertise for the chemical industry

The new hazardous materials warehouse can accommodate 43,000 pallets on 21,800 square meters of floor space. It is divided into nine sections separated by firewalls. Each section has an automatic fire extinguishing system with both ceiling and in-rack sprinkler systems. The depressed floors are specially designed to retain product leakage and firewater, while barriers at the wastewater outlets provide increased groundwater protection.

Dachser has experience in handling hazardous materials and offers a global industry solution, DACHSER Chem-Logistics, that is tailored to the particular logistics needs of the chemical industry and applies the highest safety standards. For instance, the company has a central dangerous goods management team and 226 regional dangerous goods safety officers. 

About Dachser

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.  

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com.

Expansion at Dachser Nuremberg

Kempten/Nuremberg, June 3, 2020. The logistics provider is investing in its location in Nuremberg, including expansion of transit terminals for industrial goods and food by over 5,200 m2. In addition to enlarging the office building by 1,200 m2, Dachser is creating extra parking spaces for trucks and employee vehicles. The company is investing EUR 22.5 million in the project, the construction phase of which was completed at the end of May.

“Over the past ten years, our location in Nuremberg has seen positive development in the areas of industrial goods and food, as well as in warehousing. So much so that we have now reached the limits of our capacity with the existing facility,” says Bernhard Engel, Branch Manager European Logistics at Dachser’s Nuremberg logistics center.

The number of gates at the transit terminals and warehouse, which are the centerpiece of the facility, will be increased from 188 to 251. Alongside the expansion of the transit terminals, Dachser is creating 1,100 m2 of additional space for customized services in contract logistics. In this way, the logistics center serves for instance as a central warehouse for a well-known customer in the premium segment for wines and spirits. Dachser provides this customer with a wide range of supplementary services in addition to storage, picking, and transport services. “We handle individual gift packaging, display-builds, and excise taxes for this customer,” says Michael Scheid, Branch Manager Dachser Food Logistics in Nuremberg. “From here we deliver to every one of its recipients in Germany—not only retailers, hotels, and catering companies, but also bars, clubs, shipping companies, and events.”

A presence in the Nuremberg metropolitan area

The waiting area for trucks has also been enlarged and a parking lot for subcontractor trucks created, which brings the parking capacity up to 130 trucks. A new parking garage adds an additional 135 spaces for employees and visitors.

Dachser began operations at the existing facility in the Nuremberg-Feucht-Wendelstein business park at the beginning of 2009. The logistics center has excellent access to the A3, A6, A9, and A73 highways, which means efficiency in reaching customers and a seamless and fast supply of goods to the Nuremberg metropolitan area.

About Dachser:

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter is divided into two business lines, Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s offerings. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems provide for intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Dachser UK Working to Sustain the NHS Supply Chain

While transport and distribution businesses across the UK are doing all they can to support those working on the medical frontline during the crisis, Dachser is proving its flexibility of service in partnership with one supplier in particular.

Dachser’s Dartford branch has provided Alsico, a leading manufacturer and distributor of workplace clothing, with regular transportation between its factories in North Africa and its main UK distribution centre in Preston since 2013. Alisco, which equips the UK market with over 3.5 million garments a year, is a specialist in healthcare supplies and is one of the largest uniform providers for the NHS.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on demand and government restrictions in various countries necessitated Alsico to find new manufacturers of its products based in Europe. Added to this logistical challenge was the urgency inherent in the knowledge that the product was for thousands of front line medical and care workers.

Dachser rose to the challenge and utilising its extensive operational network across Europe quickly adjusted to the requirements of Alsico’s altered supply chain to ensure swift delivery of the essential supplies.

Dachser Dartford’s General Manager, Patrice Ollivier comments, “We are proud to have demonstrated significant flexibility in our operation.  This has involved loading trailers on weekends and bank holidays and ensuring accurate documentation flows to provide a fast, cross-border delivery service into Preston from various European locations within a matter of days. Working closely with Alsico, we remain committed and determined to do everything we can to play our part in this national effort”.

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2019 generated total sales worth EUR 5.7 billion. 31,000 staff working in 393 locations worldwide handled 80.6 million consignments comprising 41.0 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics, value added services and international sea and air freight forwarding. 

