Militzer & Münch launches joint venture for automotive logistics

St. Gallen, October 28, 2024: Together with automotive logistics expert Uwe Moser, Militzer & Münch has founded the joint venture “M&M Premium Car Logistics GmbH”. The company’s core services are air, sea, and rail freight transports, as well as customs clearance and competent consulting. The aim is to offer companies and private customers comprehensive, first-class logistics services when it comes to transporting rare or unique vehicles such as prototypes, vintage automobiles and racing cars.

The joint venture starts operations on November 1, 2024. “Our target customers include major car manufacturers, but also suppliers to the automotive industry as well as small, exclusive dealers and private collectors of classic cars,” says Holger Seehusen, Managing Director, M&M Militzer & Münch Deutsche Holding GmbH. “We have therefore chosen Stuttgart Airport as the headquarters of our joint venture.” Southwest Germany is a hotspot for the automotive industry. The location at the airport also offers excellent international and regional connections.

 

By air, sea and land

“Our aim is to stand for reliability and quality in the market,” says automotive logistics expert Uwe Moser. “The transport of vehicles is the core competence of our ‘M&M Premium Car Logistics GmbH’ joint venture. It is designed to cover the demand for transportation services by air, sea and land. We also offer customs services for export and import.”

The target markets for these transports are the USA, China, Korea, Japan and South Africa. The vehicles might be shipped there for trade fairs, exhibitions, premieres and media events, but also for testing purposes and private use.

MiPharma – Activities 2024

“By 2025, global sales of temperature-controlled medicine and biologics are expected to reach USD 416 billion. These figures are part of a larger global biopharma market that is expected to exceed USD 1.43 trillion,” according to the official website of MiPharma, a global platform that connects “like-minded supply chain professionals who share a common passion for pharma”.

Militzer & Münch Germany has been a member of MiPharma since 2023 in order to further expand this growing business segment. Holger Seehusen, Managing Director of M&M Germany, and Charlotte Dürr, Group Project Manager for Pharma, attended the three-day global MiPharma conference in Abu Dhabi in May.

“MiPharma helps us to close our network gaps and offers us industry contacts and expertise, even in difficult markets,” says Charlotte Dürr. “For example, through a network partner, we can now also help a German customer who has shipments for hospitals in a war zone in the Middle East. I have also initiated a number of links between other M&M locations and MiPharma members. To name just one: There is a large pharmaceutical customer that our colleagues at M&M India would like to attract that requires freight forwarding services in Hong Kong and warehousing in the UK.”

MiPharma members also have access to newly developed benefits, such as very affordable solutions for purchasing disposable thermal packaging or renting live data loggers, as well as training platforms and risk assessment tools.

Image source: miPharma

Militzer & Münch’s Pharma & Healthcare Logistics Services

Handling pharmaceutical products requires the highest levels of quality, hygiene and safety. In 2022, the German country organisation obtained the GDP (Good Distribution Practices) certificate, which authorises the transport of pharmaceuticals in accordance with EU standards. Our extensive expertise and commitment to the highest quality standards guarantee the safe handling of sensitive pharmaceutical products.

With GDP-compliant transport solutions and many years of experience in time-critical deliveries, we offer direct express deliveries, urgent air freight and on-board courier services for pharmaceuticals, raw materials, consumables, medical devices and spare parts. Thanks to the possibilities of live tracking, intensive cooperation with packaging manufacturers and transport companies as well as detailed lane risk assessments, we find the safest service solution for every transport and help to identify potential savings with smart logistics solutions.

Our commitment extends beyond conventional trade routes – we also deliver to niche markets and crisis areas. By working with local experts and complying with international quality standards, we ensure that urgently needed goods reach their destinations.

We focus on sustainable logistics: in addition to conventional transport routes by lorry or plane, we also use rail and reefer containers from our sister company InterRail for transport between Europe and Asia. In this way, we not only fulfil enhanced quality standards, but also offer environmentally friendly solutions.

We are on the road for our customers around the clock, 365 days a year, using all modes of transport worldwide.

