Logistics World Alliance
Between them, Bibby Distribution UK, Azkar Spain and Portugal, Bartolini Italy, MGF Logistique France and the Rhenus group Germany have 24,800 employees and annual sales of €2.4bn. "We can serve customers from 500 sites in Europe and Asia and collectively can use over 2.5m m² of storage space", says Hans-Peter Schneider who will head the World Alliance as Managing Director. The companies involved have a combined fleet of 10,000 vehicles – from bulk carrying trucks to messenger cars for parcel delivery. The European Office of the Alliance is at Rhenus headquarters in Holzwickede/Germany.
"Our customers tell us that they prefer logistics experts who are particularly knowledgeable in the various national markets“, says Iain Speak, COO of Bibby Distribution. "Logistics groups who are active worldwide often find it hard to meet the high standards specified for all the countries involved. This is an opportunity for LWA in that each of the member companies specializes in certain markets. At the same time we work from a joint platform, which ensures smooth integration across national and corporate boundaries.“
This World Alliance offers clients a complete range of high-grade contract logistics – from storage and handling to a variety of value-added services such as quality monitoring, repairs, and recycling. Geographically, the
focus is on Europe; for intercontinental supply chains the Alliance works with proven partners in Asia, etc.
Unlike other groups of companies, the Alliance practices a "One Face to the Customer“ approach where a client, instead of making separate agreements with each of the partners, determines conditions and services for all logistics firms involved through his contact. "Such an arrangement can only function with hand-picked partners who set high standards for themselves and their work. This is why we selected the founding members and cooperation partners very carefully“, commented Miguel Ambielle, Deputy General Manager for Azkar.
Cross-border integration of individual logistics solutions is supported by advanced approaches such as the Business Networking Platform. Developed by Rhenus, this system combines Internet techniques with functions derived from Enterprise Resource Planning. For example, an overseas customer can use the platform to monitor processes in individual European markets and to follow the development of previously defined indices.
Members also include:
Azkar www.azkar.com is the leading logistics company in the Iberian peninsula with a workforce of 5,000, 640.000 m2 storage space and a fleet of 2.200 trucks. In 2005 Azkar had a turnover of € 330m. In the last five years alone, Azkar invested just under €170m into its Spanish and Portuguese sites.
Bartolini www.bartolini.it has a workforce of 10,000, over 500,000 m² of storage space and annual sales of €490m. Every year, Italy's leading provider of integrated logistics services delivers as many as 80m parcels.
MGF Logistique www.mgf.fr belongs to the G7 group which has annual sales of €108m and employs 1,440 people. As a logistics provider, MGF has some 670,000 m² of space at 47 sites in the Paris metropolitan area and in the north, southwest and southeast of France.
Rhenus group www.rhenus.com is a leading logistics company in Europe, with sales of €1.3bn and over 7,400 employees. Rhenus uses 100 sites throughout Europe. With divisions such as Contract Logistics, Port Logistics and Intermodal the company manages complex supply chains and provides innovative value-added services.
Cooperation partners of LWA include the Seaways Group India, the Shibusawa Warehouse Company Japan, the UVK Company Ukraine, Avalon Group Russia and Elesco Europe, a provider of repair services in Europa, as well as HECC Alliance who operate a call center in 14 languages in the Netherlands.
