Geodis Wilson makes SA brand statement

MAY 1 marked the official launch of the Geodis
Wilson brand in South Africa following its takeover of logistics major Röhde &
Liesenfeld. In a separate development
the French national railway operator SNCF, which owns 42% of Geodis Wilson, has launched a board-approved cash bid to take over the
remaining shares of Geodis, a move that would make SNCF the fourth largest integrated
logistics solution provider in Europe behind DHL, Deutsche Bahn and Kuehne+Nagel.
Should the deal go through, the impact for
Geodis Wilson will be
extremely positive, says SAbased
MD Jan Ludolph. “To have the financial
muscle and infrastructure of the French railways backing us will be hugely beneficial
for the company.” In an environment where
the focus is on end-to-end solutions, Ludolph believes it makes sense for a railway
operator to be part of a fully integrated supply chain. “Clearly we will have better access to French rail infrastructure and perhaps
even Euro rail infrastructure.
Should the deal go through, it will enable SNCF to continue its aim of growing the group
into the future.” Geodis Wilson, the
forwarding arm of the Geodis
Group, has a worldwide presence with own offices in 57 countries internationally.
“Europe is where the main infrastructure is right now," said Ludolph. "There will
however be a continued focus on developing the
group further in all markets.”