Strengthening the cooperation between Van Duuren and M&M

A contribution by Lilli Macholdt, Trade Lane Manager Maghreb and Deputy Manager of the Eichenzell branch

Stockstadt/Eichenzell. Collaborating and deepening cooperation with strategically important partners can be indispensable and beneficial for both parties. This is the case with companies and CargoLine members Van Duuren Districenters B.V. and M&M Militzer & Münch GmbH Road. The exchange was initiated by the respective Managing Directors Thomas Winter and Jeroen van Duuren.

Van Duuren has been a family-run company for generations, with its headquarters in Vianen, Netherlands, and dates back to 1892, the year it was founded. The company has a total of four offices in Vianen (NL), Schiphol Airport (NL), Cluj (RO) and Barcelona (ES), 100 direct and 150 indirect employees, 10,000 square meters of warehouse space, 175 own vehicles and handles a total of over 2,000 shipments per day. The focus is on European transports between the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and England. Van Duuren has been an official member of the CargoLine groupage network since 2020 – as has the M&M branch in Eichenzell.

There is already a cooperation via the general cargo network, and in order to get a closer look at the respective portfolio and to deepen the cooperation, a mutual personal visit took place. On November 1, 2023, we welcomed Sales Executive Matthijs Van Duuren to the M&M branches in Eichenzell and Stockstadt. In cooperation with the Trade Lane Managers and Markus Kubischok (Operations Director Overland), a comprehensive picture of M&M’s structures and strengths was conveyed.

On February 27, 2024, Lilli Macholdt and Jonas Enders paid a return visit to the headquarters in Vianen. Jonas Enders, who focuses on this topic in Eichenzell with the team management, was able to directly discuss further cooperation opportunities with regard to Western European transports.

In summary, it can be said that this exchange was a great enrichment for everyone involved and that closer cooperation will continue to be intensively pursued and implemented.

Rail as an alternative

Hamburg / Düsseldorf. The media are reporting on the current attacks in the Red Sea, and also on the fact that most shipping companies are avoiding the danger zone and routing their container ships from or to China via the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. This means significantly longer transit times and, especially for imports from China, drastically higher prices. We asked Dirk Bukowski, Director Sales, how the customers of the German M&M air sea cargo GmbH are dealing with the situation.

“We keep our customers constantly informed about the latest developments, and of course this is a point of discussion with our customers,” is the answer. “However, as all shipping companies are following suit, there is nothing we can do about it. The other issue is the longer delivery times. We are noticing that the order rhythms are shifting: Those who would otherwise have ordered at the end of February are already ordering today.” However, there is concrete help with regard to the long delivery time until the container can be unloaded thanks to the rail freight service to and from China.

We spoke to Michael Spitzlei, Düsseldorf, about this. “There have already been inquiries and initial bookings,” says the Head of Rail. In terms of time, rail transport definitely offers a considerable advantage: “Sea freight from China to Germany usually takes six weeks; now, with the new detour, the container takes eight weeks. Rail freight, for example Hamburg – Shanghai, takes 28 to 30 days. Rail freight is therefore normally ten days faster on average.”

We also ask what the prices are like.  “Rail is still more expensive than sea, even with the new sea freight rates. The Chinese railroads have quickly caught up. Switching to rail pays off for customers who are interested in shorter delivery times.”

We are always available to answer any questions you may have. In addition to your known local M&M contacts, our specialised departments can be reached as follows:

Sea Freight Hamburg: Phone +49 40 236111 61, e-mail: ham.oceanrequests@mumnet.com
Team Rail: Phone +49 211 437 186 12, e-mail: sales.rail-germany@mumnet.com

UPDATE Situation in the Red Sea

Dear customers, dear partners at home and abroad:

As already announced in our last newsletter, due to the continuing risk situation in the Red Sea, almost all container shipping lines are now redirecting their ships to the alternative route around the southern tip of Africa.

This essentially entails the following consequences for your shipments to and from Asia:

  • Depending on the port rotation and speed of the ocean-going vessel, the detour adds around 14 to 21 days to the transit time;
  • These delays are already causing significant shifts in the shipping companies’ schedules;
  • The delays and schedule disruptions have already led to a capacity shortage on the westbound route from Asia to Europe since the beginning of the year, which will become even more acute in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year (from 10 February 24). For imports from Asia, we currently have to factor in a pre-booking time of two to three weeks, and the trend is rising;
  • In addition to the surcharges already introduced by the shipping lines to compensate for the longer route, westbound rates are rising rapidly due to the current ship utilization rate, and are now many times higher than the prices quoted at the beginning of December.

