Kuenhe + Nagel to establish Eurohub in central Germany
Logistics firm Kuehne + Nagel is continuing the expansion of its overland network in Europe with the acquisition of a groupage facility in central Germany. The company said yesterday it has agreed a deal to acquire Carl Drude GmbH for an undisclosed amount. The deal remains subject to clearance by competition authorities.
Assuming it goes through, the acquisition would hand Kuenhe + Nagel a 7,200 square metre transshipment terminal located at Hauneck, in the Bad Hersfeld area of northeastern Hesse, right at the geographical heart of Germany.
Drude Logistik, which has 150 employees and 40 of its own vehicles, also has 11,500 square metres of additional warehouse space under its management. It currently ships out 12,000 tonnes of long-distance cargo and 2,000 tonnes of regional cargo each month.
Kuehne + Nagel said the 105-bay facility would provide another European hub for its international groupage activities, since its current central hub in Haiger is not in a position to be expanded.
Routing of the company’s international groupage network, which links 38 countries in Europe, is to be changed to incorporate the new Eurohub, establishing a hub-and-spoke system from which daily lines will connect to 50 European economic centres from next year.
“Highly capable”
Dirk Reich, executive vice president for road and rail logistics at Kuehne + Nagel, said taking on Drude Logistik would mean access to a “highly capable hub operation”, providing expertise, infrastructure and a good geographical position.
“Acting as our new Eurohub, it enables us to increase the number of departures, reduce lead times and achieve a better capacity utilisation due to a consistent consolidation and overnight transshipment operations,” said Reich.
“As a result, all Kuehne + Nagel locations linked to the Eurohub will benefit from improved service levels. The new routing via the Eurohub will be finalised mid-2012.”
Kuehe + Nagel confirmed that its domestic German operation will continue to be operated in partnership with the IDS groupage network, run out of the national IDS hub in Neuenstein-Aua.
