
The Austria-based international transport and logistics player, Gebrüder Weiss ended its 2023 fiscal year with a net revenue of 2.47 billion euros (2022: 3 billion euros). Despite this decline, the company remains above its growth trend seen between 2015 and 2020. The coronavirus-related effects of the two previous years did not persist in 2023. At 774 million euros, net revenue in the Air & Ocean business segment subsequently returned to levels seen in previous years. Given the higher freight rates charged by shipping lines and airlines, Gebrüder Weiss generated 1.27 billion euros in this segment in the previous year.
Surface transportation and the logistics unit also report robust sales, totaling 1.45 billion euros (2022: 1.48 billion euros), with declining energy and fuel prices. The equity ratio increased to 63% (2022: 60%), ensuring the company’s ability to handle crises and positioning it as an important employer.
“Despite the challenges posed by the global economic conditions, we have been able to assist the sales efforts of our customers in their respective markets with our first-rate service, Wolfram Senger-Weiss,” CEO of Gebrüder Weiss stated. Simultaneously, the company expanded its global reach by establishing new stations in the USA and Germany. “This is due first and foremost to the wholehearted dedication shown by our employees. Geopolitical conflicts and weaker global economic output had a negative impact on revenue and transport volumes. Our stable financial situation meant that, in 2023, we were still able to implement a comprehensive investment program to expand both locations and services,” explained Mr. Senger-Weiss. Many projects that had to be postponed during the pandemic were accomplished in 2023.
Touching sustainability efforts, the company reports successful steps aimed at decarbonizing its own business activities. Three-quarters of the electricity requirements in the DACH region are already provided by its own solar panels. In addition, the management is increasingly focusing on its on its own fleet of vehicles as part of its goal to achieve operational climate neutrality by 2030. Two battery-powered trucks will be launched in Germany this year, and further e-trucks and e-delivery vehicles will be purchased in Austria. To manage the transition period to e-mobility, the company is converting a large part of its own truck fleet in Austria to hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO).
For H2, 2024, Gebrüder Weiss expects a slight economic upturn, thereby translating into revenue growth fed by the success of individual national companies. Wolfram Senger-Weiss concluded: “We are now benefiting from the fact that we have a global position and can swiftly respond to economic upturns in individual regions with the necessary local logistics services. At the same time, we see confirmation of our “best of both worlds” strategy. The last few years in particular have shown how important it is to invest in both the development of the operational network and the company’s digital expertise.”