We are in constant dialog with all parties involved in the transport process and will of course keep you constantly informed about the status of your sea freight bookings and the progress of your shipments.

Due to the capacity and rate dynamics described above, we would like to ask you to contact us directly about your upcoming sea freight imports in the coming weeks. This way, we can offer you targeted solutions.

In this context, we would like to draw your attention once again to our Rail Service as an alternative to sea freight. Our team is available for bookings at relatively short notice. The transit time from / to China is currently approx. 18 – 21 days from terminal to terminal. We also regularly serve the routes to and from Vietnam, Korea, and Japan by rail, sometimes in combination with a short sea freight leg in Asia. Please do not hesitate to contact us!

Please contact us at any time with any questions you may have! In addition to your known local M&M contacts, our specialist departments are at your disposal as follows:

Sea Freight Hamburg
+49 40 236111 61
ham.oceanrequests@mumnet.com

Team Rail
+49 211 437 186 12
sales.rail-germany@mumnet.com

 

Best regards,
your M&M Sea Freight Team

 

Shipping in the Red Sea under threat / Suez Canal avoidance on the route to and from Asia

Dear customers, dear partners at home and abroad:

As you have no doubt already heard from the media, there were a number of attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea over the past few days. Attacks on merchant ships by the Houthi rebels from Yemen are becoming an everyday occurrence in this trade lane.

In response, the majority of container shipping companies have decided to temporarily stop using the route via the Suez Canal. Until the Red Sea can be sailed safely again, vessels to and from Asia are going to take the alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

We would therefore like to notify you in good time of the possible impact of this situation on your shipments:

  • Depending on the port rotation and speed of the ocean-going vessel, the detour will result in an approximately 14 to 21 days longer transit time.
  • We assume that these delays will cause significant shifts in shipping schedules in the coming weeks and months.
  • We also expect the shipping companies in this trade to introduce freight surcharges at very short notice in order to compensate for the longer route and the resulting higher fuel consumption. Carriers that continue to sail the Suez Canal despite the dangerous situation will incur drastically increased insurance premiums and pass these on in the form of a “War Risk Surcharge”.

We are in constant dialog with all parties involved in transport and will of course keep you informed of the status of your sea freight bookings and the progress of your shipments.

In this context, we would like to expressly draw your attention to our well-established Rail China Service as an alternative to ocean freight. Our rail team is at your disposal for short-term bookings; the transit time is currently approx. 18 – 21 days from terminal to terminal. For more information, please get in touch with us.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time! In addition to the local M&M representatives you know, our specialist departments are available to you as follows:

Sea Freight Hamburg
+49 40 236111 61
ham.oceanrequests@mumnet.com

Team Rail
+49 211 437 186 12
sales.rail-germany@mumnet.com

Best regards,
the M&M Sea Freight Team

New M&M Groupage Line between Germany and Serbia

Stuttgart/Belgrade, October 5, 2023 – In a close collaboration, M&M Germany and M&M Serbia are launching a new joint groupage line. Shipments will be collected at the German M&M Road HUB Stuttgart and will be picked up twice a week by M&M Serbia as per schedule.

In Serbia, Militzer & Münch has an excellent infrastructure, including its own fleet, impressive 36,000 square meters of warehouse space, and dedicated customs agencies for swift and seamless customs clearance. This enables comprehensive distribution within Serbia.

Furthermore, the M&M HUB in Belgrade serves as a central hub for onward transport to the neighboring countries of Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina, providing customers with additional flexibility.

One of the features of this new groupage line is the guarantee of short transit times and a 24-hour distribution service within Serbia. This means that customers will receive their goods even faster and can flexibly adapt to changes in their supply chain needs.

For further information, please visit here: https://www.mumnet.de/de-en/new-service-germany-serbia

We look forward to assisting our customers in optimizing their logistics processes and enhancing the efficiency of their supply chains.

transport logistic 2023 in Munich

Militzer & Münch will be present with its own stand at transport logistic 2023 in Munich, the leading trade fair of the logistics industry, from May 9 to 12, 2023.

