Ways to Track - Raben Logistics Polska

www.raben-group.com 

www.freshlogistics.com.pl 

www.raben-sea-air.com 

Intermodal 

transport 

A new product offered 

by Raben Sea & Air / 3 

High Heels 

Logistics / 18 

1 

> 

Magazine for Raben Group Customers | May 2012 

10 Years of 

11 / Fresh Logistics

2 

EDITORIAL 

Strong roots 

- stable 

growth… 

The economic situation in 2011 was different in various 

countries of the Old Continent. It seems that currently 

Europe has become the region of two different velocities. 

We can observe quite a stable situation of Germany or 

Poland and, on the other hand, the actions of the governments 

of Greece, Portugal or Spain are a reason to be worried. More 

and more financial analysts admit that the Euro Zone crisis will 

be milder than previously expected. However, this is not a reason 

to be euphoric. According to the research, the unemployment 

in the Euro Zone is at its peak and it has reached the level of 

10.8%*. The risk related to currency exchange fluctuations and 

the mounting problems with finding the sources of financing have 

direct influence on the situation of enterprises from all sectors. We 

often say that the TFL (Transport-Forwarding-Logistics) sector is 

the litmus paper of the economy and quickly shows its variations. 

The companies in our industry, whose situation depends on other 

branches of the economy, should remain cautious. 

The market of logistics operators expects further consolidations. 

The economic slowdown is an opportunity for takeovers and 

gaining the market share, as well as for expanding the offer of 

services and products. In March this year we learned that UPS 

takes over its Dutch competitors - TNT Express. Additionally, our 

sector is still susceptible to extremely high pressure connected 

with the prices. We must remember that low rates mean unprofitable 

business activities and, as a result, a serious risk for the 

Customers of the particular logistics operator. Therefore, apart 

from the consolidation, bankruptcies of companies from our sector 

seem possible. 

The competitive advantage of the company may be decided by 

its ownership structure. Family-owned, medium-sized one, like 

Raben Group, as opposed to global giants, have the possibility 

to make sovereign decisions concerning its development. Such 

companies are characterised by higher flexibility 

*Source: Eurostat, February 2012 

Autoportret 

< 2 > 

and resistance to periods of unfavourable economic conditions. 

Other businesses - especially those partially owned by the 

state - must face difficult decisions. Logistics operators, whose 

capital is connected with government institutions, are facing the 

choice: to invest in the public sector important for the society or 

to develop the logistics and warehouse infrastructure which is 

important for this TFL industry. Such a situation on the market 

offers us an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of our 

operations even further. 

Although planning in today’s world is not easy, it is important for 

every company to have business scenarios for various possible 

courses of events. Our enterprises are prepared for various 

eventuality, no matter what their size, location or the type of 

business is. We must make every effort and test (hopefully only 

in theory) what would happen to the organization in the event of 

unfavourable conditions. In order to meet the growing demands 

of our Customers, we must be ready for any possibility. My life 

motto, which is especially important in today’s reality, is “keep 

your feet on the ground”, which, for the company, means that we 

carefully monitor the environment, we try to be ready for different 

scenarios and we carefully realize our investments. 

I am glad that each day I can work with the team of people who 

not only fulfil their duties correctly, but also, working with passion, 

try to do more than it is expected from them, to be a step 

ahead, to be above the standard. I want to thank the Employees 

of Raben Group for their ability to stay motivated and for hard 

work, which brings positive results for everyone: for the Customers, 

for the company and, of course, for them. 

Quoting Winston Churchill “For myself, I am an optimist - it does 

not seem to be much use being anything else”, 

With optimistic greetings, 

Ewald Raben 

CEO Raben Group

Intermodal fad 

or the answer to the needs 

of the market 

SERVICES 

Experts estimate that the Polish market of intermodal transport is in its growth phase. 

Companies which provide intermodal transport services are noting the increase of indicators 

and the sector is perceived as effective, economical and ecological. 

Intermodal transportation, also known 

as combined transport, is the carriage 

of goods in loading units by at 

least two different modes of transport 

(e.g. by rail and sea) without handling 

of the goods themselves when changing 

modes. The most common loading units 

are containers but also swap-bodies, 

tanks, trailers and whole vehicles are 

used. For Raben Sea & Air, the main 

loading unit is the container. 

Intermodal fad or the answer 

to the needs of the market 

Intermodal transport – as a new product 

offered by Raben Sea & Air – has appeared 

thanks to the project conducted 

for a Customer from an automotive sector. 

The task is to export full containers 

and to import empty ones on the route 

Gliwice (Poland) – Kaliningrad (Russia) 

– Gliwice (Poland). The total of conducted 

activities combines road transport 

with rail and sea freight and the whole 

process involves over a dozen of trains 

per week. Raben Sea & Air organizes 

the process in cooperation with subcontractors 

– the rail service provider and 

the shipowner. Each day – from Gdynia 

and from Gliwice – 2 trains depart filled 

with containers and in total it gives 14 

trains per week in each direction. The 

organized transport process offers the 

possibility of providing intermodal solutions 

also for other Customers, which 

may complement the comprehensive 

logistics offer. 

For whom the 3E 

(Economy, Ecology, Efficiency) 

The offer of intermodal transport is 

dedicated for all those Customers who 

allow a 2 or 3-day period of time for the 

< 3 > 

pick-up or delivery of the cargo in return 

for the competitive price. It depends on 

the distance because the use of combined 

transport is justified for distances 

exceeding 250 - 300 km and when there 

is a possibility of loading the cargo into 

loading units, such as containers. 

Intermodal transport offered by 

Raben Sea & Air is a perfect solution for 

importers using sea transport. Containers 

arrive at the port in Gdynia, Gdańsk 

or Hamburg, where they are loaded on 

carriages and transported by rail to the 

terminal in Gliwice or any other location 

selected in order to optimise road transport. 

The last stage of the whole chain 

is road transport and delivery directly to 

the Customer. Here the container is 

unloaded and it returns empty to a location 

indicated by its owner - the shipowner. 

It may be a sea terminal however, 

most frequently, it is a land terminal. 

The sectors of transport described 

above are considered to be substitution 

services in Poland and their providers 

usually compete on the market. 

Nevertheless the example of Raben 

Sea & Air proves that such solutions 

are not only possible but, additionally, 

they increase the quality of the service 

and lower the global cost of the whole 

transport process. Lately Raben Sea & Air 

has intensified its actions aimed at the 

development of intermodal transport. 

The market analysis has shown that 

there are Customers on the market who, 

apart from the price, pay special attention 

to the ecology and efficiency of the 

transport. In the near future we plan to 

develop the sea, air and rail freight forwarding 

services also in other countries 

where Raben Group is present. 

