VCHD Cargo has announced its acquisition of the German freight forwarder Völker Logistik. The deal is the Czech company’s biggest investment to this day, and aims at strengthening its position in the largest logistics market in Europe. This milestone transaction will increase the company’s competitive edge within the international line market and, at the same time, boost its capabilities in shorter distances within Germany, including last-line services. The merger of the two family-owned businesses will also provide human resource synergies, especially in terms of professional drivers.
VCHD Cargo is a Czech transport company with more than a 20-year history. It entered the German market in 2019 when it set up its VCHD Cargo GmbH affiliate with headquarters in Radeburg. The acquisition of an established forwarding agent like Völker Logistik gives a boost to the company’s growth, contributing excellent knowledge of the local German transport market and especially Völker Logistik’s experience with short-distance hauls.
“We have been looking for an established company in the German market based in an attractive location for logistics activities that would share our core values. In Völker Logistik, we found both a great specialist in the German market, strategically placed in central Germany with excellent connectivity to the Benelux countries, Switzerland and France, and a family-run business dedicated to the same human and entrepreneurial values as VCHD Cargo,” Petr Kozel, CEO and Chairman of the VCHD Cargo Board, explains, adding: “By joining forces, we will be able to offer better services to our current customers and reach a larger part of the Czech and German markets with an expanded service portfolio.”
Völker Logistik was founded in 2005 as a family business specialising in transport services, goods handling, storage and consulting. The company focuses on local short-distance haulage and specialised long-distance haulage to all parts of Germany. It offers a wide variety of distribution logistics solutions for electronics wholesalers and healthcare product manufacturers as well as night transport and second-day delivery services that reach many German federal states. “The portfolios of our two companies wonderfully complement each other and the deal will allow us to offer to our customers sustainable and creative tailor-made one-stop solutions,” says Niko Völker, executive and agent of Völker Logistik, adding: “the current situation in the German haulage market is strongly affected by growing demand on one hand and lack of professional drivers of the other. We will definitely derive HR synergies as well.”
Völker Logistik and VCHD Cargo are family-owned businesses that share the same traditional values and business attitudes. “We will continue supporting Völker Logistik specialists through a sustainable and fair HR policy, focus on customers and a drive to satisfy their specific needs,” says Petr Kozel. Niko Völker, the son of the company’s founder, will remain at the helm of Völker Logistik. Ing. Petr Kozel will become the second executive, and the company’s team of agents will newly include Ing. Pavel Sirotek and Lars Holste, who will be responsible for the company’s financial management. “With the wonderful team that we have been able to bring together, we are looking forward to new tasks and challenges, growing our customer portfolio and further increasing the quality of our services,” Niko Völker concludes.
VCHD Cargo a.s. was founded in 1997 and specialises in export and domestic cargo transport. The company has branches in Kladno, Brno, Havlíčkův Brod and České Budějovice and offers regular cargo lines to 72 European destinations. It offers full-vehicle as well as LTL export and import transport as well as domestic terminal-terminal and supplier-client services with regular schedules. VCHD Cargo has its own fleet with more than 160 vehicles, including vehicles for ADR shipments and temperature-regulation vehicles. The company is also a carrier certified by the Czech Civil Aviation Authority for the transport of post consignments subject to security checks.
VCHD Cargo also has its own petrol station, professional service and wash line for passenger cars and trucks. The company has more than 335 employees in the Czech Republic and its 2019 gross turnover reached CZK 730 million. For more information, visit http://www.vchd.cz/cs
More about Völker Logistik GmbH: Founded in 2005, the forwarding company Völker Logistik GmbH specialises in haulage services, goods handling, warehousing and consulting. It focuses on local short-distance haulage and specialised long-distance haulage to all parts of Germany. It offers a wide variety of distribution logistics solutions including services for electronics wholesalers and healthcare product manufacturers as well as night transport and second-day delivery services that reach many German federal states. Located in Alsfeld, central Germany, the Völker Logistik headquarters is well connected to the German highway network and offers 1,300 m2 of warehouse space for short-term and medium-term storage and transhipment. The company has its own fleet of vehicles fully compatible with the EURO VI standard. Völker Logistik lays special emphasis on the use of cutting-edge technologies, economic efficiency and sustainable development. As a family-run business, Völker Logistik has built an excellent reputation over the past 15 years, mainly thanks to its high level of professionalism, first-rate consulting, successful educational programmes and maximum effort to meet all deadlines. For more information, go to www.voelker-logistik.de