Benefit from the expertise of our M&M specialists and experts, as well as from numerous representatives of our M&M organizations abroad, who will be happy to address individual challenges as well as your questions regarding transport handling and operations, and to discuss possible solutions with you.


Our Country Days

From Tuesday to Thursday, you have the special opportunity to receive in-depth advice on Southeast Europe, Rail, Turkey, Central Asia, China, Southeast Asia, North Africa and New Zealand during our Country Days.


Friday is Job & Career Day

With our presentation “Generation Z and the Millennials – Challenges for Employers”, at Campus Plaza booth B2.315/216, we will inform about the latest trends in the world of work for employers, and about career opportunities in the logistics industry.

You will find us in hall A5, booth 227.

We are looking forward to your visit!

Militzer & Münch establishes new country unit in New Zealand

St. Gallen, October 27, 2022. On October 11th, 2022, the new country unit Militzer & Münch New Zealand Ltd. started operations. With the first branch office in Auckland City, the Militzer & Münch network grows into the Polynesian region.

Militzer & Münch has recently started to offer its customers in New Zealand high-quality services in the air and sea freight sector. Its focus is on the import and export of various industrial goods and agricultural products. The newly founded company is part of a growth strategy, in the course of which Militzer & Münch is developing promising markets for itself.

New Zealand with its prosperous economy fits perfectly into this strategy: Due to the favourable climate, the agricultural sector thrives all year round, and agricultural products such as dairy products, wool, or meat account for a large share of exports. New Zealand is the world’s largest exporter of dairy products, for example. The island nation is largely dependent on international trade; imports include almost every industrial good.

 

Growing together

Shakir Samsudeen, 38, will head the company based in Auckland City. He is an experienced freight forwarder and knows the industry very well. The new country unit will start with three employees. it is planned to be expanded soon, however.

“The new country unit will serve many different industries, both with import and export”, says Andreas Löwenstein, Regional Managing Director Asia / Far East at Militzer & Münch. “The industrial and logistics sector in New Zealand has grown strongly in recent years and we expect this trend to continue.”

A new office in Wuhan

Beijing, October 25, 2022. M&M China now has an official branch office in Wuhan (population 14 million), one of the most important transportation hubs of China in terms of air and rail. It is also a connection point to different cities and seaports through inland waterways and roads.

The Wuhan branch started operating on September 1, 2022, and offers the full range of M&M services. Jacky Zhu has been appointed branch manager. Having worked in sales for M&M China for five years in Wuhan, he has built a stable customer base and is familiar with the local market.

Market study participation

St. Gallen, October 6, 2022. How do shippers cope with the fluctuating freight rates in logistics? The University of St. Gallen tackled this question with a diverse research consortium from the logistics industry. The result is a 132-page study that addresses challenges, practices, and instruments. Militzer & Münch participated in the study.

For several years now, Militzer & Münch has been a member of the Association of the Institute of Supply Chain Management at the University of St.Gallen. The institute regards itself as an international platform for the dialogue between science and practice in the field of Supply Chain Management. Holger Seehusen, Managing Director of M&M air sea cargo GmbH, regularly participates in various activities. For him, involvement in the study was an opportunity to demonstrate what practices shippers, forwarders and brokers can adopt to counteract volatile freight rates in logistics markets.


Volatile freight rates and sustainability

The study, titled “Managing Volatility in Logistics Markets”, examines freight rate volatility across ocean, road, rail, and air transport modes, and highlights management practices from the perspective of shippers and logistics service providers. It also provides a classification and analysis of indices and digital business models in the freight sector, thus making a significant contribution to a better understanding of the tools available on the market and their individual value propositions for shippers, forwarders and carriers.  In addition to fluctuating freight rates, sustainability concerns are also becoming increasingly important. “I am convinced that in the near future, decision-makers or customers, respectively, will not care so much whether it costs x € per kilogram, but how high the carbon footprint is in the goods procurement process,” says Holger Seehusen.

 

Workshops and interviews

After the official start of the project in August 2021, workshops were held in the following three months; the final presentation took place in December 2021. Work then started on the study. Besides the University of St. Gallen and Militzer & Münch, other logistics service providers, shippers, IT providers, and a commercial law firm were involved.

