The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss achieved a net turnover of 1.77 billion euros in the 2020 business year. That corresponds to an increase in turnover of 3.7 percent compared to the previous year (2019: 1.71 billion euros). The company thus continues the growth rate of previous years.
"Crucial to the positive balance was that we remained flexible and fully operational even during the corona crisis, in branches around the world. Thus, despite the recurring phases of lockdown and the global lack of cargo space, we were able to always offer our customers suitable transport solutions. Our employees have performed exceptionally in demanding conditions,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chairman of the Board of Gebrüder Weiss.
The digital strategy is working well
The company reached a milestone in the digitization process in 2020 with the launch of the new myGW customer portal. The online platform provides easy, fast and direct online access to all Gebrüder Weiss services and provides real-time information.
"Our digital strategy 'Best of Both Worlds' - a combination of operational and digital competence - has proved successful, especially now during the crisis. We have shown that we are a reliable and innovative logistics partner. Positive customer feedback strengthens us in our strategic focus,” adds Wolfram Senger-Weiss.
The customer portal is currently used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The expansion of the portal to other countries is planned for this year. Global branch network expanded Gebrüder Weiss continues the internationalization process that began in 2020: In the aviation and maritime sectors, Gebrüder Weiss strengthened its branch structure in Germany and entered the market in Poland, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.
"Extensions have been implemented at a distance almost everywhere due to reduced travel opportunities. This was an extraordinary challenge for the teams, but they were able to successfully manage it using digital means of communication," says Senger-Weiss. The international network thus includes 170 branches in 35 countries, as well as 7,400 employees (equivalent to the number of full-time employees).
In total, the logistics company has invested more than 70 million euros in expanding its branches and IT infrastructure, as well as in acquisitions. The equity ratio remains stable at more than 60 percent, which is a major reason for the company's strength during the crisis, as well as the ability to develop further despite challenging conditions.
CO2 neutrality until 2030
Gebrüder Weiss also pursues its clear goals in the case of a sustainability strategy: CO2 leakage should be reduced by ten percent a year, and by 2030, CO2 should be neutral. This should be achieved, inter alia, through photovoltaic installations at the logistics terminal itself, as well as by strengthening the use of alternative truck drives, such as electric, gas or hydrogen drives. In addition to these measures, Gebrüder Weiss offers its customers the option of offsetting emissions based on certified climate protection projects compared to the previous year.
The volatile economic situation of the previous year is reflected in the development of turnover of individual business areas: Due to restrictions and closures on the part of customers, especially in the second quarter, the land transport and logistics sector with a value of 1.10 billion euros decreased by 4.3% (2019: € 1.15 billion).
Rising demand in the online store ensured a 29 percent increase in shipments in the home delivery segment (1.37 million shipments in 2020). Thus, Gebrüder Weiss has become the market leader in Austria and other Eastern European countries. In air and shipping, we managed to increase turnover by 23.7 percent (2019: 380 million euros) with EUR 470 million.
In addition to good business development, especially in shipping, the situation was favorably affected by the acquisition of Ipsen Logistics. In the context of the biggest challenges, DPD Austria, whose partner company is Gebrüder Weiss Paketdienst (GWP), has delivered more than 57 million packages. This represents an increase of more than ten percent, which was successfully reflected during the coronary crisis.
Source: // Logistics systems
