DACHSER optimistic for 2010

Kempten/Munich, 13 April 2010. Despite a downturn in revenue in 2009, the internationally operating logistics provider, DACHSER, is looking optimistically to the current business year. Optimized processes and new customer contracts have levelled the drop in revenue at 9.4 percent.

The impact of the financial and economic crisis has also affected DACHSER, one of the most deeply integrated logistics providers in the international arena, bringing about a drop in consolidated gross revenue from EUR 3.58 billion to EUR 3.24 billion.

Nevertheless, DACHSER management spokesman Bernhard Simon is confident that the company is right on track: “We have used the crisis year in 2009 to carefully review and optimize our processes, structures and management concepts. We have a sound financial base, which will enable us to continue to expand our logistics network to the benefit of our customers.”

All in all, the logistics provider handled 41.8 million consignments in 2009, weighing a total of 29.4 million tonnes. This represented a slight increase of 1% in tonnage transported.

DACHSER stands by its employees

Simon in particular expressed his satisfaction over the number of newly acquired customer contracts and the largely stable number of employees.

At the end of 2009, DACHSER employed a staff of 17,500 at 306 locations, of whom 10,350 are based in the company’s home country, Germany.

“Intelligent logistics needs well-qualified staff,” Simon believes. For the incipient recovery, the sustainably operating DACHSER family enterprise is placing its hopes on the people who are the heart and soul of the company. Last year the family enterprise founded the DACHSER Academy. At the Cologne location, staff from all over the world learn about every aspect of logistics, preparing them in a targeted way for the complex tasks in the industry.

Differentiated development in the business segments

In its core business segment, DACHSER European Logistics, the transport of consolidated goods in Europe, revenue fell by 9%. The comparatively low decline on the group average of 6% in the German home market had a stabilizing effect on this result. This business segment accounts for 67% of the group’s total revenue.

Air and sea freight operations were also the hardest hit at DACHSER by the loss in revenue. The DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics business segment posted a result in line with the general average decline in this market segment and accounted for 17% of the revenue of the DACHSER group. Contrary to the market trend, the DACHSER Food Logistics business segment managed to improve its performance by 1%. DACHSER, a leading provider of food logistics in the German market, posted a very positive result in this segment. The business segment contributed 15% to overall group revenue.

Positive outlook for 2010

The new financial year got off to a promising start. The results in Q1 stabilized at the level of Q4 2009, giving justified reason for optimism “Although at the moment we cannot predict sustained general economic recovery with absolute certainty, we nevertheless see good possibilities for DACHSER to take advantage of a range of market opportunities that will present themselves in 2010,” Bernhard Simon explains.

With its strategic Mobilization for Europe focus programme, dubbed “MOBILE 2015”, DACHSER has laid the foundation stone for further growth in the European groupage market. In addition to the existing Euro hub in Überherrn, DACHSER is establishing two more Euro hubs in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Clermont-Ferrand (France), and thus expanding its portfolio of products and services in central and eastern Europe. DACHSER will continue to invest in the expansion of its closely meshed network; in the current business year the company has earmarked an investment volume of EUR 156 million.

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