Please, visit our website www.raben-sea-air.com 

Sebastian Szlegel 

Managing Director 

Raben Sea & Air 

Magazine for Raben Group Customers 

3

4 

NEW SOLUTIONS 

The dynamic growth of the Group, 

connected with the rising expectations 

of the market and the 

willingness to minimize the negative impact 

on the environment, has led to the 

decision to start the program of replacement 

of transport vehicles. The plan 

assumes that in 2012-2013 the fleet will 

be replaced in five countries (Germany, 

Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary 

and Slovakia). During that time, Raben 

Group will replace over 300 vehicles 

in its fleet. Among the newly acquired 

vehicles, there will be 265 tractor units, 

58 BDF-system trucks and 35 vehicles 

with the capacity below 15 tons. Additionally, 

the investment will include 143 

curtain trailers, 85 isothermal trailers 


< 4 > 

Fleet replacement 

in Raben Group 

The plan assumes that in 2012-2013 the fleet 

will be replaced in five countries: 

Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, 

Hungary and Slovakia. 

and 18 BDF trailers. This order will be 

realised by individual companies of the 

Group and by the carriers who cooperate 

with the Group based on permanent 

contracts. The centralized coordination 

of the program has allowed for achieving 

the economies of scale, which means 

attractive discounts and extended war- 

ranty periods. An additional advantage 

is also the possibility to buy back the 

vehicles by their manufacturer. 

The latest investments of Raben Group 

will increase and modernize the potential 

of the company, and will make 

the existing and future Customers feel 

that they cooperate with a strong and 

responsible logistics operator, who consistently 

strengthens its market position, 

while achieving its long- and short-term 

priorities. In each of the five countries 

where the fleet will be replaced, Raben 

Group is currently one of the main transport 

and logistics companies among 

such service providers in this region. 

Paweł Trębicki 


Raben Transport

The Baltic Trio 

THE COMPANY 

The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, 

Latvia and Lithuania (from north to south). Today the three countries are liberal democracies. 

The total population of the Baltics is ca. 5.5 m. people. Additionally, Estonia adopted the euro 

in January 2011. Lithuania hopes to do the same in the following years and Latvia in 2014. 

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been 

members of both the European Union and 

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 

2004. In the same year Raben Group started its 

activities in this area. There are three companies 

of Raben in Baltic countries. We have five offices 

in all biggest cities – in all capitals: Vilnius, Riga, 

Tallinn and two additional offices – in Kaunas 

(our biggest X-dock warehouse for Baltics) and 

Klaipėda . Currently there are over 60 people working 

in Raben Baltic and we have over 3,000 m2 of 

warehousing and X-dock capacity at our disposal. 

Covering the market 

In Baltics Raben offers the same services that 

we offer in all 10 countries where we have our 

companies, that is: warehousing, international 

road forwarding and domestic distribution. It can 

be attractive both for foreign companies e.g. 

German or Polish and local firms which deal with 

import and export. We offer services of groupage 

shipments, part and full truck loads, distribution 

of fresh products to main cities in Baltics and 24hour 

distribution service within Baltics. 

The main Customers in Baltics are mostly retail, 

food sector, domestic manufactures – both local 

companies and foreign ones – well-known brands 

in the world. An example could be the world’s 

leading brand of one chewing gum leaders in 

Europe. The service offered by Raben Baltics 

for main Customers is a full range of services – 

warehousing with all added services, distribution 

with Baltic and within each of the three countries, 

international road forwarding between European 

countries. The terminals in this territory, together 

with other branches of Raben Group, form an 

efficient network of international connections. 

For instance, Raben Lietuva is a gateway for 

the transit of shipments to Kaliningrad, Belarus 

and Russia. 

During the global crisis, strong trust in business 

partners has decreased: financial losses and 

the worst business outlook encourage companies 

to evaluate the existing or potential partners 

(product or service providers) carefully. 

< 5 > 

A Certified Company can show the existing and 

potential business partners and Customers that 

their business is financially stable and that they 

are able to meet their financial obligations on 

time. This can also reduce business uncertainty 

by another party. In 2011 Raben Lietuva e.g. 

was awarded with a title: “Creditinfo Lietuva” for 

being one of the strongest companies on the 

Lithuanian market. The certificate indicates that 

it is among only 5% of Lithuanian companies 

which were assigned a high credit rating. 

Additionally, even though there are quite many 

small local transport companies, more and 

more Customers are willing to cooperate with 

well-known logistics services providers to be sure 

that they can get high quality logistics services 

provided by one partner. 

Speak my language 

One of the important elements for both sides, 

Customers and logistics companies, are people 

who can easily communicate in Baltics 

where four languages are spoken – Lithuanian, 

Latvian, Estonian and Russian. So many 

international Customers seek a logistics 

service provider which could assure this. 

Obviously, people in Raben Baltics can 

speak all of these languages. To this we add 

the local knowledge of teams across the 

ten countries we operate in. This provides 

a powerful mixture of technical, business 

and cultural knowledge across our business 

which is at your disposal. 

What about the future 

One of the ways to survive the difficult economic 

time is cost-optimization and expanding the 

range of services. There are three ports in Baltics 

on the shores of the Baltic sea – Klaipeda, Riga 

and Tallinn, so the next step of Raben Baltics will 

be to offer sea and air transport services, using 

the experience of Raben Sea & Air company in 

Europe. Raben Group continues to develop this 

area, as well as the warehouse infrastructure 

and the distribution between the three countries, 

despite the economic slowdown noted in the 

recent years in CEE. It is worth mentioning that in 

2011 the Baltic countries were the fastest growing 

economies in Central and Eastern Europe. 


Audrius Losunovas 


Raben Baltics 

5

6 

INNOVATIONS 

We are 

packing glossy 

boxes … 

In the first quarter of 2012 Raben Polska gained a new Customer 

– GlossyBox Polska. The company is a part of an 

international group which operates in 

a very popular and rapidly 

growing market segment of 

e-Commerce, called subscription 

shopping. Companies 

working in this business model 

regularly send their Customers, 

in return for a small fee, parcels 

containing cosmetics or fashion 

products. 

The GlossyBox model works 

in a similar way – Customers 

register on the Internet site of 

GlossyBox.pl and receive five luxury 

mini-products of the best cosmet- 

ePod In April 2012 Raben in selected 

companies in Poland started the 

implementation of a new project 

under the working title ePod. The task 

involves equipping Subcontractors 

/ Drivers with multifunctional devices 

by PSION company. Thanks to ePod 

terminals, in the future it will be possible 

to eliminate e.g. consignment 

notes, which will cut down on a significant 

amount of “paperwork”, which is 

disliked by drivers and Customers alike. 

By applying this solution, we will also 

help to protect the natural environment, 

which is one of the strategic goals 

of Corporate Social Responsibility of 

Raben Group. 

