thyssenkrupp subsidiary benefits from contract logistics expertise

Gruber Logistics and Berco extend successful partnership

25 June 2025
Auer – At the end of this spring, Gruber Logistics and Berco extended their cooperation for another three years. The heavyweight of the Italian logistics market and the subsidiary of the German thyssenkrupp Group, which was founded there a century ago, use the efficient Interporto hub in Bologna for their contract logistics cooperation. Gruber Logistics handles the consolidation of goods and the national distribution of Berco products from its location in Emilia-Romagna. The renowned company, with a history spanning more than 100 years, is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of undercarriage systems for heavy machinery, which are fed into the dealer network by Gruber Logistics. Projects beyond Italy's borders are already being planned for the future expansion of the partnership, not least in the important aftermarket.

"Five years ago, Gruber Logistics was primarily active in contract logistics in Germany. We were firmly convinced that it would be possible to serve the Italian market with this service as well. By drawing on tailor-made processes, incorporating digital tools, applying a sustainability approach that is also effective in the social sphere, and offering value-added logistics services, we have succeeded in doing so. Berco was one of our first partners to believe in this development and worked with us to build up this new product range in Italy," emphasises Marcello Corazzola, Managing Director of Gruber Logistics.

Image 1: At its own site in Bologna, located in the Interporto logistics hub in Emilia-Romagna, Gruber Logistics operates on behalf of Berco, a thyssenkrupp subsidiary, on 8,000 square metres in goods consolidation and dispatch preparation for the Italy-wide distribution of the traditional company's machine components. (Source: Gruber Logistics)

"This partnership is part of our growth strategy in the so-called secondary market, which focuses on an increasingly efficient, closely coordinated and international supply chain. Together with Gruber Logistics, we share the vision of integrated logistics that not only provides pure transport or warehousing services, but also represents a strategic lever that guarantees customer proximity and innovative supply chain solutions. This enables us to meet the requirements of constantly evolving global markets," says Giacomo Bottone, Managing Director of Berco, explaining the advantages of the cooperation between the two long-established companies.

In Gruber Logistics' 8,000 square metre facility in the logistics hub in Emilia-Romagna, also known as Freight Village, the service provider provides 1,230 storage units for Berco's often very heavy machine parts. Up to 6,000 tonnes of minimum stock of the chassis systems to be delivered can be kept at the Interporto in Bologna for Berco's dealer network. The location thus serves as a strategic hub for the aftermarket, the trade in maintenance, repair and retrofitting services.

Image 2: Marcello Corazzola, Managing Director of Gruber Logistics, sees the Berco project as a great example of how the service provider's contract logistics services are also gaining profile south of the Alps. (Source: Gruber Logistics)

The logistics partnership, which has already been in place for four years prior to the contract extension in spring 2025 and has been continuously optimised based on the experience gained, is something that both companies would like to expand geographically in the future. In view of the global distribution of Berco products, it is not surprising that the focus in the coming years will also extend beyond Italy.

About Gruber Logistics

Founded in 1936, Gruber Logistics is now a group managed by the third generation of the Gruber family. With a large number of branches in Europe and Asia, it offers its customers 360° services in the areas of full loads, part loads, special transports, air and sea transport, logistics and industrial relocation. Thanks to its international expertise and in-depth knowledge of the countries in which it operates, it covers a wide variety of sectors, from the steel industry to the automotive industry, from the chemical industry to the food and paper industry.
  
For enquiries regarding this press release:
Anna Kurschatke
Medienbüro am Reichstag GmbH
Tel.: +49 30 2061413042
Email: anna.kurschatke@mar-berlin.de