ESCP ALUMNI magazine - Special Issue 2022 - 104

Business Life
Transport & Logistics
Logistics - a fast-expanding
sector
Marie-Elizabeth BENOIS (EAP 88), a Pfenning Logistics shareholder, reminds
us about the core business of this German group currently experiencing strong
growth. She also tells us more about their new warehouse in France.
Marie-Elizabeth BENOIS (EAP 88)
Pfenning Logistics shareholder
What does the company do?
Pfenning Logistics is a family firm
that brings together several companies
operating in different business
sectors: logistics for highly diverse
sectors, ranging from the chemicals
industry to supermarket chains, without
forgetting the car industry. In
2021, we also bought out companies
specialising in logistics distribution
for e-commerce and in car
industry-related services. Our aim is
to continue increasing our business
portfolio, while developing our warehousing
capacity.
In addition, we
are also planning to set up a base in
Alsace.
Why have you decided to set
up a base in France?
The coronavirus crisis has triggered
another crisis - the globalisation crisis.
The vulnerability of national economies
has been highlighted over the
past few years. Companies that do not
have carefully managed supply chains
have found themselves in challenging
situations. As a consequence, many
of them are now seeking storage
capacity in Europe in order to avoid
supply chain breakdowns and secure
and maintain the fl ow of goods.
As we were unable to find suitable
plots of land in Germany, we decided
to try our luck on the other side of
the Rhine, and were able to buy a
215,000m² plot of land to the north of
Strasbourg. A nearly 115,000m² logistics
centre will soon be built on the
plot.
What
are
this new site's
strengths?
It is located on one of the 12 " turnkey "
industrial sites earmarked in early
2020 by the French government, and
the advantage is that it has excellent
road links to France and Germany.
The location, plus the multi-client
concept, with 11 independent storage
modules, of the future logistics
hub, addresses the issues and needs
of a large number of sectors. It will be
operational in 2024, and will of course
comply with all the French environmental
regulations. The sustainability
of our warehouses is particularly
important to us.
What are the challenges for a
German company in France?
Several! Firstly, we need to get used
to the country's culture: we may be in
Europe, but each country has its norms
and procedures. However, Alsace is
a border region, where German is
spoken or at least understood, which
defi nitely helps us!
What positions are you currently
looking to fi ll?
France is the world's sixth biggest
logistics market, the second largest
in Europe after Germany with over 1.9
million people working in logistics.
We now need people to fi ll posts ranging
from handling to logistics coordination.
We regularly seek people
to manage fl ows, programme them,
track goods, and for goods storage,
picking, co-packing, assembly, packaging
and shipment, as well as executives
to help us roll out our projects
and manage them in the long term.
France is the world's
sixth biggest
logistics market,
the second largest
in Europe after
Germany with over
1.9 million people
working in logistics.
104 ❙
ESCP Alumni Magazine Special issue ❙ 2022
ESCP ALUMNI magazine - Special Issue 2022

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