Gebrüder Weiss Acquires Rhenus Operations in Bulgaria

The international logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is acquiring the operations of Rhenus Bulgaria, thereby strengthening its leading position in Southeast Europe. The purchase agreement was recently signed in Sofia, and the acquisition is subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities. Rhenus has been a long-standing partner of Gebrüder Weiss in many countries and is now withdrawing from the Bulgarian market in the road sector.

(Sofia/Lauterach) “The acquisition of Rhenus Bulgaria’s customers and employees will double our long-standing successful unit in Bulgaria and thus marks the next major development step. We can significantly expand our presence in the Bulgarian market for international freight forwarding and logistics and strengthen our distribution network with additional locations,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chairman of the Executive Board of Gebrüder Weiss. “With this acquisition, we are entering the home delivery market in Bulgaria and expanding our geographical coverage in the region.”

All Rhenus Employees to be Taken Over

Rhenus has been successfully active in Bulgaria for many years and has locations in the capital Sofia as well as a distribution network with additional branches in Plovdiv in the Thracian Plain and in the port of Varna on the Black Sea, the most important transport hub for the northeast of the country. “We are very pleased to have found a long-standing partner in Gebrüder Weiss who will successfully continue the Rhenus locations in Bulgaria with their employees,” says Alexander Gechev, Managing Director of Rhenus Bulgaria. The acquisition includes locations in Sofia, Burgas, Svilengrad, Varna, and Plovdiv. The handover process will be accompanied by the management team of Rhenus Bulgaria. All approximately 100 Rhenus employees are to be taken over.

Entry into Home Delivery

Gebrüder Weiss has been active in Bulgaria since 1993. At the two locations in Sofia (Elin Pelin) and Varna, the logistics provider offers services in land transport, air and sea freight, as well as logistics solutions. The range of services is set to be expanded in the future with the entry into home delivery. In the area of end customer delivery, Gebrüder Weiss is a market leader in several countries in Central and Southeast Europe. With the acquisition of the business activities and employees of Rhenus Bulgaria, Gebrüder Weiss’s strong Eastern European expertise will be further strengthened. Immediately after the turnaround period, the logistics company expanded from Central Europe towards the East and today has a dense network of locations in numerous countries in Southeast Europe. Photo: © Gebrüder Weiss/Denny Kirilova / Caption: At the contract signing in Sofia/Bulgaria (l. to r.): Alexander Gechev (Managing Director Rhenus Bulgaria), Marieta Grigorova (Managing Director Gebrüder Weiss Bulgaria), Thomas Moser (Director and Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss)