pfenning Group takes over Gräfen forwarding company

pfenning Group takes over Spedition Gräfen - acquisition strengthens the transport network, especially in general cargo expertise.

Caption: (from left to right) Lawyer Albrecht Thielen, tax consultant Daniel Krötz, Managing Director of Spedition Gräfen GmbH Hans-Josef Gräfen, his wife Jutta Schulte-Gräfen, Managing Director of the pfenning Group Rana Matthias Nag and notary Prof. Dr Eberhard Kalbfleisch at the signing of the contract. Copyright: pfenning Group.

The pfenning Group is expanding its service portfolio with the strategic acquisition of forwarding company Gräfen Logistik GmbH. The merger, which includes an 80% stake, was completed on 6 March 2023. The pfenning Group is thus securing market access to a Europe-wide groupage network, which will generate synergies for future and existing contract logistics business.

pfenning logistics is diversifying its services through a strategic acquisition and expanding them into new target sectors. The merger with the forwarding company Gräfen Logistik GmbH from Nerdlen in the Vulkaneifel region took place on 6 March 2023. The logistics service provider specialises in the core areas of long-distance transport, general cargo, refrigerated logistics, consignment warehousing and brand distribution and employs around 220 people. Under the leadership of Managing Director Hans-Josef Gräfen, who represents the second generation of owners, the company, which was founded in 1946, has extensive expertise in the areas of 2-man handling, general cargo and food service, which is to be expanded further in the future.

In their future collaboration, the two companies want to pool their expertise and further develop their existing business areas. "We complement each other perfectly, also because we are focussing on promoting young talent from within our own ranks. Spedition Gräfen Logistik is one of the most important training companies in the Vulkaneifel region, with an average of 20 trainees per year. A method that serves as an effective means of combating the future shortage of skilled workers," emphasises Rana Matthias Nag, Managing Director of the pfenning Group.

Hans-Josef Gräfen emphasises the positive similarities between the two companies: "As an owner-managed company with flat hierarchies and short decision-making paths, in pfenning logistics we have found a partner on an equal footing that is compatible with our values."

"The acquisition opens up market access to a nationwide and Europe-wide general cargo network for the pfenning Group. In combination with contract logistics, this opens up further business areas from numerous sectors," adds Rana Matthias Nag.

On its growth path, the pfenning Group has already acquired six more companies since 2021, strengthening its service portfolio in the areas of e-commerce & fulfilment, mobility solutions, fresh produce logistics, personnel services and co-packing/display construction.

The pfenning Group now employs 6,900 people in Europe.

Press contact:
teamtosse Agentur für Kommunikation | www.teamtosse.de
Jens Tosse | +49 (0)89 414 175 290| kontakt@teamtosse.de
Kistlerhofstraße 70 | Gebäude 88 | 81379 München
 
pfenning logistics | www.pfenning-logistics.com
Yeliz Kavak-Küstner | +49 6203 9545 530 | yeliz.kavak@pfenning-logistics.com
Daimlerstraße 4 | 68542 Heddesheim
 
www.multicube.org
www.lkw-logenplatz.de

About the pfenning Group:

The pfenning Group is a contract logistics service provider with a full-service supply chain offering for German SMEs in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Managed by the third and fourth generation of the Pfenning family, the company can look back on 90 years of logistics experience and employs 6,900 people at 110 locations in Germany, Poland, Hungary and Sweden. With a fleet of 1,000 lorries and a total storage area of 750,000 m², the company is the strong backbone for its customers' logistics and is ranked 55th out of 60,000 logistics service providers in Germany in the "Top 100 Logistics" study. Since May 2023, the company has been ranked 18th out of 10,000 German SMEs with a total turnover of up to 1 billion euros, according to "Die Deutsche Wirtschaft".

The Heddesheim-based group of companies has continuously expanded its product portfolio. State-of-the-art warehousing and transport solutions are accompanied by a wide range of value-added services, from plant security and metal construction to property development. The pfenning Group is one of Germany's leading service providers in the nationwide retail supply sector. But other sectors also rely on the expertise of the Heddesheim-based company: several special warehouses have been built and put into operation for the chemical, automotive, FMCG, food and pharmaceutical industries. The company has acquired further expertise through strategic acquisitions in the areas of fashion logistics and e-commerce for consumer and medical technology goods. It supplies solutions that ensure stable merchandise management cycles, guarantee an excellent price-performance ratio and pave the way for market success.

Five decades of experience form the foundation on which pioneering property projects are realised. With the multicube rhein-neckar, pfenning logistics developed an innovative, multi-award-winning multi-user concept in 2012 that offers space for individual forms of use and sustainable requirements. This success story has been continued with the multicube rheinhessen since 2018. Both logistics centres are among the top 10 industrial buildings in Europe to have been awarded DGNB Platinum. Based on this model, pfenning logistics has been building up to 300,000 m² of qualified warehouse capacity in Germany and Europe since 2022.

For short-term requirements, the pfenning Group offers the nationwide logistics service concept "WAREhouses+". Almost 400,000 m² are available at several locations in Germany, including the transport hubs of Karlsruhe, Düsseldorf and Rhine-Main. The space is managed by pfenning logistics. The concept is aimed at a wide range of industries such as retail, chemicals and automotive, which benefit from specialised logistics services and value-added services.

The pfenning Group's corporate philosophy is based on responsibility, commitment and trust. These values guide the team in its daily business. The focus is on transparency, openness and honesty - so that individual and pragmatic solutions can be developed efficiently and flexibly. The company's continuous growth is supported by qualified and experienced managers who contribute their expertise in key positions on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact Yeliz Kavak-Küstner.