The implementation of this solution is 

the requirement of the modern market 


< 6 > 

e-innovation 

in communication 

of logistics services, which expects 

up-to-date, on-line information about 

shipments at every stage of the delivery 

process. The new device will replace 

the currently used mobile phones with 

mDriver application. PSION terminals 

have many functionalities which allow 

for more effective management of the 

vehicle fleet. They will improve, among 

others, the flow of information between 

the Transport Department and the driver 

and speed up some of the processes 

of shipment delivery. 

For example, thanks to the available 

applications the driver will confirm the 

delivery and the information about the 

delivered shipment will be accessible to 

Raben Group Customers within a few 

minutes. The consignee will confirm the 

In 2011 in Poland, the Internet accounted 

for 3.1% of the value of retail sales and 

the forecast for 2012 puts this value 

at 3.8%. The projected value of the 

e-Commerce market in Poland in 2012 

is 5.59 billion euro. 

Raben Polska provides services for one of the 

largest world players in subscription shopping. 

ics brands. The parcels, prepared by the branch of Raben Polska 

in Lesznowola, are sent to Customers at the beginning of each 

month. All these operations are a part of a wider service called 

Raben e-Commerce which is offered within Contract 

Logistics services. 

Finding new possibilities of providing services 

to Customers and joining them in building and 

developing innovative and non-standard concepts is 

the foundation of Raben Group’s operations. The cooperation 

with GlossyBox, the company operating in this 

innovative business model, reflects this premise. 

Jacek Lipiński 

e-Commerce Manager 

Raben Management Services 

delivery by 

making 

an electronicsignature 

on 

the terminal screen. 

Additionally, the device has a GPS 

module which allows for monitoring the 

current location of the vehicle which, in 

turn, will allow for continuous monitoring 

of delivery progress. 

The implementation of this communication 

system has been planned also in 

the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. 

Rafał Kukotko 

Transport Manager 

Raben Polska

Czech logistics market 

– an overview 

Comment by 

Roman Macháček, 


of Raben Logistics Czech 

and Raben Logistics 

Slovakia 

Transport and logistics sectors are 

highly sensitive to business cycle 

fluctuations and other external factors. 

How do you assess the current situation 

on the market? 

The logistics market is a reliable barometer 

of the state of the economy. Very quickly it 

reflects the current economic situation of 

logistics provider´s Customers, for example 

manufacturing and trading companies. 

In 2011, the sales in the transport and storage 

services in the Czech Republic grew 

by 1.2%. Most of this growth involved road 

transport, whose sales increased by 2.4%, 

while sales in the secondary storage and 

transport activities decreased by 0.6%. 

Because of that, the trend of the last few 

months is that the companies are further 

optimizing inventory and production planning 

strictly based on the rapidly changing 

demands of the markets. 

In the whole logistics chain, from raw 

material suppliers to the end consumers, 

it is becoming increasingly more important 

to accelerate the throughput together 

with minimizing the costs allocated to the 

inventory flowing through the chain in all 

its parts. The frequency of orders is increasing 

with decreasing order quantity. The 

frequency of loading individual delivery 

points is growing while the lead time (from 

the order to the delivery) is shorter with 

the increasing number of deliveries within 

a dedicated time frame, etc. Moreover, 

when we talk about road traffic, it should 

be calculated with insufficient capacity of 

transport infrastructure. Being competitive 

and being able to respond to these 

requests in a situation when prices inputs 

into the logistics business are growing 

< 7 > 

(especially fuel, tolls, energy) requires 

constant search for innovative solutions. 

So we approach the current situation as 

a challenge for the development of our 

company and the portfolio of services that 

we offer to our Customers. 

(Source of information about the Czech logistics market 

http://czso.cz/csu/csu.nsf/informace/cslu020612.doc) 

Raben Group is expanding mainly in 

East and Central Europe while consolidating 

their business. Is it, in your 

opinion, the way to further growth? 

The development of the Group into 

markets is determined by many factors. 

Former Eastern bloc countries are still 

developing, eventually improving their 

infrastructure, increasing effective demand 

and its consumption. Many companies 

are moving their production facilities or 

building new ones in this region just for 

these reasons. 

A considerable role is played by the availability 

of qualified and still cheaper workforce 

as compared to Western European 

countries. It is therefore quite logical that 

in these markets, there is also a growing 

demand for professional logistics providers 

who will cover both logistics needs of local 

markets, but also ensure their networks within 

the flow of goods throughout Europe. 

Another factor for us is following the needs 

and requirements of our existing Customers 

who choose to use our services in 

COMMENTARY 

other markets as well on the basis of their 

previous experience. 

What news will you be able to offer your 

Customers thanks to the merger? 

There were three companies within 

Raben Group before the merger in the 

Czech Republic. Transkam-Logistik which 

specialized in food products, Raben Trans 

European Czech (formerly Wincanton 

Czech Republic), which provided logistics 

services to a wide range of companies 

from the FMCG and automotive sectors, 

and Raben Logistics Czech which specialized 

in the storage and distribution of 

white goods and services in domestic and 

international road transport. The consolidation 

of all three companies means for 

our Customers the access to the whole 

portfolio of services in one company, 

using a denser network of branches and 

a larger modern warehouse space in the 

Czech Republic and throughout Central 

and Eastern Europe and, finally, the 

support of the financially reliable and 

stable partner. 

Do you want to offer other value added 

services in addition to regular logistics 

services in the future? 

Value-added services, such as the preparation 

of promotional packaging, foiling, 

labelling or co-manufacturing will play an 

increasing role in the future. Implementation 

of these services by experienced logistics 

operators in the logistics centre just 

before their delivery to receivers enables 

manufacturers to optimize the total cost of 

production and distribution of goods, to 

respond flexibly to the current requirements 

of the market, and increases the 

speed with which products get to Customers. 

We have many years of experience 

with providing these services mostly in 

FMCG products. Thanks to the mutual 

sharing of know-how we are ready to provide 

these services to potential Customers. 

Interview by Jan Loubal 


7

8 

INTERVIEW 

People are the only ones, 

lead the company to 

Interview with 

Szabolcs Czifrik 


of Raben Trans European Hungary 

Raben companies in 

Hungary merged on March 

01, 2012, making Raben 

Trans European Hungary 

one of the main logistics 

companies among logistics 

service providers operating 

in Hungary. We asked 

Szabolcs Czifrik, Managing 

Director of Raben Trans 

European Hungary, 

for an interview on his 

experiences in professional 

and... private life. 


< 8 > 

You joined Raben Group a year ago, 

but what did you do before that? 

Before joining Raben, I had been working 

for another family-owned logistics 

service provider for 11 years. As 

I worked in many positions I was lucky 

enough to learn and experience many 

parts of TFL business, including international 

and domestic freight 

forwarding, contract and chilled logistics. 

I think these past experiences 

suit and support me in the current position. 

