ITALY\\\


Dachser has completed its acquisition of Italian food logistics provider Papp Italia. The German-owned family


forwarding and transport company acquired a 50% share in Italian in Papp Italia back in 2012 following two years of collaboration and then, in 2017, acquired the company outright. The transition to Dachser


systems and renaming the entity mark the final steps in the integration


process, with the


branch in Verona in northern Italy becoming Dachser Italy Food Logistics. As a major food producer and consumer, Italy plays a major role


in the transport of goods around Europe. Migration


of all logistics


processes and IT to Dachser standard systems was completed in mid-February, integrating Dachser Italy Food Logistics into all Dachser network processes. Customers benefit from the Vivengo product portfolio as well as from access to the eLogistics platform for end-to-end shipment tracing, proactive discrepancy notifications, and straightforward order and warehouse management. Verona is also connected to a


further 33 countries through the European Food Network via its


hub in Frankfurt, as well as to other terminals in the network. Managing director of Dachser


Food Logistics, Alfred Miller, said:


“With its strategically


strong position in northern Italy, Dachser Italy


Food Logistics


is an ideal starting point from which to expand and further internationalize our contract logistics business for food in Italy. By introducing standardised processes, we’ve


made the


service we can offer European food producers and retailers even more attractive. This takes our import/export business to a whole new level, which in turn further strengthens the European Food


E-commerce electrifies Italian pallet business


Palletways Italia – part of the


European express palletised freight network - has had a busy few months expanding its national hub in Bologna, developing a new partnership with a UK-based company and redesigning its IT system to offer clients better and more detailed information on their shipments. Managing director Palletways


Italia, Albino Quaglia, explains: “Palletways Italy has been working with the UK since the launch of the international service in 2008, supporting UK- based companies to bring their products to the Italian market and vice-versa. While most of our shipments to the UK contain Italian-made interior design


products, we frequently transport wine too. “And earlier this year, we


launched a new distribution service for a UK e-commerce company we’ve supported in the domestic market


for the


past few years. We provide a fulfillment service through our hub in Bologna, so the company’s products are stocked here in Italy. This means that shipments can be prepared through our state-of-the-art Palletways soſtware immediately aſter the order is made. This new and exciting collaboration means we’ve been able to develop and test distribution solutions that are tailored for the needs of e-commerce businesses.”


He adds that since its


introduction to the Italian market 16 years


ago, Palletways has


achieved double digit growth figures in volume every year: “We currently move 10,000 pallets every day, which demonstrates that the Italian market has fully embraced the advantages of a pallet network model.” Moreover, he says, an


increasing number of Italian logistics companies want to join the network because they understand the additional source of revenue and business synergies that networks can achieve. Clients appreciate the high-quality service at a competitive price for small consignments, which wasn’t previously offered in Italy.


DFDS slims down in Italy


operations at Fagnano, north of Milan, will likewise cease from the same date. Rail solutions between


Italy and Benelux, Ireland and Norway will continue and be managed from offices in Oslo and Rotterdam. Likewise, DFDS Lilla Edet (formerly Italcargo) will continue to provide road services between Sweden and Italy. The restructure is expected


DFDS’ Italian activities are


to be restructured following unsatisfactory results, said the Danish-owned forwarder and logistics company. Much of its business are rail


services between Italy and the UK, Sweden and Denmark/ which were due to be either offered by other operators or cease by 1 April. Warehousing and distribution


to reduce the revenue of DFDS’s Italian logistics activities in 2018 by around DKK 225m compared to 2017 and 34 employees in Italy, Sweden, UK and Denmark are affected.


Issue 3 2018 - Freight Business Journal


Dachser blends in Italian food specialist 17


Network.” Dachser Italy Food Logistics


regularly delivers 230,000 tonnes of fresh, temperature-controlled, and ambient food from Verona to more than 1,200 retail and industry recipients across Italy every year. The facility has a warehouse offering 17,000sq m of storage in a variety of temperature zones as well as 41 loading bays. Some 170 employees take care of distribution, warehousing, and administrative operations. Dachser Italy Food Logistics


Taranto (Apulia) branch mainly organises full loads for Italy and for export. Miller says that Italy has a rather


different food retailing market compared with much of Europe, with many small shops and few of the big supermarkets seen in the UK, Germany and France where a small number of giant retail chains dominate the market. Miller explained: “Italy has a


very fragmented food market. Alongside a few large retailers, there are many small, traditional independent retailers.” That said, Aldi Süd’s entry into


the Italian market will not go unnoticed; with the discounter reporting growth over the past few years. Italy


though has many small, regional food forwarders


Como again – and again, and again


The Europa Road arm of logistics operator Europa Worldwide Group has invested heavily in its Italian operation over the last four years since the business


Europa Road, together with its partner in Italy is now moving close on 1,000 consignments per week. Europa Worldwide Group


operating out of a single or a handful locations and no trend towards greater density is yet discernable. In the non-frozen segment,


Dachser makes food deliveries to each of its commercial customers in Italy, in particular to retailers, specialist stores, the hotels, restaurants and catering sector, large-scale consumers such as canteens and the processing industry. “To deliver to recipients that cannot be served directly from Verona because of


insufficient groupage, we


use our country-wide network of forwarding agents,” Miller explains.


far more concentration in and around the central North which can make domestic distribution more challenging, oſten leading to a more fragmented product. “A year ago we took a decision


to retract from regional partners to instead route all inbound as well as outbound traffic through a single partner hub in Como. This allowed enough critical mass in one place, to drive a more consistent level of connection, and today we operate a three times per day round trip between Dartford and Como. This is a hugely structured product, which has brought us a robust and reliable offering, together with good transit times, and a high level of track and trace information for our clients. “What this means is that every


was acquired by new managing director Andrew Baxter. During 2017, UK paid


consignments to and from Italy grew by 20%, with export consignments from the UK to Italy up 24% against the same period in 2016. In the same period, volume has risen by 21%.


operations director Dan Cook (pictured) said: “Italy is now the third largest groupage market we operate (behind Germany and France), and our growth is in line with most of our other main European routes. However, Italy, unlike Germany, is far less industrialised in its spread, with


eight hours a double manned groupage trailer leaves Dartford for Italy, and leaves Como for the UK. I believe this creates a quicker and more reliable product than anything else in the market today. Germany and France are one thing, but to operate in this way to Italy I think is really something special.”


All in a day’s work for abnormal load firm


Abnormal Loads Services (ALS)’s


Italian offices at


Marghera and Ravenna have recently provided loading assistance in Porto Marghera for a variety break bulk and out-of-gauge pieces. Services provided by ALS in Italy include out of gauge transport (Trasporti Eccezionali) surveys and verified gross mass (VGM) assistance.


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