Kuehne + Nagel

Kuehne + Nagel International AG und Co.
Holding company
(Public)
Traded as SIX: KNIN
Industry Transport
Logistics
Founded Bremen, Germany (1890 (1890))
Founder
Headquarters Schindellegi, Switzerland
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Klaus-Michael Kühne (Honorary Chairman)
Karl Gernandt (Chairman)
Detlef Trefzger
(CEO)
Markus Blanka-Graff
(CFO)
Martin Kolbe
(CIO)
Tim Scharwath
(EVP Air Logistics)
Otto Schacht
(EVP Sea Logistics)
Stefan Paul
(EVP Road & Rail Logistics)
Lothar A. Harings
(CHRO)
Erik Schipper
(MCZ)
Products see services and solutions
Revenue IncreaseCHF 20.2 billion (2015)[1]
IncreaseCHF 679 million (2015)[2]
Number of employees
 63,248 (2012)
Website kuehne-nagel.com

Kuehne + Nagel International AG (or Kühne + Nagel) is a global transport and logistics company based in Schindellegi, Switzerland.[3] It was founded in 1890, in Bremen, Germany, by August Kühne and Friedrich Nagel.[3] It provides sea freight and airfreight forwarding, contract logistics, and overland businesses with a focus on providing IT-based logistics solutions. In 2010, Kuehne + Nagel was the leading global freight forwarder, accounting for nearly 15% of the world's air and sea freight business by revenue, ahead of DHL Global Forwarding, DB Schenker Logistics, and Panalpina.[4] As of 2017, it has more than 1,200 offices in over 100 countries, with over 70,000 employees.[5]

History

Early years and evolution: 1890 - 1950s

The origins of Kuehne + Nagel[6] was in 1890, when August Kühne and Friedrich Nagel founded a forwarding commission agency in Bremen, Germany. It initially used to concentrate on cotton and consolidated freight. Later in 1902, it expanded its operations to the German seaport city of Hamburg.[3]

In 1907, the co-founder Friedrich Nagel died, and August Kühne took over his shares in the company. The legacy of Nagel still lives on, in the company's name - Kuehne + Nagel (KN). The First World War greatly affected its businesses.

Upon Kühne's death in 1932, his sons - Alfred and Werner - became partners in the firm. Adolf Maass (1875 - probably early in 1945 in Auschwitz labour camp), who was Jewish, a partner, and the firm's largest shareholder with a 45% stake, was forced out in April 1933. On the 1st of May 1933 Alfred and Werner Kühne joined the Nazi Party,[7] and under the brothers' management the firm played a prominent role in the transport of property seized from Jews in occupied territories.[8][9]

Transition to a Swiss holding co., and expansion: 1950s - 1990s

In the early 1950s, Alfred Kühne initiated the company's international expansion; and KN expanded its operations into Canada, with the opening of branch offices in Toronto and Montreal. In 1963, KN took a controlling stake in Athens based Proodos S.A, and also expanded into Italy. In 1975, the company adopted a holding company structure, with the formation of Kuehne + Nagel International AG based in Schindellegi, Switzerland, as the ultimate holding company.

In the mid-1960s, a third-generation member of the Kühne family, Klaus-Michael Kühne joined his father Alfred Kühne as a junior partner, having completed an apprenticeship in banking. In 1966, at the age of 30, he joined the management team as executive chairman; and spearheaded KN's future expansions, particularly its European and the Far Eastern operations.

In 1981, Alfred Kühne died; and in July the same year, due to the losses sustained by the Kühne family in attempting to expand its shipping fleet, a 50% stake in KN was sold to the British conglomerate Lonrho Plc for 90 million DM. Following the purchase, Klaus-Michael Kühne and Lonrho's head, Roland "Tiny" Rowland acted as joint chief executives of the combined organisation. KN further expanded with its acquisition of freight companies: Domenichelli SpA (Italy), Van Vliet BV (Netherlands), Hollis Transport Group Ltd. (UK), Transportes Tres (Spain), and other acquisitions in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Further expansion: 1990s - present

The 1990 German reunification was an important event for many German companies, including KN; and provided them the necessary impetus to expand further. After the reunification, KN integrated its network in the former German Democratic Republic, and consolidated its operations. In 1992, it bought back Lonrho plc's 50% stake in the company; and went public in May 1994. It was listed on the Zurich and Frankfurt exchanges, which provided a platform for further exchange-based acquisitions. The same year, KN established a Russian subsidiary; and pushed ahead into Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.[10]

In the mid 1990s, strategic focus given to expand the lucrative logistics-related contracts / operations paid off - one being with DuPont in which KN would operate the chemical giant's leveraged distribution activities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In July 1999, Kühne handed over the post of CEO to Klaus Herms, and continued as the executive chairman and president of the board.

