DACHSER acquires food logistics provider Brummer

DACHSER is acquiring food logistics provider Brummer, an expert for the transport of temperature-controlled food between Germany, Austria and neighboring countries.

DACHSER is acquiring Brummer Logistik GmbH in Germany and Brummer Logistic Solutions GmbH & Co KG in Austria. The purchase encompasses the entire operational business of the Brummer Group. Under the terms of the deal, the companies agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The acquisition still requires the approval of the German and Austrian competition authorities.

In 2023, the family-owned companies generated revenue of around EUR 128 million, putting them among the leading food logistics providers in Central Europe. The two owners and managing directors of the Brummer Group, Hans Brummer and Simone Brummer-Leebmann, have decided to concentrate their business activities on the management and development of real estate, particularly in the logistics sector. They will be supported in this enterprise by their daughter, Valerie Brummer.

Brummer Logistik GmbH was founded in 1977 in Neuburg am Inn, Bavaria, where it owns a 430,000 sq ft facility for refrigerated and frozen food. Brummer Logistic Solutions GmbH & Co KG launched in 2021 and has 484,000 sq ft of storage space at its location in St. Marienkirchen, Austria. Thus, flows of goods from all over Europe are strategically consolidated right next to the border, facilitating the optimal utilization of transport capacity and greater efficiency in transit times. In its core market of southern Germany and Austria, Brummer currently employs around 950 people.

As a high-performance full-service logistics provider, Brummer focuses on cross-border transport, warehousing, and contract logistics services for food between Germany, Austria, and neighboring countries. In providing these services, Brummer covers the full range of temperatures, including frozen foods below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, Brummer offers comprehensive logistical solutions for retail and industrial customers.

Excellent reputation as a quality leader

Brummer was one of the founding partners of the European Food Network in 2013, which spans 34 European countries under DACHSER’s system leadership. This underscores the high quality that Brummer can offer its customers in the key markets of southern Germany and Austria. Within this network, manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers in the food market can access unique network coverage for groupage transports within Europe.

The acquisition will tap considerable growth potential for Brummer. “Brummer has been one of the market leaders for food logistics in Austria and southern Germany for many years,” say Hans Brummer and Simone Brummer-Leebmann, joint managing directors and owners of Brummer prior to the takeover. “Being a part of DACHSER’s European network opens up additional opportunities for growth. We’re therefore taking our partnership, which has developed over the years, to the next level. We’re strengthening our long-term position in the market and offering our customers new opportunities for cross-border food groupage transports and contract logistics services. This also creates security and stability for our staff.”

Meanwhile, DACHSER customers will be able to access the Brummer distribution network in southern Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. The company primarily serves this network with 350 plus drivers on the payroll and its own fleet of over 300 refrigerated trucks.

“In Brummer, we’re acquiring a company that has an excellent reputation as a quality leader. Moreover, we’re delighted to be expanding our own food logistics network in Central Europe. Along with our recent acquisitions of Müller Fresh Food Logistics in the Netherlands and Frigoscandia in northern Europe, we’re reinforcing our position as one of the leading food logistics companies in Europe,” says Burkhard Eling, CEO DACHSER.

For DACHSER, the acquisition of Brummer is also an important step in the further expansion of its distribution capacity for high-quality services in the key German-Austrian food market. “With their proximity to the border, both Brummer locations—the one in Neuburg am Inn and the one in St. Marienkirchen—are ideally situated for the optimal consolidation of loads and further optimization of driving times. In addition, both locations come with land suitable for the construction of additional cargo handling and warehousing areas,” explains Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics and Managing Director DACHSER Food Logistics. Every year, Brummer handles a total of more than 715,000 cross-border shipments across all temperature ranges.

After completion of the purchase, Brummer will be completely integrated into the DACHSER Food Logistics network. Brummer’s operational business will continue to be run by Max Reih and his seasoned management team. Currently Chief Operating Officer of Brummer, Reih will report directly to Alexander Tonn and Stefan Behrendt, Deputy Managing Director DACHSER Food Logistics, in the future.

“In the course of our partnership, DACHSER and Brummer have built up a collaboration marked by mutual trust and confidence. Reliability and quality are top priorities for Brummer. In addition to its values as a family-owned company, this is another major similarity between us,” Tonn continues. However, Brummer’s greatest asset is its people, as Tonn observes: “Brummer’s employees in its offices, logistics facilities, and behind the wheel are highly qualified and motivated. With their proven expertise, especially in cross-border transports between Germany and Austria, they guarantee continuity and future growth in the region. We’re delighted to welcome them into the DACHSER family.”