South Tyrolean Fercam to relocate its divisions Distribution and Logistics to the new joint venture Dachser & FERCAM Italia Srl, which will be 80% owned by the German Dachser owns 20% of the Bolzano-based company. The agreement between the two company expects the relocation of the two divisions, which employ around 920 people in 43 locations in Italy and in 2022 generated a turnover of around €400 million, by the end of the year.

From the beginning of 2024, the joint venture will operate as a independent company and will report directly to Alexander Tonn, Operations Manager Road Logistics at Dachser, while the operational activities of national groupage and as well as logistics in Italy will continue to be led by the director of Fercam, Gianfranco Brillante, and the his team.

With the acquisition of shares in both divisions, Dachser has committed to continuing to invest sustainably in Italian sites. Until now, the German company did not have any locations in Italy in the European Logistics Business Line, while in the Food Logistics Business Line, which deals with the transport and storage of refrigerated and non-refrigerated food products refrigerated products, the Kempten-based company is present in Italy since 2017 with three offices and about 270 employees. In total, Dachser employs around 32,850 people at 379 locations in all over the world.

Fercam Transport (national and international road transport and railway), Fercam Air & Ocean and Fercam Special Services (art and exhibition logistics, home delivery, relocation and removals as well as archiving and management services documentary) as well as all the foreign companies of the group will remain the exclusive property of Fercam Spa and will not be transferred to the joint venture. Fercam specified that for these sectors, it foresees in its strategic plans a massive acceleration of growth and internationalisation, including overseas.

"Dachser," explained the president of Fercam, Thomas Baumgartner, justifying the decision to establish the joint venture - is a family-run company like ours, with a strong expansion, with similar objectives and short decision-making avenues that in the our twenty-year partnership has been an excellent partner and reliable for all our European distribution. Respect At the beginning of our cooperation in 2003, however, the market conditions have changed considerably, with an ever-increasing greater concentration on a few European and global operators; it is a bit like what happened in Italy in the past for the regional operators that have gradually been replaced by companies operating throughout the country. For this reason We have decided to set up this joint venture exclusively for the sole purpose of distribution and logistics, reaching a win-win situation for all parties involved'.

"Dachser and Fercam, both family-run companies - commented Bernhard Simon, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dachser - have in common a management-oriented approach and based on common values, ensuring sustainability and the future of our companies for generations to come. That is why we want to cooperate even closer through the establishment of a joint venture in Italy, based on a proven twenty-year collaboration'.

Recalling Graveleau's previous acquisitions in France in 1999 and Azkar in Spain in 2013, the director Dachser's delegate, Burkhard Eling, pointed out that the acquisition of a majority stake in the logistics and Fercam's distribution is the third major acquisition of Dachser for the expansion of its network in Europe: "It is This, he said, is the last step in completing our logistic-distribution network in the main European markets continental. "Our goal remains to grow in an organic and sustainable way. In addition, this year we have strengthened our presence in important markets, such as the Benelux, Australia, Japan and now Italy through targeted acquisitions'.