Express Service Provider trans-o-flex Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Founded on October 30, 1971, the express service trans-o-flex is celebrating its 50th anniversary nationwide at all locations. First, on November 2, 2021, everyone will celebrate together online, followed by location-specific offline celebrations. CEO Wolfgang P. Albeck praises the employees on this occasion, highlighting their contribution to reaching this proud anniversary.

(Weinheim) Exactly 50 years ago, on Saturday, October 30, 2021, the express service trans-o-flex, specializing in logistics solutions for pharmaceuticals and other high-quality, sensitive goods, was established. The company is celebrating its golden anniversary nationwide with employees at all locations: On Tuesday, November 2, there will first be an online event from the headquarters in Weinheim, which will be broadcast to all locations. After that, each location will continue to celebrate offline. “We are proud of our 50-year history, during which we have established ourselves as the market leader in temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics in Germany,” says Wolfgang P. Albeck, CEO of trans-o-flex, on the occasion of the anniversary. “This is primarily thanks to our employees. Their commitment and expertise, their ideas and customer-oriented service have brought trans-o-flex to where we are today. With our unique logistics network and decades of experience in shipping temperature- and time-sensitive goods, we are very well positioned to further expand our market share. In the future, individual customer service and excellent quality will continue to be at the forefront of trans-o-flex.”

From Fast Delivery Service to Successful International Specialist Logistics Provider

The origin of trans-o-flex lies in pharmaceutical wholesale. Founded on October 30, 1971, trans-o-flex operated as an umbrella brand of an interest group that aimed to implement fast and reliable direct deliveries to pharmacies. To achieve this, five freight forwarding companies from Germany came together to establish the first nationwide “fast delivery service” for pharmaceuticals in Germany. To ensure greater flexibility than standard transport networks, an integrated transport network was implemented from the beginning, capable of safely transporting goods both in packages and on pallets.

Starting in 1988, trans-o-flex expanded beyond pure transportation to offer warehousing, order picking, and individual value-added services. These were directly linked to the transport network from the outset, enabling customers to enjoy particularly late order times, maximum transparency, and relief.

Early Commitment to Sustainability

From the very beginning, the company placed great importance on sustainability. In 1990, trans-o-flex launched the first reusable shipping container. Under the brand EURODIS, the company also established an independent Europe-wide distribution network in 1993 with foreign subsidiaries and European partners. By combining national and international shipments, vehicle utilization could be increased, and the CO2 footprint reduced. Over the years, the company grew steadily and expanded its service portfolio. In 2006, trans-o-flex actively introduced temperature-controlled transports nationwide between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, and later also between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. After the company recorded revenues of over 500 million euros for the first time in 2007, Österreichische Post AG took full ownership of trans-o-flex starting in 2008.

The current majority shareholders, Schoeller Group and Amberger Group, re-entered trans-o-flex in 2016 after having been shareholders of the company for about two years in the 1990s. They found in Wolfgang P. Albeck an experienced logistics manager who has consistently developed the company into a premium express service for the healthcare, cosmetics, consumer electronics, and other sensitive goods sectors. Since Albeck took over management, trans-o-flex has sustainably reported profits and achieved an EBITDA of 31 million euros for the first half of 2021.

Well Positioned for Growth

The company sees itself well positioned for strong growth both nationally and internationally due to its specialization and quality approach. “Not least, the Corona pandemic has underscored how vital safe temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transports are,” says Albeck. In November 2020, trans-o-flex was appointed as a partner for civil emergency supply in road traffic in the Federal Republic of Germany due to the performance of its transport and logistics networks and its significant role in the German pharmaceutical supply.

The company expects that megatrends will further promote the growth of trans-o-flex. These include demographic change, digitalization in the healthcare market, the development of special medications for new therapies, and regulatory requirements in Europe that will lead to permanently higher quality demands in temperature-controlled logistics.

Photo: © trans-o-flex