Seifert Logistics Group Achieves Solid Results in Crisis Year

The Seifert Logistics Group (SLG) achieved a revenue of 200 million euros in the crisis year 2020. This is the second-best revenue figure in the company’s history. The business areas remain stable despite the Corona crisis, and the group looks optimistically towards the future. With the largest investment in its history, planning for a new multi-user logistics center in Ulm North has begun.

(Ulm) The Seifert Logistics Group (SLG) concluded the business year 2020 with a revenue of 200 million euros. Expectations for the year 2020 were positive, and there were no planning obstacles to the further growth of the company group. However, the outbreak of the Corona pandemic brought the world to a near standstill, including the economy. Despite the crisis year, the company group still achieved the second-highest revenue in its history and was able to conclude the year during the Corona period with a solid and positive result. The company owes this result primarily to the efficient and strategic decisions of the management. “At the beginning of last year, we acted quickly and effectively and turned over every stone to protect our employees and the company group,” said Axel Frey, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of SLG.

Business Areas Remain Stable Despite Corona Crisis

Both major business fields, transport and contract logistics, continued to contribute to the positive result of the company group, despite significant revenue losses in some areas. Although the automotive sector was heavily affected in 2020 and the impacts of the crisis complicated the transport sector due to volatile cargo space utilization and border closures, the broad industry spectrum of the company group helped minimize the losses. The newly acquired IFS certification for trade as well as the food and pharmaceutical sectors also provides an opportunity to flexibly deploy capacities and thus contribute to supply security.

In the contract logistics sector, a large automotive project in the Rastatt region, near Karlsruhe, was extended for another five years. SLG has been based there since 2008 and currently employs around 650 people in the region. Furthermore, the second construction phase of the logistics center of Seifert Automotive Logistics France in Hambach/Lorraine, France, was completed without delays. With more than 40,000 square meters and direct access to the A4 motorway near the German border, the logistics center offers a variety of usage options. There are still storage capacities available for various industries at the site.

SLG Focuses on Additive Manufacturing

SLG is strengthening its additive manufacturing sector. There are already collaborations with companies and research institutions to further build up know-how in the field of 3D printing and proactively prepare for the future. Now, the contract logistics provider is taking another step forward and investing in its own production capacities in the area of additive manufacturing (AM). This is intended to gradually develop AM as an independent business area to counteract changes in business models, increasing goods flows, and rising inventory levels. Julian Seifert, Head of Digitalization at SLG, sees particular benefits in applications for spare parts logistics or medical technology.

Positive Outlook and Investments for 2021

The forecast of the company group for the current business year is positive. “Unlike the global economic crisis in 2009, we expect a faster economic recovery. After the containment of the pandemic, new momentum will return to the economy,” said Frey. The actions of the logistics group speak for themselves. Thus, despite the pandemic, SLG is making the largest single investment of the family business and is establishing a new multi-user logistics center, including a main administrative building. By 2022, 60,000 pallet spaces will be created in the north of Ulm, with its own motorway exit on the A8 and close proximity to the container terminal. “Due to the strategically good location, we are well prepared for the further development of the business as well as the future growth of our company group,” said Harald Seifert, Chairman of the Advisory Board of SLG.

Photo: © Seifert / Image Caption: Simulation of the new multi-user logistics center of Seifert in the north of Ulm