For more information, please visit   www.dachser.co.uk

Dachser expansion in Erfurt

Amt Wachsenburg/Kempten, May 7, 2020 – Logistics provider Dachser is setting the course for its future growth in the German state of Thuringia, where it is investing in its logistics centre in the city of Erfurt. In addition to a new 20,000 m2 warehouse with office space, the company also plans to construct a waiting zone and parking spaces for trucks. The groundbreaking ceremony took place yesterday in a lot off of Am Lützer Feld in Arnstadt, an Erfurt suburb.

From left to right: André Tonat, Sales Manager DACHSER Erfurt, Michael Beyer, Project leader, OFB Projektentwicklung, Dr. Rimbert J. Kelber, General Manager DACHSER Erfurt, Ralph Holeschovsky, General Manager Helaba Immobiliengruppe, Hardy Kutz, Contract Logistics Manager DACHSER Erfurt, Andras Hagen, Project leader Max Bögl, Developer

Due to the coronavirus, only a few people attended the groundbreaking. “We’ve been working here in Erfurt for many years in structures that have been built up across multiple sites,” says Dr Rimbert J. Kelber, General Manager of Dachser’s Erfurt logistics centre. “We are consolidating them into this new warehouse so that we can offer our customers contract logistics services—in other words, storage, and value-added services—all from a single source at a state-of-the-art location. This enables us to tap into opportunities for further growth in the region, as we want to get things going again once the coronavirus crisis is past.”

Dachser will move into the new warehouse as a tenant. It is not far from the current transit terminal on Industriestrasse on a lot measuring 28,000 m2, with two warehouses offering 10,000 m2 of storage space each. Combined, both buildings contain 20,300 pallet spaces and 8,500 m2 of block stacking space. After the new facility is finished in the first quarter of the coming year, Dachser will use it to handle contract logistics activities for various customers in the consumer goods sector.

“Even in times of crisis, we keep looking toward the future, and we are confident we will be able to continue our success at the Erfurt location after the corona crisis is over,” says Alexander Tonn, Managing Director European Logistics Germany, who is responsible for Dachser’s industrial goods business in Germany. Dachser opened its first location in Thuringia in 2004 and provides logistics services for customers from the industrial and food sectors.

ENDS

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser offers transport logistics, warehousing, and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organisations represent Dachser in 44 countries. 

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Dachser builds on its growth driver

Revenue up by a solid 1.6 percent in 2019; European overland transport grows 2.9 percent; EUR 151 million invested in logistics facilities and IT systems

Kempten, April 7, 2020. Even as the global economy becomes increasingly weaker, Dachser was able to continue growing in 2019. The logistics provider increased its consolidated net revenue by a solid 1.6 percent to EUR 5.66 billion. Driving this growth was again the Road Logistics business field, net revenue rose by 2.9 percent to EUR 4.60 billion. In contrast, the Air & Sea Logistics business field saw a decline of 4.1 percent, mainly attributable to weaker demand for air freight services for automotive customers.

The revenue growth at the Group level contrasts with declining shipment and tonnage figures. Although the number of shipments was down by around 3.7 percent from 83.7 to 80.6 million, tonnage fell only slightly compared to the previous year, slipping by 1.0 percent from 41.4 to 41.0 million metric tons. “When the economic wind turns, quality and reliability count more than ever,” says Bernhard Simon, CEO of Dachser. “That’s why we’re all the more committed to ensuring our employees are well-qualified and motivated and why we’re continuously investing in our network, our processes, and our IT.”

Business development in detail

Dachser’s Road Logistics business field—which comprises the transport and storage of industrial goods (European Logistics) and food (Food Logistics)—continued to provide stability while driving growth at the company. In 2019, Road Logistics increased its consolidated net revenue by 2.9 percent from EUR 4.47 to 4.60 billion. The Business Line European Logistics contributed 3.63 billion Euro (+2.4 percent) to the Road Logistics revenue. “Cross-border services remained strong and contract logistics saw positive development throughout Europe. Although the situation on the freight market relaxed in the course of 2019, the shortage of drivers and lack of qualified personnel in Germany and many other European countries continues to be our most pressing challenge,” Simon explains.

Dachser’s Food Logistics business line achieved the strongest growth in 2019, recording revenue growth of 5.1 percent from EUR 917 to 964 million. The number of shipments handled declined by 1.7 percent and tonnage saw a slight rise of 0.6 percent. “Food Logistics has been a reliable pillar of our business model for years,” Simon says. “The alliances with our partners in the European Food Network have proven to be extremely stable and fruitful.”