In the early 2000s, KN got a foothold in the Asia Pacific contract logistics market, when it forged a strategic alliance with Singapore-based SembCorp Logistics. In 2001, it acquired USCO Logistics Inc. - a warehouse-based logistics service provider based in Hamden, Connecticut, for US$300 million. KN and SembCorp chose to follow different strategic paths in 2004, and ended their strategic partnership.[11]

In October 2007, the board of KN appointed Reinhard Lange as the successor to CEO Klaus Herms, effective June 2009 to ensure a smooth handover. The succession plan was similar to the SAP's 2007 CEO transition plan from Henning Kagermann to Léo Apotheker, which received praise in the media.[12]

In 2012, Kuehne + Nagel acquired the business contracts of Canada’s Perishables International Transportation (PIT) to expand into global fresh and frozen foods network.[13]

In September 2013, Kuehne + Nagel agreed to merge its railfreight business with VTG to form VTG Rail Logistics, which would be Europe's largest private railfreight business when it starts operations in 2014.[14]

In April 2014, Kuehne + Nagel International was fined $3.1 million for its part in a freight forwarding cartel case brought by the Commerce Commission. Kuehne + Nagel was the last defendant in the seven-year investigation involving six firms, who referred to themselves as the "Gardening Club" and used horticultural code to discuss anti-competitive practices among them. The regulator's investigation uncovered emails that referred to agreed surcharges as "the new price for asparagus for the forthcoming season" or "the price of marrows".[15][16][17][18]

Organization

The group employs approximately 66,000 people in 1000 offices in more than 100 countries and has approximately 7 million sqm of warehouse space under management.[19] It is organised in the following seven geographical divisions:[3]

Operations

It is divided into the following operating segments:[3]

Services and solutions

It provides sea freight and airfreight forwarding, contract logistics and overland businesses; with a focus on providing IT-based logistics solutions.

Its freight forwarding (sea / air) services, include the necessary arrangement for the transport of goods by road and rail. Its contract logistics unit offers warehousing and distribution services.

KN Lead Logistics Solutions includes 4PL Management, Supplier & Inventory Management, Aftermarket Management and Supply Chain Technology. KN Lead Logistics Solutions acts as the single point of contact with full operational responsibility with focus on supply-chain integration.

Kuehne + Nagel's solutions extend to the world's largest industries including: aerospace, automotive, fast-moving consumer goods, high-tech & consumer electronics, industrial goods, oil & gas, retail, pharma & healthcare.[20]

Leadership

Chairman of the Board

Corporate governance

Previous Chief Executive Officers

Current corporate governance:[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel: Global Revenue". kn-portal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel: Income". kn-portal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Reuters Finance company profile - Kuehne + Nagel". Reuters. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "The Journal of Commerce - Kuehne + Nagel Ranked Top Forwarder in 2010". joc.com. July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel: The Extension of Your Business". industryleadersmagazine.com. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012. by Dhwani Shah
  6. ↑ "Yahoo finance - profile of Kuehne + Nagel". biz.yahoo.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Hamburg State Archives Signatur 371-8 II_SXXI A15 a 133
  8. ↑ "Kühne + Nagel: Jubiläum mit dunklen Flecken | NDR.de - Kultur - Geschichte - Chronologie". NDR.de. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  9. ↑ "Kühne + Nagels Rolle bei der Ausplünderung der Juden - DIE WELT". Welt.de. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  10. ↑ "Fundinguniverse.com profile of Kuehne + Nagel international AG". fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "SembCorp Logistics sells stake in Kuehne & Nagel". datamonitor.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "The Other Transition". 390 (8612). The Economist. 2009-01-03. p. 49. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  13. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel Acquires Canadian Perishables Forwarder". Joc.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  14. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel and VTG agree rail logistics merger". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  15. ↑ "Swiss firm fined 31 million over cartel | Business | Newshub". 3news.co.nz. 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ "‘Gardening Club’ freight cartel participant fined $3.1mln | Scoop News". Scoop.co.nz. 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  18. ↑ "‘Gardening Club’ freight cartel participant, Kuehne + Nagel, fined $3.1m | The National Business Review". Nbr.co.nz. 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  19. ↑ "LinkdeIn profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  20. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel: Industry". kn-portal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Reinhard Lange to succeed Klaus Herms as Kuehne + Nagel CEO". biz.yahoo.com. October 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  22. ↑ "Kuehne + Nagel Corporate Governance". kn-portal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
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