Express Service Provider Flash Expands Its Franchise Network

The express service provider Flash Europe, a long-established and internationally recognized provider of on-demand transport and part of Redspher, launched its own franchise system in October 2019, which was significantly expanded in 2020 and 2021. A timely market entry in Italy, Romania, and Portugal is planned.

(PresseBox; Filderstadt) Particularly in 2021, the express logistics provider Flash Europe recorded significant growth in both geographical expansion and network consolidation in existing markets. After a considerable expansion in 2020, eight new franchise units were added in 2021.

With the development of its own franchise system, the express logistics provider set the course for further internationalization and growth of the company. “The project, which started in 2019 with just nine people, has exceeded all expectations and is now a growing network of 18 franchise units spread across nine different countries (Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Czech Republic, and Serbia), employing a total of 51 people who work hard every day to enhance the local visibility of Flash,” says Jan Schüller, Head of Franchise Business Unit, delighted with the positive development of the business sector. New in the second pandemic year are the countries Ukraine, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Tunisia, where customers are now served locally with shorter communication channels.

Rapid Growth Across Regions and Countries

“Through the Flash franchising offer, the Flash brand network is growing rapidly across multiple regions and countries. We benefit, among other things, from the local market expertise of the franchisees. Local customers, regardless of their country, appreciate working with local contacts, while contacts in larger industrial companies prefer the advantages of global sourcing and account management for their on-demand delivery services. The continuously growing local presence allows us to achieve a uniform service standard. Furthermore, our local presence in these regions often enables even faster response and pickup times,” emphasizes Schüller.

“For Flash, it is primarily about finding the right partners: trustworthy entrepreneurs with a passion for logistics,” Schüller continues. For the franchisee, choosing the right franchisor is also crucial. “We benefit from the synergies of Flash and Redspher in terms of an established network, a significant customer portfolio, mature IT solutions, training systems, app-driven track-and-trace systems, stable and long-developed processes, and much more,” summarizes Hakan Ertemel, Master Franchisee of Turkey.

Opportunity to Participate in Large Tenders

“We now have the opportunity to participate in large tenders, can offer standardized solutions, yet still demonstrate our local expertise,” Ertemel continues.

With the company-developed e-learning platform Genius Academy, new franchisees can be seamlessly integrated even during times of travel and contact restrictions. Additionally, a company-wide uniform approach is ensured everywhere, as franchisees and Flash offices work with the same TMS system (R:tech). Over 2,000 courses were completed through the digital learning platform in the past year.

Further Franchise Areas Available

The company now aims to build on the success of last year and plans to establish an additional 8-10 new franchise operations by the end of 2022 and expand the system to three new countries – Italy, Romania, and Portugal.

Although the number of licenses in the already existing franchise countries, particularly in Central Europe, is limited, the logistics service provider continues to actively seek additional franchise candidates for new regions to further increase local presence.

Photo: © Flash