In addition to the regular exchange within the consortium, 44 interviews were conducted with logistics experts between early September and the end of November, and used as source material for the compilation of the study.

“We defined relevant criteria to determine a suitable segmentation of logistics markets,” says Prof. Dr. Erik Hofmann from the University of St. Gallen. “Based on these criteria, e.g., geographic reach, mode of transport, and carrier, we examined four relevant logistics scenarios. Our goal was for the study to provide practitioners with a basis for implementing concrete solutions.”

Interested parties can access the study free of charge via the following link:

https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/266520/

 

Supply Chain Innovation Day

Participation in the study is only part of Militzer & Münch’s commitment to the Association of the Institute of Supply Chain Management at the University of St.Gallen. In order to get young people interested in the field of logistics and to draw their attention to Militzer & Münch as an employer, Holger Seehusen was a speaker at the Supply Chain Innovation Day initiated by the University of St. Gallen in Rorschach on Lake Constance last year. Militzer & Münch was also represented there with a small information booth. This year, Eva-Charlotte Dürr, Group Project Manager Pharmaceuticals, M&M Militzer & Münch International Holding AG, Switzerland, and Vignesh Pandi, Trade Lane Manager North America Airfreight, M&M air sea cargo GmbH, Germany, participated in the Supply Chain Innovation Day on September 27.

Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan – 25 years of textile knowhow

Tashkent, August 30, 2022. Uzbekistan is the sixth largest cotton producer in the world, and when Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan was founded 25 years ago, cotton fiber transport was the main segment, a highly demanding special segment, as the cargo is self-heating unless packed and monitored correctly.

The 25 employees of M&M Uzbekistan nowadays handle all sorts and modes of national and international transports, and recently added customs clearance to the portfolio, too.

M&M Uzbekistan also has many years of experience in importing machinery and equipment for the cotton industry and has become a specialist in project transportation.

How is the market today, we ask Managing Director Khurshid Kasimdzhanov: “Customers appreciate our long presence in the country and our professional key staff, who have been with us for many year.”

Multimodal via the Middle Corridor

The Middle Corridor is currently gaining ground as a promising alternative to the Northern Corridor of the New Silk Road. The route connects exporters from China or Kazakhstan in particular with Northeast, Southeast, and Central Europe.

For their customers, Militzer & Münch experts organize multimodal transports along the New Silk Road: by ship from Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan via the Caspian Sea to the port of Baku in Azerbaijan, then by rail to Georgia, and from the ports of Batumi and Poti via the Black Sea to Europe. Already in 2017, an agreement was signed that regulates transport along the Trans-Caspian route. The route is used mainly to transport Chinese goods to European countries. From Kazakhstan, the time of transport is about 35 days.

As a rule, roughly 80 percent of Chinese goods reach Europe by sea. Currently, the Middle Corridor is becoming established as a reliable alternative to bypass container congestion that prevents on-time shipments at many major ports.

“Thanks to our efficient and competent global network, we were able to respond quickly to the increasing customer demand for this routing,” says Michael Spitzlei, Head of Business Segment Rail at M&M air sea cargo GmbH.

Our goals: effectiveness, conformity, and compliance

Group Quality Manager Maximilian Kaiser is responsible for the quality management at Militzer & Münch sites all over the world. In this interview, he talks about current projects, the quality audit process, and what fascinates him about working in logistics.

 

Well, hello Mr. Kaiser, could you briefly describe what your activities for Militzer & Münch look like? What are your tasks?
The purpose of Quality Management is to ensure that consistently products and services are provided that meet customer requirements and comply with applicable laws and regulations. To this end, as Group Quality Manager, I oversee a wide variety of projects and processes. Our team consists of more than 20 Quality Managers, one for each country unit, all of which are coordinated through the holding company here in St. Gallen.
Our goals can be summarized in three key words: effectiveness, conformity and compliance. This means that, with a clear customer focus, we purposefully implement, maintain and continuously improve a quality management system, or introduce one where it does not yet exist. We solve our customers’ logistics problems effectively, comply with international standards, and meet regulatory and legal requirements. The values guiding us here are loyalty, integrity and respect.

 

What are the current projects or developments that keep you busy in Quality Management?

