Courage and Innovation strengthen the Future of SMEs

The future of the German logistics SMEs is not at stake despite global crises. This conclusion was reached by the five men on the podium with Club-of-Logistics moderator Frank Sonntag. The panel of the network organization identified classic SME characteristics as decisive: bold decisions, family-oriented corporate culture, customer proximity, long-term employee retention, and flexibility. ‘We medium-sized businesses are the problem solvers for customers,’ emphasized Peter Scherbel, board member of the Fiege Logistik Stiftung, on behalf of the entire group.

Mirko Kauffeldt, managing director of Germersheim-based service provider Reber Logistik, emphasized that his company plans to become CO2-neutral by 2035, which would require decarbonizing its fleet. ‘We are increasingly noticing that in some industries this becomes a competitive advantage,’ he reports, adding: ‘Those who miss this now will have a problem.’ Frank Schmidt, owner of Worms-based contract logistics provider TST, who caused a stir at the trade fair with the founding of a cooperative network for depot stores, agrees. ‘We reinvent ourselves every four years; it's part of our business model,’ he highlighted the importance of innovation. (loe)