What was your first action as 

Managing Director, especially in the 

recession, which currently prevails 

in Hungary? 

FactS ShEEt 

The first actions are defined by our 

ongoing projects. To merge two companies 

with not exactly the same cultural 

backgrounds is a big challenge itself. At 

the same time we are at the last stage 

of our investment into a new X-dock 

facility. Raben Group does not have long 

history in Hungary and as the company 

was ‘established’ by acquisitions, some 

Raben assimilation processes are still 

in progress. These things in Hungary 

represent the challenge. But we have 

experienced similar things in other 

countries. I know at the same time that a 

crisis is an opportunity. Many tenders are 

running and as production is declining 

in the industry, cost-efficient groupage 

transport is gaining importance. 

Age: 36 years. 

Degree: graduated the College of Commerce, Budapest and the University 

of Economics, Budapest. 

Languages: German and English. 

My family: wife, 10-year-old boy, 7.5-year-old girl, twin girls who are 6 years old. 

My town: I live in a small town next to Budapest in a house with a garden. 

My hobby: I like reading books and sports: football. I have a busy life coming 

from my job and big family; I do not remember the phrase ‘get bored’. I like discovering 

new things and I am quite open to changes. 

My dream: I do not have big dreams, just small ones. I would like to be successful 

both in professional and private life. I just need to harmonise them.

who can 

success 

Where will the most significant 

growth occur in the company in the 

next few years? 

With better physical infrastructure, we 

are planning to strengthen domestic 

distribution. To get enough shipments 

in the network we need to extend our 

contract logistics activity as well, as 

it is the best account for the network. 

In international trade, Germany is the 

most important and significant partner 

of Hungary and we expect some developments 

in this area. 

What are the Unique Selling Points 

of our services in Hungary and what 

can be important to the local community 

and to potential Customers? 

Competition is incredibly strong in 

Hungary. We were successful in Key 

Account sales where we had to work 

out and now offer customised solutions. 

We put down the basics of field 

sales and we hope it will deliver the 

results. However, the best tools for 

successful sales are good operations 

and Customer satisfaction. 

What is your vision for Raben Trans 

European hungary and for the 

Managing Director position? 

The two things are strongly interconnected 

for me. I would like to get 

< 9 > 

to the point where we can say we 

have got a strong, working Raben 

in Hungary, we have all infrastructure 

for good service level (facilities, 

network, reliable staff and accounts) 

as a base for future improvement. I 

do believe we can build our strategy 

just on strong foundations. We need 

a committed team who understands 

and appreciates the values of Raben 

Group. People are the only ones, who 

can lead the company to success. 

What is your biggest challenge for 

the next 2 years? 

Firstly, I would like to complete the 

integration process, to implement 

the procedures according to Raben 

standards and to set up the domestic 

network properly. I would like to put 

the company on the way to healthy and 

sustainable growth. 

How do you motivate the large number 

of Employees? 

My weapon is credibility. I do not play 

tricks but say what I think. I am committed 

to targets and I expect others to 

do so, and I also try to set an example. 

What decisions have you made in 

your career that you look back on 

that seem to have been mistakes? 

What have you learned from them? 

Of course I have made mistakes. 

I believe, and I have learned, that some 

of them help you to improve yourself. 

If we are brave enough, and I think I was 

and I am, to face faults and to change 

them. It is the best way not to make them 

again in the future. Secondly, it does 

matter how we correct the mistakes. 

It is always painful. But it is worth making 

INTERVIEW 

We need a committed team who understands 

and appreciates the values of Raben Group. 

People are the only ones, who can lead 

the company to success 

painful decisions in the long term. This is 

what I have learned in my life. 

A leader must be equipped with 

a set of competences necessary to 

perform his or her role. Which would 

you say is the most important ability 

a leader should have? 

I think self-confidence, and to believe 

that what I am doing is essential. It is 

also important to have the ability to 

listen to others. A leader must be able 

to change as the things around are 

changing, and must be able to execute 

the changes in the organisation. In our 

industry, I think it is also important to 

understand the scope of the activities, 

otherwise we can come to logical yet 

wrong decisions. 

What are the 3 key moments in your 

career that you either learned from 

and/or that got you to where you are? 

1. 2004 - I was appointed as Operations 

Manager responsible for 80 

people 

2. 2007 – I was contracted to work in 

the UK for 1 year to learn the culture 

and a different way of thinking there 

3. 2011 – I joined Raben as Managing 

Director 

How do you set priorities during 

your work? 

I consider the importance and deadline 

at the same time. 

Thank you for the interview. We wish 

you success in the fulfilment of your 

personal and professional dreams 

and plans. 

Interview by Ágnes Bolyki 


9

10 

THE COMPANY 

It’s not about being big... 

...but about being effective 

The 2011 takeover of Wincanton’s 

German road network and 

companies in Poland, the Czech 

Republic, Hungary and Slovakia allowed 

for the increase of the number of distributed 

shipments and the improvement of the 

effectiveness of the logistics network. Thanks 

to the increased number of connections and 

locations, it is possible to plan forwarding and 

warehousing more precisely. 

Services for former Wincanton Customers 

and teams dedicated to them have been 

divided between Raben companies in 

Poland, i.e. Raben Polska, Raben Transport 

and Raben Sea & Air. The integration of 

Raben Trans European Poland and Raben 

Polska was complieted on January 01, 2012. 

At the same time, this acquisition has positively 

influenced the position of Raben Group. 

The companies of the Group in Hungary, the 

Czech Republic and Slovakia have become 

one of the main logistics operators among 

that kind of service providers in that region. 

Slovakia 

Raben Group joined the ranks of companies 

operating in that region in 2008 with the 

acquisition of Setto Spedition. This company, 

which had operated in the Czech Republic 

and Slovakia, was established in 1990 - at 

the time of political transformations in those 

countries. Next milestone was the takeover 

of Transkam (2010) and Wincanton (2011) 

companies. Since January 01, 2012, through 

the integration, business activity in Slovakia 

has been conducted by one company - 

Raben Logistics Slovakia s.r.o. Thanks to 

all the aforementioned acquisitions, Raben 

Group has not only gained the knowledge of 

the local market, but also the possibilities to 

develop its own operations. 

At present Raben Group is among the 

largest companies in the Slovakian market 

in terms of warehouse space. 

The Customers can use 23,000 m2 of 

modern infrastructure designed for wareho- 


< 10 > 

Logistics operators nowadays should have appropriate warehouse and transport 

facilities, qualified Employees as well as structures, which allow for quick 

reaction to the events occurring in their environment. For logistics operators 

this means the need to constantly improve their effectiveness. 

using and contract logistics. To compare, 

in 2009 Raben Group had 7,000 m2 of space. 

The three, strategically located branches 

employ over 150 Employees, more 

than half of which are directly involved in 

warehouse operations. This factor and the 

number of transport vehicles at the Group’s 

disposal (90 vehicles), their diversity in 

terms of ownership, size and the product 

which they may carry, make it possible 

to render domestic distribution services 

on the next business day. Additionally the 

infrastructure allows for the realization of 

import and export connections 

between Slovakia and other 

European countries. 

hungary 

With the acquisition of Wincanton, 

Raben Group had joined the group of the 

main suppliers of contract logistics. The 

integration, which occurred on March 01, 

2012, means that all services are rendered 

in Hungary by just one company Raben 

Trans European Hungary, which has 

62,500 m2 of the warehousing space at the 

disposal, and the highest standard of services 

is guaranteed by almost 400 qualified 

Employees in 14 branches. At the end of 

spring, a new cross-dock warehouse will 

be opened for Customers, with the area of 

over 4,000 m2 and 42 loading-unloading 

ramps. Commissioning a new building will 

be another important step in the development 

of Raben Group in the region. 

The Czech Republic 

Also in this country, the resources, infrastructure 

and rendered services place Raben Group 

in the lead of the logistics sector. Since May 01, 

2012 Raben Group has been operating in 

the Czech Republic through Raben Logistics 

Czech s.r.o. (which has taken over Raben 

Logistics Czech s.a., Raben Trans European 

Czech and Transkam Logistik). The history of 

the Group in the Czech Republic is very similar 

to what happened in Slovakia. Currently Raben 

resources in the Czech Republic are quite 

impressive - about 160 means of transport, 

9 branches, almost 500 Employees and 

70,000 m2 of warehouse space. 

After the acquisitions in the recent months, 

the next logical step has been the 

integration of the companies. For the Customers 

it means one thing: access to all services 

and easier communication. For Employees: 

working within one company, clear organizational 

structure and the elimination of overlapping 

responsibilities. The merger of the companies 

also means opening to the world. 

Raben Group is a unique mix of experience 

and competencies gathered on local markets 

with European know-how and infrastructure. 

Additionally, the strong financial position in 

these uncertain times definitely gives an added 

value to our Customers. At the end of the 

day it’s not about being big, but about being 

effective. 

Bogna Błasiak-Niciejewska 

Marketing Director 

Raben Management Services

anniversary edition 

Good Beginnings 

This group of Customers was the 

foundation for the future development 

of the branch and the 

new company. The period of intensive 

work started and we were looking for 

new orders, building partner relations 

and the trust in the new brand - Fresh 

Logistics. We were improving day-to-day 

warehouse and transport operations, the 

specifics of services for Customers from 

the fresh product sector, procedures, 

new technologies and IT solutions, and 

we were in the process of obtaining the 

required ISO and HACCP certificates. 

We were aware that continuous improvement 

of our services will facilitate our 

further development. And it so happened. 

Year by year the number of 

Customers grew and the existing ones 

increased their operations. The brand 

name of Fresh Logistics was becoming 

more and more known and recognizable. 

Today, for the 10th anniversary of operations 

of, we asked about the development 

of the company from the perspective of 

the companies which use our services. 

Here is what we heard... 

< 11 > 

It was the beginning of 2002. The Gądki branch was one of the first 

Fresh Logistics branches which emerged from the structure of Raben. 

At the same time, locations in Gliwice and Grodzisk Mazowiecki also 

appeared. The warehouse in Gądki (the total area at the time was 

approximately 2,000 m 2 ) was carved out of the transit warehouse - says 

Marek Kwiatkowski – Branch Director. We also had a small office for 

administration and customer service for about 10 - 12 Employees who 

were selected from the structure of Raben. However, the most important is 

the fact that, at the time, Raben Group already serviced Customers from 

the fresh product sector and they were transferred to Fresh. 

anniversary edition 11

12 

► Lactalis Polska has been present 

on the Polish market for 15 years. The 

company has been developing actively 

in that period with the help of e.g. three 

acquisitions on the domestic market. 

Such fast development, especially in 

the ever more difficult and demanding 

market environment, would not have 

been possible without the efficient supply 

chain, where a vital part is played by 

the fully professional logistics operator. 

That is why, almost 10 years ago, making 

a strategic move, we decided 

to outsource logistics services to 

a specialised company, whose potential 

and experience would allow for coping 

with everyday challenges and would 

facilitate our growth. 

In 2006, Lactalis Polska and Fresh 

Logistics started cooperation in the area 

of transport, warehousing and VAS services. 

Only 6 years have passed since 

that time in which the turnover has 

grown rapidly and the comprehensiveness 

and effectiveness of the rendered 

services have improved significantly. 

What is the most important, however, 

these years of cooperation have allowed 

us to build excellent partner 

relations, mutual understanding of our 

needs and limitations. Personally, 

I started cooperating with Fresh Logistics 

in 2008 when I joined Lactalis 

10 Years of Fresh Logistics 

< 12 > 

Polska and I must admit that the progress 

made by the two organisations 

in the last years has been impressive: 

a new modern warehouse in Grodzisk 

Mazowiecki, flexibility and openness to 

the Customer’s needs, modern management 

methods, professional staff: they 

are just a few basic elements which 

allow partners to achieve better and 

better results. 

Observing the development of the market, 

the growth of consumers’ expectations 

concerning the speed, quality and 

flexibility in responding to the changing 

environment, and the way in which we 

deliver to Customers what they require, 

I am sure that several years ago we 

made a right choice. Of course, today 

we are in a different place on the scale 

of growth, quality and engagement. 

Working with Fresh Logistics, we are 

able to meet the needs of our Customers 

every day. I know that we will be 

able to meet them tomorrow, in a month 

and in several years. 

Marcin Wakuła, 

Supply Chain 

Director, 

Lactalis Polska 

► In June 2007, Fresh Logistics 

became our main logistics operator. 

Thanks to the established cooperation 

we gained e.g. increased satisfaction 

of the Customers with the high quality 

service adjusted to their needs. 

Good communication and flexibility in 

operations allows for positive perception 

of our company by our Customers. 

Together we are gaining the trust of new 

Customers. Thanks to the cooperation 

with Fresh Logistics we are able to plan 

the stable future for our company. 

In 2011, we started cooperation in warehousing 

services which allowed us to 

increase the effectiveness of production 

and distribution processes.

We do believe that engagement of 

Fresh Logistics will bring not only 

mutual benefits but will also be our joint 

input in the development of Małpka S.A. 

Mutual involvement and positive relations 

increase the sense of responsibility 

of both parties for the conducted processes. 

Małgorzata Cybowska, 

Customer 

Service Manager, 

Małpka S.A. 