We passed our surveillance audit for 2022 this May. Not a single deviation from the standard was found during the external audits carried out by auditing company LRQA. At the beginning of 2023, we will then already be proceeding to the ISO 9001:2015 recertification, for which the most extensive audits ever will be carried out: our entire process landscape needs to be compliant with the standards.

In addition, we are rolling out our quality management system at other country units. We are currently seeking ISO 9001:2015 certification for our country units in Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Malaysia. A local quality manager is in charge of adapting the standards to the individual requirements of the companies and of ensuring compliance with them.
Closely linked to quality management is risk management, for which we are currently optimizing various processes throughout our country units. In cooperation with our Head of Group Controlling, I am also establishing an Environmental Management System in accordance with the international environmental management standard ISO 14001:2015. This will strengthen our ecological awareness and make it easier for our customers to take environmental factors into account in their transport operations. Our Quality, Risk and Environmental Management together will form an Integrated Management System, which we will launch in March 2023.

 

What is the procedure of a quality audit?

We select internal audits on the basis of what is known as the “risk-based approach”. With this risk-based approach, we decide on specific sites, taking into account time, success and risk factors. When were the sites last audited? How important is the site to the success of the company? By selecting which sites will the risk of quality loss be minimized? The local Quality Manager supports local management in the implementation, administration and improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS). At the same time, the team carries out audits at sites in other countries of the region. For example, a colleague from France goes to Morocco or vice versa – after all, no one should audit themselves.

Here at headquarters, we coordinate what is to be audited where and by whom. Depending on what exactly we want to check, the auditor examines various processes. Do they meet customer requirements? Are they compliant with ISO 9001:2015? The results then end up at my desk, and I analyze them in collaboration with the local Quality Manager.

 

Could you please briefly describe your professional background? Which functions did you go through at Militzer & Münch?

I majored in economics and business administration. My first point of contact with Militzer & Münch was my traineeship starting in June 2017. In Frankfurt, I was assigned to the airport, in Stockstadt, I became familiar with our road transport division, and finally, in St. Gallen, I got to know our holding company. From August 2018 to January 2022, I was Executive Assistant to the CEO and Executive Assistant to Group Management, respectively. Then, I was appointed Executive Assistant to the Board of Directors of TransInvest Holding AG. Since October 1, 2021, I have also been Group Quality Manager. In cooperation with the Institute of Supply Chain Management of the University of St. Gallen, Militzer & Münch organizes the Talent Management Program to promote our in-house prospective managers, and I am participating in this program this year. I am certified in the areas of project and environmental management, and I am also currently qualifying as a Chartered Financial Analyst.

 

What fascinates you about the logistics industry?

Our team consists of many generalists, who are also specialized. All forwarders need to be knowledgeable in a wide range of areas: They have to understand the market, know import and export flows, keep an eye on the infrastructure and the political climate of many countries. At the same time, they are specialists in their field – road transport, airfreight, sea freight or project logistics. Every day brings new challenges in an international context. The topics and tasks we deal with are always a new and exciting experience.

Militzer & Münch China – now also in Ningbo

Ningbo, August 1, 2022. Ningbo, a major port and industrial hub in east China’s Zhejiang province, is the newest location for Militzer & Münch in China; the Ningbo branch office was opened on August 1. In line with the M&M growth strategy, M&M China is now also present in one of the economic centers southeast of the Yangtze River Delta.

The new location will help to improve the M&M network and presence in the area and aims to enhance local sales and to consistently provide diversified and high standard services to our clients.

Under branch manager Sherry Xie, the new location offers the full range of M&M services. Sherry Xie has 17 years of experience in the freight forwarding industry; she is regarded a specialist for the Middle East route, and will focus on developing the Middle Eastern, European and Southeast Asian market.

… and a new Director South China

Carl Gao, previously Branch Manager of the Shanghai office, has been appointed Regional Director South China to support business development in the region, which comprises the M&M offices in Shanghai, Ningbo, Chongqing and Shenzhen. The new function improves the management structure of the Chinese country unit.

A successor at the helm of the Shanghai branch will be appointed in the near future.

