EMO Trans Germany, by far the strongest national organization of the logistics provider within the EU, reports an average air freight volume growth of 5%. This applies to 2024 and the first weeks of the current year. Although the market environment has become more demanding, the policy of product diversification is now paying off, says Norman Klinkhammer (34), Managing Director/Head of Freight based at EMO’s Hamburg branch and responsible for logistic company’s air freight business.
amounted to 15,000 tons in 2024, while 6,500 tons of imports arriving by air were handled by EMO Trans in the German market. So far, automotive used to play the most prominent role, however commodities such as machinery parts, medical products, and consumer goods, have been growing faster for some time, “although our automotive business is still going strong,” emphasizes Klinkhammer. Ocean freight keeps also increasing. This is particularly true for temperature-sensitive products such as meat from South America, which arrives by vessel at the seaport of Hamburg, from where these shipments are onforwarded to their final local or EU-wide destinations.
All-inclusive product demanded
Regarding customers’ expectations of supply chains and their logistics service providers, the demand has increased compared to the past. “They expect a full-service product from their business partners,” says the manager, describing the mounting market pressure. “In the past, it was all about value-added services, now the market expects these services to be fully integrated into the respective products.”
Asked why the industry should choose EMO Trans as its logistics partner, he states: “We go the extra mile. We have a specific contact person for each of our customers, who is very familiar with their business and, like the big boys, we have access to a global network, so we offer a personalized one-stop shop solution.” This specific aspect is the most significant difference to the structures of large corporations, which are often anonymous for customers, he says.
Continuity of personnel
“We are small enough to be able to design processes very flexibly when framework conditions change, but large enough to keep up with the world’s leading companies in the logistics sector.”
One particular asset that sets EMO Trans apart from many of its competitors, is the consistency of the company’s personnel. Fluctuation is very low, which at the same time means that experience and expertise stay inhouse. However, the company is currently undergoing a rejuvenation process, the results of which include Norman Klinkhammer and Ercan Ince (Commercial Managing Director). The generation that made EMO great is approaching retirement, so younger managers are taking over the baton, moving into key positions.
Ideally positioned in Africa
Touching on growth markets besides North America and Asia, Klinkhammer describes India, in particular, which stands high on his list of Germany produced exports. Another interesting region from his company’s perspective are the sub-Saharan African countries. Thanks to the pact with EMO’s Johannesburg-based South African partner, the Bidvest Group, “we are ideally positioned there,” he concludes.
In addition, EMO is constantly stepping up its business activities in Latin America: particularly Mexico and Chile. This is done in close coordination between EMO Trans Germany and EMO Trans USA.