In the Air & Sea Logistics business field, revenue declined by 4.1 percent in 2019, from EUR 1.19 to 1.14 billion; the number of shipments was down by 5.6 percent. “In Air and Sea Logistics, we’re feeling the effects of the business climate, which is very volatile and greatly impacted by the disruptions to world trade,” Simon says. “In our air freight business, the effects of the weak demand for transport services from the German automotive industry are particularly evident.” In 2019, Dachser took steps to future-proof this business field. These included adding the life sciences/pharmaceutical and fashion & sports sectors to its customer portfolio and expanding rail services along the New Silk Road. Air and sea transports, particularly for LCL, were connected more tightly with the European overland transport network. In addition, the rollout of Dachser’s Othello transport management system, developed in-house, is now essentially complete. “By mid-2020, we will use our own transport management system to handle 99 percent of all shipments. The resultant improvements in efficiency and productivity allow us to add further value for our customers,” Simon says.

In the coronavirus crisis – An anchor of stability in difficult times

To further improve the quality of its services, last year the family-owned company invested EUR 151 million in the construction or expansion of transit terminals and warehouses and in IT systems and technical equipment. Investments of a similar amount are planned for the current year, too. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Dachser, like many companies, will have to readjust its targets. Simon explains: “The final impact on our business is difficult to predict; all we can do is reassess the situation daily and respond accordingly, taking an agile and flexible approach.  In view of the current restrictions on business activities, we can’t avoid a downturn in volume in our industrial goods business, especially in Spain and France. However, in terms of our service portfolio and customer structure, we deliberately adopt a very broad position so that we can adapt well to new scenarios. As a logistics provider, we are a key link in the basic supply chain for the food sector, and we expect this business to remain relatively stable.”

Dachser further increased its equity ratio in 2019 to over 57 percent. With its current workforce of some 31,000, Dachser has more employees than at any other point in its history. “We’re very proud of this because our employees are the heart and backbone of the service we provide. Securing jobs is our top priority in 2020,” Simon says. “We also want to remain a stable and reliable partner for customers and subcontractors. Together, we’ll overcome the crisis surrounding the coronavirus with fair prices and fair remuneration, and lay the foundations for future growth.”

Overview of net revenue:

About Dachser:

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Dachser organizes transportation by block train along the New Silk Road

DACHSER Rail Services transport chemical products to the Chinese market from Ludwigshafen in Germany in half the time.

Kempten/Ludwigshafen, April 2, 2020  – BASF entrusted its long-standing logistics provider Dachser to handle a first block train to China. The train of 42 containers carrying BASF products arrived in the Chinese city of Xi´an. Dachser took take care of all organizational aspects—including coordination with train operator RTSB GmbH, customs clearance, and distribution of the goods in China.

Starting at the KTL Kombi-Terminal Ludwigshafen and making its way to China via Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan, the block train’s journey took just 14 days—more than two weeks faster than it would have by container ship. The rail transport via the “New Silk Road” is particularly interesting for chemical companies whose production sites are located in rural areas of China, far away from the seaports.

The KTL terminal in Ludwigshafen plays a key role in BASF’s logistics concept. It serves as a hub, where BASF bundles European cargo and loads the containers onto the trains. Germany’s largest inland terminal is directly adjacent to BASF’s main plant. Up to 30 trains bound for over 20 economic centers across Europe depart from the terminal every day.

Weekly departures to begin following start-up phase

Because rail gauges vary in size along the route, the containers are reloaded onto different trains in the Polish village of Małaszewicze and at the Kazakh border with China. Measuring some 40 feet in height, the cube containers are loaded primarily with granulates, fuel additives, and catalysts. The train’s final destination was the city of Xi’an in central China.

From there, Dachser North China handled customs clearance and distribution of the BASF goods to their recipients by truck. In the start-up phase, more train departures from Ludwigshafen to Xi`an are scheduled.

“Faster than sea freight, cheaper than air freight, easy to schedule, and reliable: when it comes to fulfilling certain logistics requirements, rail transport to China along the New Silk Road is an excellent alternative to air and sea freight that adds value,” explains Thomas Krüger, Managing Director, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics EMEA. “Demand for DACHSER Rail Services is growing all the time, and we’re especially delighted to have a global market leader like BASF place its trust in our solutions.”

