Dimitrije Nikolic, Director of Air&Sea Division and Regional Manager at Gebrüder Weiss – We are constantly expanding operations, opening of new branch offices planned

Source: Promo Thursday, 03.06.2021. 12:48
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(Dimitrije Nikolic) The logistics sector has gone through numerous changes in the past year, from switching to online meetings due to the impossibility of organizing live meetings with clients and suppliers, through working from home, to increasing request for the B2C service which covers the entire logistics chain. Gebrüder Weiss recognized this process on time an launched the customer portal MyGW, says Dimitrije Nikolic, the director of the Air&Sea Division and the regional manager for the markets of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Gebrüder Weiss.

The strong impression is that Gebrüder Weiss is closely following the market developments and that it is a step ahead of everyone in setting high standards in its field of operations. In your opinion, in which direction is the industry of transport and logistics heading?

– Definitely in the direction of further digitization. As is the case in many industries (and a little wider), the logistics sector has gone through numerous changes in the past year, from switching to online meetings due to the impossibility of organizing live meeting with clients and suppliers, through working from home, to increasing requests for the B2C service, which covers the entire logistics chain. Gebrüder Weiss recognized this process as crucial to further operations on time and, accordingly, launched the MyGW customer portal, which, in a friendly environment, fully responds to all these changes, as shown by our clients’ feedback, which is more than satisfactory.

On the other hand, we can see the continuation of the expansion of logistics companies (for example, the purchase of TNT by Fedex, of Panalpina by DSV, etc.), which will put a lot of pressure on these big companies regarding the realization of the expected results, harmonizing the business system, employee integration… All this can lead to changes in the logistics sector itself, that is, to the lowering of the service quality in favor of getting a bigger market share. Also, we can expect the arrival of some logistics companies which have so far focused more on local markets (China, USA) and more frequent mergers of transport and logistics companies.

What kind of results and challenges did Gebrüder Weiss began this year with and what will the focus of operations be until the end of 2021?

– The previous year was special for Gebrüder Weiss in many ways, just like for many other logistics companies. Even with the numerous challenges that we faced, we managed to end the year with the best results yet, to the satisfaction of our clients, which is the most important thing for us. We quickly and successfully adapted to the new market conditions and managed to respond to all the demands it posed. I can say with pride that all the employees at Gebrüder Weiss gave it their best, for which I am extremely grateful. As a company which fosters family values, in the most difficult moments, we displayed precisely that level of connectedness and dedication to clients, colleagues and associates.

On the other hand, the main focus in 2021 is still to expand the market share, with a constant maintenance of the level of quality for our clients. A healthy, sustainable growth is necessary, but with careful monitoring of all the KPI parameters (in which we are helped, among other things, by the myGW portal). What we don’t want is to lose direct contact with our clients, so that we would be able to recognize market demands on time and provide an adequate response to those demands. In that sense, the biggest challenge is to adapt to the constant changes in the logistics sector and use those changes in the most efficient way possible, so that our clients would have the best service possible.
(Photo: Gebrüder Weiss)

Considering that you hold the position of the regional manager for the markets of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Gebrüder Weiss, can you tell us how important our region is for the overall operations of the global company?

– Our region has long since been recognized as a market with a potential and, as such, gets full attention from the company’s management. This attention is reflected in the great support to our projects, investments in infrastructure and even more ambitious plans for the future, but also in the fact that nearly all the teams for the future projects of the entire Gebrüder Weiss feature at least one employee from our region.


Regarding internationalization, Gebrüder Weiss has continued down its path in the sector of air and sea transport of cargo in 2021. Tell us something more about the expansions to world markets and whether any expansions are planned in our region.

– For a long time now, Gebrüder Weiss has been expanding its business constantly, through the expansion of the existing capacities, through opening new branch offices and acquiring other logistics companies. As for our region, there is a plan to open several new branch offices and to enhance the existing ones, and the latest examples of expansions are the opening of the logistics center in Zagreb, offices in South Korea, Australia and New Zealand and the acquisition of Ipsen Logistics. Considering that we are innovating our operations on a daily basis, it can be said that this is a very intensive and, at the same time, a very interesting period for Gebrüder Weiss.

What can we expect from the company in the future when it comes to the operations in the region?

– Primarily – stability and reliability. These are the qualities that, in the current conditions, make a difference and that our clients see as the most important ones. Today, more than ever, it is necessary for our clients to recognize in us a partner with which they will overcome all the challenges, with mutual understanding and acceptance.

Furthermore, working on perfecting our employees is also an important item in our business. Through various training programs (several dozen courses are available within the company, dual education, Orange Pro and Orange Future school, etc.), we are preparing the younger staff for a successful continuation of their careers at Gebrüder Weiss (Next Generation Program).

Last, but not the least, we expect a greater presence of the Gebrüder Weiss brand in the regional market, through larger capacities and new branch offices, as well as through the acquisition of new projects, which require more complex logistics.

To conclude, I can point out that the operations of Gebrüder Weiss rest on four values: independence, sustainability, commitment and service excellence, and adhering to these values will remain our main characteristics in the future as well.

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