► Zott company has been cooperating 

with Raben Group for over 15 years and 

with Fresh Logistics since the moment 

of its creation. We sell our products 

globally and we cooperate with many 

logistics operators in different countries, 

hence our partnership with Fresh 

Logistics may be assessed in a wider 

aspect. In our years of cooperation with 

Fresh Logistics we especially value the 

people who form the Fresh team: the 

management and each Employee we 

deal with. Implemented procedures and 

certificates are obviously important - 

this is required by Zott quality standards 

- however, without good people, 

no paper norms or contracts will get the 

job done. In this area we have always 

experienced the professionalism and 

reliability of Fresh Logistics. We have 

acknowledged that recently when we 

expanded our cooperation with international 

transport. 

< 13 > 

Of course, we had “difficult” moments 

in our relations and it only means that 

we operate in a very specific branch, 

which is widely understood logistics. 

When everything works as it should, it 

is “normal”. On the other hand, when 

the smallest problems appear, logistics 

becomes noticeable and you realise 

that Zott yoghurts do not just fall from 

the sky but are delivered from Fresh’s 

warehouses in characteristic blue and 

white trailers. We are happy that we 

seldom have to deal with claims and the 

problems usually occur due to external 

factors, such as the weather, gridlocks 

and the notorious “quality” of the Polish 

roads, and not the faulty organisation of 

our operator. 

So all the best to the whole Fresh 

Logistics team on the 10th birthday and 

we wish you success in Poland and 

abroad. We hope to celebrate more anniversaries 

of fruitful cooperation. 

Maciej Rykała, 

Customer 

Service Manager, 

Zott Polska Sp. z o.o 

Today’s position of Fresh Logistics 

is best described by the number and 

development of our existing Clients and 

the number of Customers who start 

using our services each year. At present 

we offer not only the services of warehousing 

and domestic distribution but 

also the services of international road 

forwarding of groupage shipments and 

full-truck loads in controlled temperature. 

Fresh Logistics today is almost 

600 Employees, a group of carriers and 

drivers with approximately 500 diverse 

modern means of transport. It is also 

over 40,000 m2 of modern warehouses 

with controlled temperature (the area 

which would fit 6 full-size football fields). 

Currently, many functioning solutions 

have become a standard however, just 

a few years ago, they were created to 

meet individual needs of our Customers. 

Well, more years of company and 

personal development are ahead of us. 

Thanks to our Customers, Employees 

and Partners we look into the future with 

optimism. 

Marek Kwiatkowski 

Branch Director, Gądki 

Fresh Logistics 

anniversary edition 

13

14 

Complying with the formal procedures 

is not just a necessity. It is 

also an opportunity for our domestic 

and foreign Customers, whose products 

have already been approved by the Ukrainian 

market. Launched on March 6, 2012, 

the groupage service to Ukraine is a positive 

signal for our Customers. Having access to 

a regular service of that kind, they will be able 

to focus entirely on their core businesses and 

leave the formalities related to transport and 

export documents to their operator. What is 

more, the abovementioned solution allows 

for increasing the frequency of deliveries to 

that market without the need to send goods 

via more expensive, dedicated transport. 

The first groupage transport set off to 

Ukraine on March 6, 2012, and the customs 

clearance conducted by Raben went really 

smoothly. 

10 Years of Fresh Logistics 

< 14 > 

Experience 

is our strength 

Export to Ukraine is possible only after complying with many formal procedures. 

The branch of Fresh Logistics located in Grodzisk Mazowiecki has become one 

of the companies licensed to export goods into Ukraine. 

In March 2012, we also increased the 

frequency of transports to our southern 

neighbours. Firstly we focused on deliveries 

to the key consignees, in the opinion of our 

Customers, who are located in the Czech 

Republic and Slovakia. They are, above all, 

distribution warehouses of the major retail 

chains. 

At present, Fresh Logistics transports to 

those countries depart from “Platform South” 

in Gliwice two times per week: 

The Czech Republic – tuesdays and 

Thursdays, deliveries on Wednesdays 

and Fridays 

Slovakia – Mondays and thursdays, 

deliveries on Tuesdays and Fridays 

Observing the interest in the new directions 

shown by our Customers and partners, 

I believe that the coming months will bring 

further expected growth to the International 

Distribution of Fresh Logistics. We are now 

expecting new shipments... 

Justyna Dobraś-Michałowska 

International 

Distribution Director 

Fresh Logistics

The final countdown 

We are opening new 

warehouses 

INVESTMENTS 

It is commonly known that an effective supply chain requires not only efficient 

coordination of all logistics processes and the motivation to improve them 

continuously. What is also needed is the optimally located and well-equipped 

warehouse and cross-dock centres. Therefore, it is not surprising that Raben Group 

is developing its resources also in this area. 

Let us have a look at the map of the key investments of Raben Group in 2012. 

the Netherlands – Oss 

The distribution centre has been operating since 

January 2012; it consists of the warehouse with 

the area of nearly 10,000 m2 with 15,000 pallet 

spaces and an additional cross-dock area 

of 5,400 m2 . 

Hungary – Dunaharaszti 

The new cross-dock warehouse near 

Budapest was opened in May 2012. 

The area of the warehouse has 

4,104 m2 and 42 loading / unloading 

ramps. For Raben in Hungary it may 

mean only one thing: more effective 

and faster distribution. 

< 15 > 

Poland – Lublin, Piła, Szczecin, Sosnowiec 

In Poland in 2012 four new projects will be realized. The complex 

in Lublin will have an additional cross-dock warehouse with the area 

of approx. 2,000 m2 and two high-storage warehouses (the total of 

13,600 m2 ). The facility will service the Customers of both Raben 

Polska and Fresh Logistics. 

In Sosnowiec, the first phase of the development is the construction 

of a cross-dock warehouse of 6,000 m2 . In autumn this year, a new 

cross-dock will be completed in Szczecin, which will address the needs 

of the Customers of Raben Polska and Fresh Logistics while Piła will 

have a new cross-dock warehouse of over 2,000 m2 . This one and 

the logistics centre in Lublin will be at the disposal of the company 

Raben Polska. 

Germany – Nuremberg 

The works on the new logistics terminal and cross-dock warehouse are going according 

to plan and they will be opened in the autumn of 2012. The warehouse space 

has 15,000 m² and 25,000 pallet spaces 

and the cross-dock space will have about 

8,000 m2 . The facility will have 80 loading / 

unloading ramps. Raben Group has been 

present in the port of Nurnberg since 1972 

(at that time as Birkart Systemverkehre). 

The branch is an important domestic and 

European cross-dock centre for everyday 

flow of shipments. 

Marek Zychla 

Investment Director 


Magazine for Raben Group Customers 15

16 

SAFETY 

SHE Program 

is developing! 