Taking a long-standing partnership to the next level

For several decades, Dachser has been collaborating closely with BASF to transport palleted chemical products within Europe and store them safely. Dachser operates two warehouses for hazardous materials: one in Hungary and one in Romania. Both meet the highest safety standards and their performance has been evaluated in accordance with SQAS. “The first train to Xi’an has taken our logistics partnership with BASF to a new level,” says Michael Kriegel, Department Head Dachser Chem-Logistics. Dachser’s industry solution combines standardized logistics services and expertise in handling dangerous goods in a global network with bespoke solutions for customers from the chemical industry.

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser offers transport logistics, warehousing, and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics.

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

About KTL Kombi-Terminal Ludwigshafen GmbH:

KTL Kombi-Terminal Ludwigshafen GmbH is the German inland terminal with the highest volume and considers itself to be one of the leading terminals in Europe in terms of efficiency, safety and innovation. The company, founded in 1999 and owned by BASF SE (40%), Kombiverkehr (20%), Hupac (15%), Bertschi and Hoyer (12.5% each), currently offers its customers up to 30 train departures a day to 20 economic areas in Europe. KTL works together with 8 combined transport operators, 9 railway companies and more than 100 forwarders without discrimination. By further consistent standardisation of interfaces as well as automation and digitalisation of processes, KTL intends to further expand productivity and service quality in combined road/rail transport.

About RTSB GmbH:

The family-owned company RTSB GmbH – Rail Transportation Service Broker, is a leading rail operator along the “New Silk Road” with headquarters in Friedrichsdorf, Hesse. Flexible, intermodal logistics services for transport companies, mainly in the rail segment, are provided in 19 branches spread over 13 countries along the Eurasian Corridor. RTSB has more than 20 years of experience in the CIS region and also operates the Eurasian Railway Carrier licensed in Germany and Poland together with the Belarusian state company Belintertrans.

In 2019, RTSB generated sales of around 300 million euros and handled over 3000 block trains between China and Europe, moving a total of 422,500 TEU by rail. Further information on RTSB can be found at www.rtsb.group.

New Managing Director at DACHSER Ireland

John van den Berg has taken over as Managing Director of DACHSER Ireland since the beginning of this year. He succeeds Albert Johnston, who is retiring.

John van den Berg , Managing Director of DACHSER Ireland

Mr. Van den Berg has been with DACHSER since 2006, joining the Irish country organisation in July 2019. The 49-year-old from the Netherlands began his DACHSER career in Waddinxveen near Rotterdam, where he served as Head of Customer Service and Controlling. In 2011, Mr. Van den Berg transferred to the Zevenaar branch, located on the German-Dutch border, and assumed responsibility of that branch in 2013. 

As part of an intensive induction phase, Mr. van den Berg played a pivotal role during the final integration and rebranding stages as Johnston Logistics became DACHSER Ireland. DACHSER acquired the Irish logistics provider in 2017.

Successful integration into the DACHSER network

Johnston Logistics was founded by brothers Albert and Ivan Johnston in 1979, and within 30 years had established itself as one of Ireland’s leading logistics providers. Following acquisition by DACHSER in 2017, Albert Johnston stayed on as Managing Director and was responsible for successfully integrating the company into the DACHSER network. 

DACHSER Ireland employs 175 people at three locations: Cork, Limerick and its Head Office in Dublin. In 2018, it recorded annual revenue of EUR 23.1 million. In addition to groupage, Johnston Logistics specialised in dangerous goods transportation and warehousing services for their customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, hardware, plastics and packaging industries.

Dachser announces Executive Board for the future

The future Executive Board team, to be headed by Burkhard Eling, takes over on January 1, 2021; Bernhard Simon and Michael Schilling will join the Supervisory Board in 2021

Kempten, March 27, 2020 – After 31 years of close cooperation in operational management positions at Dachser, CEO Bernhard Simon and his deputy Michael Schilling, COO Road Logistics, will join the logistics provider’s Supervisory Board in 2021, with Bernhard Simon becoming its chairperson. Burkhard Eling, who joined the Dachser Executive Board as CFO in 2013, will become the new CEO of the family-owned company on January 1, 2021.

