Reiner Heiken & Dr. Michael Noth

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Successful Business Year 2018

The Hellmann Group looks back upon a successful fiscal year 2018. Earnings before taxes (EBT) amount to 71 million EUR and have thus more than tripled compared to the previous year. While consolidated sales remained stable at 2.5 billion EUR, gross profit improved significantly over the previous year by 5 percent. Strict cost management and at the same time, efficiency optimization in various areas and regions led to a significant increase in net income for the year.

Volume increases in the individual product lines also made a significant contribution to this positive result. With a 6 percent increase in the number of TEUs, the seafreight business is still on course for growth and has been able to improve its margin. The airfreight division also continued the tonnage growth of recent years in 2018. In the Road&Rail division, the increase in tonnage could be maintained at a high level, with the Rail Solutions International business on the so-called Iron Silk Road recording an increase in TEU of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year and gaining strategically important new customers.  At country level, the positive developments in Air&Sea Germany as well as the positive business and earnings development in Mexico are of particular note. 

Changes to the Management Board in the past fiscal year saw Reiner Heiken appointed CEO and Dr. Michael Noth take on the role of CFO, meaning that since the start of the current fiscal year and for the first time, the Hellmann Group is being led by an entirely non-family Board. The two shareholders, Klaus and Jost Hellmann, will continue to be closely associated with the company through direct and indirect representation on the Supervisory Board. The shareholders, Supervisory Board and Management Board are concentrating on the operational and strategic development of the Group in close coordination. In this context, Hellmann is investing in modern and future-proof IT and is driving further growth in various markets and niches on a global level. The entrepreneurial spirit and innovative strength that have enabled the Hellmann Group's steady growth in its almost 150-year history remain at the forefront.

“Our goal in the current fiscal year is to continue the company’s positive development from last year, to further develop the Hellmann Group in an innovative way and generate sustainable growth. The aim is to increase the level of digitisation in order to offer our customers even greater added value, while optimizing our internal processes. Additionally, we aim to expand the global network and our product portfolio further still.” said Reiner Heiken, Chief Executive Officer Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.