Joint Venture GR Logistik Celebrates 10th Anniversary

The successful joint venture GR Logistik celebrates its 10th anniversary in tire logistics. The two participating companies, GRIESHABER Logistik GmbH and Edgar Rothermel Internationale Spedition GmbH, have combined their strengths for the company and have been successfully operating for a decade as one of the few players in the tire distribution market.

(Weingarten) GR Logistik GmbH, as a specialist in tire distribution, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023. The joint venture began with the requirements of a long-standing customer who aimed to expand the existing collaboration in tire distribution to a broader regional area. Both project partners already had decades of experience in tire distribution at that time. The two existing transshipment points in Weingarten and Freiburg, also known as TSPs (Transshipment Points), were already optimally positioned. Finally, in April 2013, GR Logistik GmbH was founded as a joint venture of the companies Edgar Rothermel Internationale Spedition GmbH and GRIESHABER Logistik GmbH. Both logistics companies contributed their respective strengths to the joint venture.

GRIESHABER is responsible for the central administration of GR Logistik, the IT, and as a service tower, the management of the now 15 TSPs in Germany and Austria. In addition, partnerships with other regions within Germany and neighboring countries are maintained. Rothermel ideally complements the portfolio with extensive experience in direct loading traffic with the specific requirements of tire logistics and therefore manages the central disposition from the customer warehouses in Rothermel’s home base, Östringen. The merger of both logistics companies creates the optimal partnership for tire logistics in Germany and Austria.

Long-standing Partnership with Customers

The concept of GR Logistik thrives on long-standing and close partnerships with customers. The added value for customers includes complete shipment tracking with Track & Trace and short delivery times due to optimally positioned distribution centers within Germany. “During the tire change season, it is important that our customers are supplied as quickly as possible. With our reliable 24-hour delivery service, we can meet urgent and short-term orders according to customer needs. This means for our customers the speed they need to provide optimal service to their end customers,” emphasizes Nicole Yasar-Seifried, Managing Director of GR Logistik GmbH. “With innovative concepts, we are exploring new paths with our customers in the area of sustainability and the reduction of CO₂.” The diverse service offering is expanded by several tire hotels of GR Logistik and its partners with seasonal storage of complete wheels, as well as the crucial safety factor of the DOT inspection to determine whether the tires can still be used or not.

Complete Tire Handling for Germany and Austria

Martin Rothermel, Managing Director of GR Logistik GmbH, adds: “We manage the complete tire handling for our customers in Germany and Austria. This service portfolio is complemented by returns and container management, as well as the management of the carcass center in Östringen. Based on our own large capacities, we can guarantee the highest safety for our customers.” For both participating companies, quality and flexibility are paramount alongside tire logistics. The combination of these factors is the success of GR Logistik GmbH.

After its founding in 2013 and the continuous expansion of the distribution area, the customer base was expanded in 2018 with long-standing partnerships. In 2020, the joint venture FGR Logistics & Distributions GmbH was established with FIEGE and GR Logistik. Here, the purchase of a property by GR Logistik in Fürth laid the foundation for an efficient tire TSP and contributes to the further stabilization of the tire network. In 2021, the market positioning was further strengthened by the reconstruction and operation of its own TSP in Östringen, as well as the newly built transshipment hall of GRIESHABER Logistik GmbH in Weingarten in 2022. The certification of GR Logistik GmbH by EcoVadis reflects the commitment to sustainable business practices, social responsibility, and the approach to reducing negative impacts on the environment. Further measures to promote sustainability are already in planning and implementation for 2023 and the following years.

5.5 Million Truck and Car Tires Annually

In the 2022 fiscal year, approximately 5.5 million truck and car tires with a total weight of 100,000 tons were delivered by all major tire manufacturers to dealers and workshops. This concept is convincing and opens up further growth opportunities for GR Logistik.

Photo: © GR Logistik