Imperial Logistics International - Gillhuber Logistik GmbH

Imperial acquired the largest European fleet through Haniel Reederei takeover
The logistics network also in
Haniel Reederei along with its large fleet
has made fast at Imperial Logistics International.
Inland shipping is also responsible
for the growth in industrial logistics along
the Rhine. This was the decisive factor behind
Imperial’s commitment in this transport
sector.
Now it has all been
worked out. “Imperial
aims at strong
growth in the European
logistics and transport
market. This includes a
strong base in inland
shipping. We have achieved
this by acquiring
a majority share of Haniel
Reederei,” comments
Gerhard Riemann, Chief
Executive Officer of Imperial
Logistics International
GmbH & Co. KG,
this move.
This makes the sixth
company joining the Imperial
Group in Germany,
which previously
consisted of five enterprises:
neska, Panopa,
Bachmann, Schulte &
Bruns as well as Brouwer
Shipping & Chartering.
Friedhelm Askerlund:“More
than a third of our employees
work abroad.This already shows
our internationality.”
18 IMPERIAL NEWS
Friedhelm Askerlund,
spokesman of Haniel
Reederei Holding GmbH,
agrees. He is also convinced
that inland shipping
will remain a very
significant element in the
transport and logistics
sector and will further expand
its share of this
business.
The head of Haniel
Reederei recalls in this
context how successful
some inland shipping
companies – including
Haniel Reederei along
with its shareholdings –
have been in increasing
the volume of barge containers
in the Rhine region
year in and year out.
In the view of Friedhelm
Askerlund, there are in this
segment alone a number of
interfaces between the
business activities of his
company and those of the
carriers and logistics enterprises
in the Imperial
Group in Germany.
It must be pointed out
at this juncture that
Haniel has made economic
history and successful
business in inland shipping.
Around 200 years
ago the founder, Franz
Haniel, launched inland
shipping on the Rhine
and Ruhr as well as coal
trade. This was the origin
of the large commercial
enterprise Franz Haniel
& Cie. GmbH that now
has sales of around 30
thousand million DM.
First the ships were
towed (i.e. they were
drawn by horses when
moving upstream). At the
beginning of the 19th
century steamships appeared
that had a major
influence on the early industrial
age. Haniel was
one of the first companies
to utilise this type of
propulsion. It even established
its own shipyards
and built ships. During
the further course of its
history Haniel maintained
its position at the
leading edge of technical
progress in inland shipping,
but this is a story
that will not be dwelled
upon here. There is something
that not everyone
knows, however: today
Haniel Reederei is the
largest European inland
shipping company.
Together with Krupp
Binnenschiffahrt, which
it took over last year,