Militzer & Münch Poland and Germany expand cooperation

Germany is Poland’s most important trade partner, and for Germany, the partner country also ranks in the top five. Economic analyses predict that this trend will intensify in the future. Since summer 2021, the two Militzer & Münch country units have therefore strategically stepped up their cooperation in the road transport segment.

The focus is on the transport of part loads (LTL) – mainly imports from Germany to Poland. On customer request, Militzer & Münch also transports the goods as groupage. In this case, the logistics provider delivers the consignments to one of three conveniently located transshipment warehouses in Poland, and consolidates the cargo there, if needed.

While the local Militzer & Münch team takes care of coordination, organization, and customer service, partner companies handle the nationwide distribution.

Sales are increasing

“We work with partners which we select for each shipment via a scheduling software. In order to save resources, we pick up additional loads on the way, plan our transports together, and try to concentrate the coordination in the receiving country,” says Thomas Winter, Managing Director of Militzer & Münch Germany. He predicts a positive development: “The teams have always been able to react fast; they always found suitable solutions for our customers – we have received some good new orders. We are already noticing a perceptible increase in sales. I definitely see a positive development here for the future!”

Militzer & Münch opens branch in Shenyang

Colon Sun

St. Gallen, 13 July 2022. On July 1st, the Militzer & Münch Group took into operation the ninth M&M branch office in China. With the new office in Shenyang, the logistics company now also covers the northeast of the country.

After the opening of a branch in Chongqing at the beginning of the year, the presence in Shenyang is another milestone in Militzer & Münch’s growth strategy. With this move, the company is consolidating its network of local experts: M&M now counts 100 employees in China.

Branch manager Colon Sun will head and develop the new location. A specialist for the market in Northeast China, he has been active in the international freight forwarding industry for eleven years.

“In Colon Sun, we have won an experienced expert for our new branch office,” says Andreas Löwenstein, Militzer & Münch Regional Managing Director Asia / Far East. “We are convinced that he and his will be able to further expand our local business. With our presence in the northeast of the country, we can now also offer our customers diversified, high-quality services in that area.”

 

Shenyang – center of heavy industry

Nine million people live in the metropolis of Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province and one of China’s most important heavy industry centers. With its proximity to the modern port city of Dalian, its links to the country’s three northeastern provinces and to the neighboring economic zones to the south and east, Shenyang is a major transportation hub.

Militzer & Münch ist zum modernen Unternehmen gewachsen

Katja Jooß betreut das Controlling sowie die SAP-Entwicklung in der MMcom-Niederlassung im bayerischen Hof. 2021 feierte sie ihr 25-jähriges Dienstjubiläum. Im Interview berichtet sie, wie sich die Arbeit im vergangenen Vierteljahrhundert verändert hat, und was ihr an Militzer & Münch sowie der Logistikbranche gefällt.

Frau Jooß, bitte beschreiben Sie kurz Ihren beruflichen Werdegang. Welche Funktionen haben Sie bei Militzer & Münch durchlaufen?

Ich habe zunächst eine Ausbildung zur Speditionskauffrau gemacht. Anschließend bin ich in der Verwaltung geblieben und war dann einige Zeit im Controlling tätig. Ich übernahm dann nach und nach die Verantwortung für die Entwicklung und Pflege unseres SAP-Systems. Dazu gehören die Benutzer- und Berechtigungspflege, der Anwendersupport in Deutschland und Dubai sowie Supportaufgaben im Controlling. Das ist seit über 20 Jahren ein ständiger Lern- und Entwicklungsprozess, da sich im SAP-Bereich immer wieder neue Projekte, gesetzliche Vorgaben und Herausforderungen ergeben.

Wie hat sich Militzer & Münch in den vergangenen 25 Jahren verändert?

Als ich 1996 anfing, waren Computer noch eine Seltenheit. Im ersten Ausbildungsjahr hatte ich wenig Kontakt mit einem PC. Damals wurde eher mit Akten gearbeitet. Ich war zum Beispiel dafür zuständig, die abweichenden Zeiten der Mitarbeiter, die sich mit Lochkarten im Zeiterfassungsgerät „einstempelten“, nachzupflegen. Das war ein großer Kasten mit einem Ziffernblock zur Eingabe und einem kleinen Bildschirm – heute ist das fast nicht mehr vorstellbar. Alles ist digitalisiert, und die Militzer & Münch-Landesgesellschaften und Büros sind weltweit eng vernetzt. Kunden können ihre Transporte in Echtzeit nachverfolgen. Militzer & Münch ist zu einem modernen Unternehmen gewachsen, aber trotzdem bodenständig geblieben.