Occupational safety is a very important part of management, 

not only in manufacturing companies, but also services. Health and Safety 

in Europe imposes many obligations on employers. They improve working conditions 

and reduce the risk of accidents and occupational diseases. The Commission 

of the European Parliament, in cooperation with the European Risk Observatory, set 

up within the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU OSHA), 

has composed a health and safety strategy, which again highlighted 

the importance of risk prediction and prevention. 

Broadly understood safety is 

becoming an equally important 

subject for the authorities, as 

well as entrepreneurs. Also in Raben 

Group this issue occupies an important 

place among already existing projects. 

SHE program (the abbreviation stands 

for Safety, Health and Environment), 

is an integral part of the work in 

all Business Units of Raben Group. 

The project was created by the Board 

of Raben Group, within the policy 

of Corporate Social Responsibility 

(CSR). 

SHE Mission 

SHE’s Mission is to improve safety by 

increasing the awareness of potential 

hazards in the workplace and to 

minimize or completely eliminate them. 

The program is designed to review the 

existing health and safety procedures in 

different BUs of Raben Group and as a 

result to build a unified safety system for 

the entire organization. 

SHE Advice 

As part of the SHE activities we are going 

to organise short, regular meetings 

for employees called “SHE Advice”, 

which will act as safety knowledge bank 

for both employees and suppliers. 

These trainings will be dedicated to 

< 16 > 

selected potential risks and good protective 

practices. The sequence of issues 

is not random. It was decided on the 

basis of EU-OSHA’s analysis and risk 

assessment. Alarming statistics about 

occupational diseases (musculoskeletal 

disorders MSDs) and their effects and 

trends, caused that much emphasis will 

be on topics closely related to ergonomics. 

During the training we will encourage 

Employees to appropriate behavior, 

such as correct principles of working 

with the computer or the principles of 

manual handling of loads. 

SHE resolutions 

for 2012 

In 2012, SHE actions will focus on 

increasing the safety of employees, visitors 

and suppliers. We want to achieve 

this by e.g. first standardizing the rules 

of internal transport in the areas of terminals 

and warehouses of Raben Group. 

ShE Standard 

SHE Standard of Raben Groups also ensures 

effective exchange of information 

on applicable solutions enhancing the 

quality and safety of logistics processes 

between stakeholders (companies and 

offices in the Raben Group, Customers 

and service providers). 

SHE Premiere 

The premiere of SHE program took 

place at the beginning of 2012. Then 

the logo promoting the action saw the 

light of day. This symbol will accompany 

all SHE activities which began in the 

first quarter of 2012. 

Raben Group participation in the life of 

communities and developing long-lasting 

and significant relations with them 

makes Raben actions more effective and 

harmonious. We encourage everyone 

to take part in our “SHE Program”, to 

further enhance our cooperation with 

stakeholders. We would be very grateful 

for reporting potential hazards noted in 

the supply chain and any incorrect use 

of good safety practices. This will help 

us achieve the intended goal of increasing 

safety by improving the efficiency 

of logistics processes. All this will bring 

benefits of each of the three parties: 

Employees, Customers, and finally 

Management of Raben Group. 

Notes and ideas on the SHE Program 

should be sent to: 

she@raben-group.com 

Grażyna Łukasik 

SHE Project Manager 

Raben Management Services

The role of Corporate Social Responsibility 

has increased considerably 

in the everyday functioning 

of companies. Even the European Union 

considers the implementation of the CSR 

rules to corporate strategies of the biggest 

companies as a duty. For example in 

Spain it is an obligation to implement the 

CSR rules in companies with more than 

1,000 Employees. In Raben Group we 

began working on the implementation of 

the CSR rules in 2010. 

health and safety 

The first part of our plan is ensuring 

health and safe working conditions for 

all Staff. To support the healthy lifestyle 

we organized the Healthy Week. During 

those five days the Employees had the 

opportunity to check blood pressure or 

cholesterol levels, to name just a few. 

A regular distribution of fruits is the next 

example of care for Employees. 

To ensure work safety in our company 

we trained about 200 people how 

to provide first-aid. 

Partnership and dialogue 

The second area is focus on maintaining 

relationships and keeping an ongoing 

dialogue with stakeholders. Here we have 

established the Ethics Committee the Employees 

can turn to if they encounter unethical 

behaviour. Moreover, we regularly 

conduct a satisfaction and engagement 

survey for “our people”, so that we can 

best meet their needs and expectations. 

Attracting and retaining 

the best staff 

The next CSR aim is to create attractive 

working conditions, give Employees an 

opportunity for self-development and build 

competitive advantage on diversity. Within 

this area we have organized internships 

for students. In the last two years we 

< 17 > 

To be socially 

responsible 

conducted a scholarship programme 

“Wings Spreaders”. Students who joined 

this program had an opportunity to win a 

scholarship in the amount of 3,700 EUR. 

Compensating negative 

impact on the environment 

Implementing eco-solutions in every field of 

work is the fourth area where we are active. 

Every year we take actions to reduce the 

negative impact of the functioning on the 

society or the environment. The goal for 

2011 was to reduce the consumption of 

electricity and water by 5%, paper - by 

20% and fuel by 10% for trucks and 2% 

for passenger cars. These objectives 

can be achieved through various actions 

such as default printer settings to duplex 

printing, educational e-mail newsletter 

for Employees informing them about the 

importance of environmental protection 

or organizing eco-driving trainings for 

drivers. Finally, the objectives include 

increasing the proportion of recycled to 

non-recycled waste. 

The role and quality 

of logistics services 

The last CSR area is focus on continuous 

improvement of the quality of services, 

supported by innovative solutions and 

building the positive image of the transport 

and logistics sector. We can mention 

here the “Transport is necessary” campaign 

(www.transport-is-necessary.com), 

which builds the image of the transport 

CSR 

sector as crucial for the economy and 

the people. This area also includes the 

“My first car safety seats” campaign 

(http://firstcarseat.4cps.info) launched 

in November 2011, which promotes using 

baby car seats. 

Plans for 2012 

Apart from the above-mentioned activities, 

which will be continued in 2012, 

we plan several new ones. For example, 

we will support sport by organizing championships 

for Employees. We also run 

the “SHE Project” (Safety, Health and 

Environment) that should be implemented 

in the whole Raben Group. This year 

it’s dedicated to setting up standards for 

safety and supporting ergonomics of work. 

For 2012 new environmental targets were 

also set up. They include: reducing the 

consumption of electricity, water and paper 

by 5% as well as reducing fuel consumption 

by at least a few percent or increase 

the amount of recycled waste to more 

than 50% in larger branches and 20% in 

small ones. To achieve these goals we are 

preparing several actions like eco-driving 

courses for our drivers, implementation 

of electronic payslips for Employees and 

e-invoices system for Customers. We plan 

to organise a “week of CSR” including 

educational actions aimed at promoting 

environmental health. To support the local 

communities we would like to organize 

a charity action in each country where 

we have our branches. 

