GLS Portugal commences operation
General Logistics Systems B.V., Amsterdam (GLS), and its Portuguese network partner, Personalis S.A., headquartered in Lisbon, have founded a joint venture – GLS Portugal. The agreements were signed on September 23rd and operations will start on November 1st. “The GLS holds 51 per cent of the company”, explains Rico Back, Chief Executive Officer of General Logistics Systems B.V., Amsterdam. “With our entrepreneurial effort we are strengthening our position in Portugal.”
Personalis Managing Directior Karim Issa and Saadi Al-Soudani, Managing Director of GLS International, are taking over the management of GLS Portugal. The Portuguese parcel and express service company Personalis, founded in 1991, is transferring its operations to the new joint venture. “We are implementing standardised and high-quality processes in GLS Portugal which meet the GLS European standards“, the two managing directors agree. “The increase in service quality will catapult GLS Portugal to 3rd place on the Portuguese market in the next few years.“
New processes – a new face
Preparations for the start of operation on November 1st are currently on at full speed. “Both the information technology as well as the complete software and hardware architecture will be replaced and adapted to the newest GLS standard“, explains Saadi Al-Soudani. “In addition we will optimise the processes of parcel handling and invest in new parcel sorting technology in Lisbon and Porto.”
The GLS brand will be visible everywhere by November of this year. By this time, not only the buildings will show GLS Portugal’s logo. The employees and delivery drivers will also be wearing new GLS work clothing and will be driving vehicles labelled with the GLS design.
Rapid growth expected
In addition to headquarters and the main transhipment centre in Lisbon, six more depots and approximately 250 vehicles at different locations throughout the country ensure full area-wide service for customers. “Being part of the GLS Group makes it possible for us to offer our customers access to the European market”, states Karim Issa. “We particularly expect an increase in our export rates in the next few years. In terms of quality, we will be the number 1 in Europe.”
Quality delivered by GLS
General Logistics Systems B.V., Amsterdam (GLS), is a Pan-European company providing reliable, high-quality parcel and express services as well as value-added logistics solutions. The company offers its services through wholly owned and partner companies in 34 European states. The GLS system consists of 29 central transhipment points, 667 depots and 14,500 people. Some 17,700 vehicles are on route moving 280 million parcels annually for 220,000 customers throughout Europe. In the financial year 2004/2005, GLS achieved revenues of 1.34 billion euros. GLS stands for “European Leader in Quality“. This is something that everyone working for GLS strives to achieve every day.
UK GLS, Portugal Personalis Establish Joint Venture
Portuguese Business Digest 10-25-2005
UK parcel distribution company General Logistics Systems (GLS), owned by the British postal service Royal Mail, and Portuguese parcel sending and delivery company Personalis SA, will establish a joint venture for operations on the Portuguese market, it was reported on October 24, 2005.
The new company, named GLS Portugal, will be 51 pct controlled by GLS, and will start operations in November 2005.
The financial value of the operation was not announced.
Initially GLS planned to step on the Portuguese market via the purchase of a 25.1 pct stake in Personalis, but the negotiations, which ran since the end of 2004, ended with the establishment of the said joint venture.
Both companies project that GLS Portugal would generate some 8.0 mln euro ($9.6 mln) turnover in its first year of operations.
GLS reportedly offers its services via subsidiaries or partnerships in 34 European countries.
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