Was schätzen Sie an Militzer & Münch?

Das Umfeld, die Arbeitsbedingungen, die Kollegen und die Chefs stimmen einfach. Es gibt neben den gleichbleibenden Aufgaben auch immer wieder neue Herausforderungen und Projekte. Ich kann selbstständig arbeiten, habe aber trotzdem immer die nötige Unterstützung. Militzer & Münch ist ein bodenständiges Traditionsunternehmen. Das passt zu mir.
Wir haben hier in Hof schon seit 25 Jahren Gleitzeit. Hinzu kommt die Möglichkeit, im Homeoffice zu arbeiten, für die ich sehr dankbar bin. Dadurch sind Arbeit und Familie auch während der Zeit im Lockdown gut vereinbar gewesen.

Was fasziniert Sie an der Logistik-Branche?

Ohne Logistik bewegt sich nichts auf der Welt. Es beeindruckt mich, wenn ich im Intranet unsere Sondertransporte verfolge. Wie zum Beispiel große Maschinenteile oder sogar ganze Anlagen von einem an das andere Ende der Welt bewegt werden und wie die einzelnen Militzer & Münch Gesellschaften dabei Hand in Hand arbeiten, finde ich faszinierend.

Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?

Ich bin verheiratet und habe zwei Kinder. Mein Mann und ich gehen gerne in die Natur, wandern und unternehmen viel mit den Kindern. Auch Reisen und Skifahren stehen ganz oben auf unserer Liste. Hier in Hof ist es sehr schön, wir können im Sommer im Mittelgebirge wandern und im Winter Ski fahren. Alles ist in kurzer Zeit erreichbar, es gibt einen schönen See und auch kulturell hat die Region viel zu bieten. Darüber hinaus bin ich seit vielen Jahren ehrenamtlich in der Leichtathletik tätig – früher aktiv und heute als Abteilungsleiterin, Trainerin und im Vorstand.

Future managers on a success course

How to stand out from the huge number of companies in order to attract highly qualified young people and keep them in the company for the long term? A challenge that the TransInvest Group, parent company of Militzer & Münch, meets with its Talent Management Programme.

 

The TransInvest Group has provided for the future: eleven years ago, in 2011, it launched the group-wide Talent Management Programme (TMP) to promote its own young talents. This year, 21 promising young talents are taking part in the exclusive junior staff development program, which TransInvest organizes in cooperation with the University of St. Gallen Institute of Supply Chain Management.

“We are proud to offer this training opportunity to our young talents and thus to be able to fill vacant top positions with junior managers from our own ranks”, says Alexei Kovalenko, Chief Financial Officer, TransInvest and Militzer & Münch, and speaker of the Militzer & Münch Group Management.

The majority of the participants, 13 of the hopefuls, come from different Militzer & Münch country units. In late April, during the first part of the in-service module series, they were able to get to know the Swiss headquarters in St. Gallen in addition to the campus. Alexei Kovalenko and Ralph Stadler, Head HR TransInvest Holding AG, welcomed the participants and presented the course of events. During the three-day module, the participants focused on Controlling, Supply Chain Resilience and Process Management. Christoph Hollenstein, Head of Group Controlling Militzer & Münch, gave exemplary insights into controlling at TransInvest. Guest lecturers from renowned companies and university chairs provided the corresponding scientific background and addressed current challenges such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in global supply chains.

“The discourse that emerges from the input of our junior staff and the multifaceted experience of external managers is a very effective way of meeting today’s shift in values with the right answers, and maintaining innovative strength and competitiveness,” says Alexei Kovalenko.

In addition to interactive group tasks, the shared evening activities promoted cohesion, and encouraged not only strategic and business-related discussions but also personal exchanges.

The participants will complete two further modules over the course of the year, partly online and partly on site in Istanbul, and conclude their training with a group presentation. After that, the young talents will support management in various country organizations in identifying interesting opportunities and expanding business locally.