We believe that the CSR project in 

Raben Group will have a successful 

future and we will achieve our CSR vision 

which is “being the trendsetter in our 

sector in giving additional value through 

sustainable solutions.” 

Jan Loubal 

CSR Coordinator 


Magazine for Raben Group Customers 17

18 

EMPLOYEES 

High Heels Logistics 


When at the beginning of the twentieth century suffragettes began to fight for women’s 

rights, nobody could expect that there will be business areas in which women will 

be able to compete with men on the same terms. Today, the equality of gender 

rights is a standard in Europe, but still women in senior positions, working in industries 

dominated by men, are rare. However, it does not apply to Raben Group. 

Here nearly 200 women occupy leading positions in the company by managing 

large teams, taking strategic decisions and controlling huge budgets. 

SvEtlaNa 

SHYPIL, 

Raben 

Ukraine, 

International 

Distribution 


My professional career in Raben Ukraine 

started more than 6 years ago from the 

position of Groupage Shipment Specialist 

in the International Distribution Department. 

At that time the company had just 

started conquering the market of logistics 

services but already managed to establish 

itself as a strong business partner. Back in 

2005 there were less than 30 Employees 

in the company, and now – more than 

600. To grow and move forward with the 

company was an invaluable experience for 

me. Working in a fast growing organization 

required great responsibility, dedication 

and enthusiasm from all – be it a manager 

or a specialist. I believe that good results 

can be only achieved by working together. 

I would say that I am lucky because I work 

with people who not only support me but 

whom I can trust. We can achieve a lot 

with such a team! 

< 18 > 

Meet the women from different Raben companies who develop their career in our Group. Their common feature is the 

passion, commitment and... work in Raben Group. 

EDINa 

vaNka, 

Raben Trans 

European 

Hungary, 

Customers 

Service 

Manager 

I started work at the logistics company in 

2002, after my studies, as a Warehouse 

Administrator. As I wanted to improve 

my qualifications and knowledge, 

I started studying management. In 2006, 

through internal recruitment, I moved 

to the Customer Service Department 

where, after 3 years, I got the position 

of Service Manager of one of the key 

Customers. My motto is to set intermediate 

targets for myself, in order to 

achieve those, that seem to be really 

difficult to achieve.But this is of course 

the future. I would like to start a family 

and experience the joy of maternity. 

Sometimes it is really hard to combine 

everything but I believe it is worth it. 

StEFaNIa 

BONDOS, 

Raben 

Polska, 

Regional 


When I started work in Raben Polska, the 

dilemma of combining the career with the 

care for children was already behind me 

because my daughter was already adult. 

However, there were still open questions 

such as equal pay, promotion opportunity 

or the issue of “women 40+” at work. In all 

these aspects I have had some positive 

experiences. Despite the fact that many 

different changes have taken place in 

the Group, the company policy towards 

employed women is constant. I am verification 

on the basis of professional tasks and 

achievements of the branch and the region 

I manage. I have never had the feeling 

that my gender has a negative impact on 

my career development or on achieving the 

objectives. 

Joanna Więckowska 

Marketing & Communication Manager 


Raben Group values its Employees for their professionalism, commitment and competence above all - regardless of gender and 

age. What is important these days, the company supports women who want to develop professionally while not neglecting their 

personal lives.

EMPLOYEES 

Warehouse without warehouse 

Workers could never work 

I remember the first time when I was inside a warehouse. I saw a huge amount 

of goods stored on endless shelves of which forklifts were going to and from. 

At first glance it seemed like chaos. In fact it was a professionally managed warehouse, 

where each product had its place and every movement of goods was carefully planned. 

and how does the usual day of warehouse 

Workers look like in practice? 

“Every day we receive a list of goods from 

Customers which have to be prepared for 

transport and sent to a final destination. In this 

process I control the goods on pallets before 

picking processes and delivering them to 

Customers” describes Rita Marosi, a warehouse 

worker in Dunaharaszti, Hungary and 

continues “logistics warehouse is dedicated to 

long-term storage of different kinds of goods. 

You can find high storage racks there. For better 

orientation the rack and shelf spaces have 

their own numbers and codes and all these 

data is stored in the warehouse management 

system. As a result, we can very easily 

navigate the seemingly complex environment 

and handle goods efficiently.” 

Apart from logistics warehouses you can 

also find the so-called cross-docks in 

Raben Group. This is a kind of a “transfer 

station” for the shipments going from 

one destination to another. It allows for 

transport of goods in the shortest possible 

time. Products are not stored there which 

helps to reduce costs throughout the whole 

supply chain. It requires synchronization 

of all processes from the entry to the exit 

of goods.”In general this means covering 

the whole range of operations starting 

from acceptance of goods, placing on 

< 19 > 

relevant cross-dock section, picking and 

carrying to relevant locations” describes 

Yuriy Luzan, from Raben Group´s branch 

in Kiev (Ukraine). “The whole organization 

in the warehouse is possible thanks to the 

Voice Picking system. In a voice directed 

warehouse workers confirm their tasks 

by speaking pre-defined commands and 

reading confirmation codes printed on locations 

or products with the help of WMS 

system. All of this is much more effective 

than working with paper documents and 

the we’ve noticed less mistakes and the 

increase of effectiveness of our work” adds 

Yuriy Luzan. 

Work in the warehouse is not only about 

simply moving goods from one part of the 

warehouse to another. 

“Before getting down to work in the modern 

warehouse Raben Group has at its disposal, 

everyone is obliged to attend several kinds 

of trainings and courses.” - explains Karolis 

Astrauskas, a warehouse employee in Vilnius 

and continues - “We use different kinds of 

modern IT systems. Additionally, if you want 

to drive a forklift you must pass an exam. 

I´ve also learned that work in the warehouse 

is also team work. Communication with 

colleagues allows me to plan my daily duties 

better.” 

Sławek Kaniuk from Fresh Logistics in Poland 

emphasizes that work in the warehouse 

means being resistant to stress and striving 

to achieve the goals. Then working in the 

warehouse can be really a nice experience 

for everyone. 

In Raben Group almost 4,000 People 

are involved in warehouse operations, 

which is a half of all Employees in the Group. 

What do warehouse Workers like most 

about their job? 

Karolis answers without hesitation “What 

I appreciate most is the fact that I work for an 

employer who provides reliable and secure 

job and this is what Raben Group does.” 

Functioning in modern logistics companies 

depends on many factors. In those competitive 

times investments in buildings, modern IT 

solutions, warehouse management systems 

or even in fleet are necessary. However, even 

the best equipment cannot replace people. 

Without warehouse Employees even the 

biggest logistics company could not function. 

Therefore, the next time when the favourite 

products are bought in a shop, please remember 

about the warehouse workers. 

Jan Loubal 

CSR Coordinator 



19

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