Gebrüder Weiss: New logistics centre in the Caucasus goes into operation
Modern hub with over 10,000 m² logistics space as a hub for the Caucasus region / Weekly overland groupage-freight service connects Western Europe and Near Eastern markets
Lauterach/Tbilisi, 24 September 2013. After eight months of construction, Gebrüder Weiss officially commissioned its logistics facility in the Georgian capital Tbilisi last Friday (20 September 2013). The new GW site is intended to establish itself as a hub between Europe and the Near East as well as a gateway into Central Asia in the longer term. At the inaugural festivities, Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Board Member of Gebrüder Weiss said, “This branch will allow us to offer our customers improved access to the upcoming markets in the East. Additionally, we can offer our full range of services according to western quality standards in the Georgian and Caucasian region as well.” The on-site portfolio includes overland transportation, air and sea freight, logistics solutions and project business.
A hub at the heart of Eurasia
The terminal has 10,500 m² handling and logistics space as well as 600 m² office space. With its 95,000 m², the total area offers a great deal of scope for expansion. The hub is located close to the airport and offers direct links to important through-roads around the Georgian capital. There are plans for a connection to the rail network which the Georgian government is currently expanding nationwide. Thomas Moser, Regional Manager South-East/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss explains, “The good transport links make Tbilisi an ideal hub for traffic between East and West.” Gebrüder Weiss currently employs around 50 staff members at the new terminal. It is planning to increase the total to 80 employees.
A Gebrüder Weiss groupage-freight service has already been in operation since the start of 2012 on the Passau – Tbilisi line. Standard transit time for the freight which is transported on a weekly basis is a maximum of eight working days. Thomas Moser clarifies, “A groupage-freight service of this kind is unique to Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. All of our customers can benefit from the link through the integration of the Passau location into the European-wide general cargo and groupage freight transport network GW pro.line.”
Gebrüder Weiss is not only transporting commercially available goods such as clothing, metals, engines and food on the northern and southern overland route between Europe and the Causacus: the transport and logistics company is also carrying out numerous special and heavy transportation projects – such as, for instance, a helicopter for heliskiing in the Caucasian Mountains or most recently 150 tractors for the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture.
Already in June 2012, Gebrüder Weiss took its first step into the Caucasus region by entering the Georgian market. Tegeta Motors is represented as its partner in Transcaucasia. Tegeta Motors is engaged in export in Armenia and Azerbaijan, therefore the existence of a high quality and large scale warehousing and logistic centre was of strategic importance to the company. Basing on the bilateral agreement and mutual interests, Tegeta Motors and Gebrüder Weiss have implemented the joint project.
About Gebrüder Weiss
With about 6,000 employees, 162 company-owned locations and an annual turnover of over 1.15 billion euros (in 2012), Gebrüder Weiss ranks among the leading transport and logistics companies in Europe. In addition to its core business of overland transport, air & sea freight and logistics, the company also operates a number of highly specialised industry solutions and subsidiaries under the umbrella of Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach (Vorarlberg, Austria). This includes logistics consultancy x|vise, tectraxx (industry specialist for hi-tech businesses), inet-logistics (software solutions for TMS transport management), dicall (telephone service, consulting, telemarketing), Railcargo (railway transport) and the Gebrüder Weiss parcel service, GWP, a shareholder in the Austrian company DPD. This bundling of services allows the Group to respond to customer needs quickly and flexibly. Having implemented a variety of ecological, economic and social initiatives, the company, which is still family-owned and has a history going back 500 years, is considered a pioneer in terms of sustainable business.