The Dachser Executive Board as of January 1, 2021
(l-r)  Alexander Tonn; Michael Schilling; Burkhard Eling; Bernhard Simon;
Edoardo Podestà; Stefan Hohm

“At the end of 2020, Michael Schilling and I will pass on our responsibility on the Executive Board to the next generation of management. This joint move, which has been in the planning for a long time, will create new impetus for the company’s future,” explains Bernhard Simon, CEO of Dachser. “The coronavirus crisis is certainly a great challenge for the entire management team, but it does not call our long-term strategy into question. What’s important now is to pass the company on to a new generation, starting at the top. We are convinced that we can steer Dachser well through the coming months. By keeping our own network stable and the supply chains running, we will continue to serve our customers with reliability and quality.”

New Executive Unit: IT & Development

Also on January 1, 2021, Stefan Hohm will assume responsibility as Chief Development Officer (CDO) for the new IT & Development executive unit, which deals with research and development, innovation topics, IT, contract logistics, and global industry solutions. Alexander Tonn will join Dachser’s Executive Board as COO Road Logistics. The position of CFO will be filled by then as well. Finally, Edoardo Podestà will remain on the Executive Board as COO Air & Sea Logistics.

“Burkhard Eling, Stefan Hohm, and Alexander Tonn have proven themselves over many years in positions of responsibility within the company and have played a decisive role in shaping Dachser’s development during that time,” Simon continues. “Together with Edoardo Podestà and our future CFO, they will form a management team starting in 2021 that will dynamically address the central topics of the next decade: digitalization combined with customer proximity, sustainability, and the lack of qualified personnel.”

Burkhard Eling will assume the position of CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Spokesperson of the Executive Board on January 1, 2021. The 48-year-old joined Dachser’s Executive Board as CFO in 2013. He was responsible for the worldwide implementation of the SAP system and shaped the company’s transition to the legal form of an SE. He also managed the company-wide strategic innovation program Idea2net. Together with Michael Schilling and Bernhard Simon, he orchestrated the post-merger integration of the Iberian logistics provider Azkar (now Dachser Iberia).

Stefan Hohm will head a newly created Executive Unit, IT & Development, as CDO (Chief Development Officer) starting on January 1, 2021. An experienced manager who has been with the company for 27 years, he will be responsible not just for research and development topics but also for the further development of IT, contract logistics, and the global industry solutions business. The 47-year-old started his career in contract logistics at Dachser before taking over management of the branches in Erfurt and Hof, Germany. As Corporate Director since 2016, he has been responsible for the logistics service provider’s research and development work as well as its solutions business.

Alexander Tonn will assume the position of COO Road Logistics on January 1, 2021, with responsibility for the business development of the European Logistics and Food Logistics business lines. The 46-year-old has been with the company for over 20 years. Following his first management duties as deputy branch manager in Memmingen, Tonn moved to Dachser Head Office in 2014, where he was responsible for the international development of contract logistics. Since 2017 he has also led the European Logistics Germany business unit; he will continue in this role after his appointment as COO Road Logistics. Alfred Miller will retain his role as Managing Director of the Food Logistics business unit.

The future management team will be completed by Edoardo Podestà, who has been a member of the Dachser Executive Board since October 2019 as COO Air & Sea Logistics. Podestà is responsible for the global air and sea freight business as well as the rail services business between Europe and China, and he also heads the ASL Asia Pacific business unit.

Solid foundations on which to build the future

Bernhard Simon has been a member of the Dachser Executive Board since 1999, and has headed the family-owned company as the shareholders’ representative since 2005. The company’s strong growth and its internationalization are due in large part to Simon’s efforts. Under his leadership, Dachser has developed into one of the most renowned logistics providers in Europe and worldwide.

Michael Schilling joined the Dachser Executive Board in 2002; since then, he has built up one of the best-performing Europe-wide groupage networks. With these achievements, he has been and remains the driving force and pacesetter for sustainable growth with cross-border transport and contract logistics services. The standardized processes, IT systems, and IT platforms developed under his leadership form the basis for the high level of quality and reliability that distinguishes Dachser in the logistics market.


Brief overview:

The Dachser Executive Board as of January 1, 2021

Burkhard Eling, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board

Stefan Hohm, CDO

Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics

Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics

N.N., CFO

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser offers transport logistics, warehousing, and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com