A 2019 OF CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENT FOR RABEN GROUP

Raben Group can consider the past year as a successful year: the budget targets were achieved with a turnover of 1.25 billion euros, which represents an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year. The main sectors of the industries served by the company in 2019 were food (27%), consumer technologies (21%), automotive (20%), retail trade (12%) chemicals (11%), and lastly, Non-food FMCG (9%).

"We have many long-term customers. Their business has changed over the years and we are adapting to them. We are partners and together we solve the problems that arise. We also grow together. This constant development is written in the DNA of our company. We are adding more and more locations and new countries to our European network: last year Bulgaria became part of our family but not only that, we are also expanding our business in Germany and Italy. We already have many good home distribution networks, and the home network is like a human being. It is the backbone that can support the whole body. This means that we can run an international business; we can offer sea freight, air freight, contract logistics. If there is no backbone of the national distribution network in the country, we perceive it as a bad configuration. "- explains Ewald Raben, CEO Raben Group -" Our goal is to standardize our x-docks throughout Europe. They should all have the same set-up, the same processes and computer systems. For us and for our customers, standardization means optimization and maximum quality of the services provided."

Raben in Europe

In 2019 many new direct lines were opened from Raben Group countries to Germany. Connections with Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Baltics, Ukraine and the East are also developing ever more dynamically. In Italy, the Group strengthened its cooperation with SITTAM, becoming the majority shareholder after bringing its stake to 51%. The Bertola family remains the owner of 49% of shares and long-term shareholder of SITTAM. Both owners decided to jointly increase the capital of the company and, moreover, the management of the Italian company was strengthened by the presence of Wojciech Brzuska, manager of Raben Group with over 20 years of experience in the TFL sector, who took over the position as CEO (Chief Executive Officer). Raben is currently investing heavily in the Italian market through innovative IT solutions, the expansion of its national network and the development of international connections with other Group markets.

In November, the Raben family expanded to include Bulgaria. This means that the Group already operates in 13 markets in Europe with a network of 150 depots. The international HUB in Sofia and direct and daily connections with a partner network of six warehouses across the country not only allow the company to operate efficiently in this market, but also to create new development opportunities in the southeastern part of the continent. And while the Group takes its first steps in one part of Europe, it is celebrating an anniversary in another: Raben Lithuania recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary of operation.
Last year, in the European logistics network, traditionally the largest share of services provided by Raben Group was road transport (66%), followed by Contract Logistics (13%), FTL (8%), Fresh Logistics (8 %), Lead logistic provider (4%) and finally Mare & Aereo (1%). It is worth noting that maritime transport in the last year has started to develop very dynamically, and the Raben team dedicated to this sector has grown significantly. All this confirms the constant efforts of Raben Group to build a European logistics network.

Raben in Germany

Raben Group's independent transport network, operational since January 2018 in Germany, was expanded last spring with new depots. The logistics center in Schàttorf, Lower Saxony, has a cross-docking area of ​​4,500 m2 and has 53 loading ramps for incoming and outgoing goods. In Neumànster, Schleswig-Holstein, Raben Trans Germany in Europe has opened a warehouse with 750m2 of warehouse capacity and 8 loading ramps. This investment has enabled the Group to provide more efficient services in Northern Germany.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the completion of the two and a half year expansion of the Eisenach site, enriched with modern warehouses, a workshop with truck washing and new offices. Thanks to the 6.5 million euro investment, Raben Group currently has 40% more warehouse capacity available in Eisenach: four logistics warehouses, two cross-dock warehouses and 74 loading ramps in total. The goal is to increase the presence of the operator in Thuringia.

In November 2019 an agreement was reached on the acquisition by Raben Group of the German group Fenthol & Sandtmann which includes FKL & Kraftverkehr Ehrig. Raben has acquired the remaining 50% of the shares of the company he had collaborated with in a joint venture since 2011, now becoming its sole shareholder. As a result of the transaction, Raben Group took over the distribution centers of Fenthol & Sandtmann in Hamburg, Erlensee, Leipzig and Dresden together with employees.

An important role in this market will be played by direct daily connections with other countries of the Group, in particular between Poland and Germany, whose main objective is to double the number of shipments in the coming years.

Germany is the largest and most important trading partner for Poland, so the expansion of the depot network on that market goes hand in hand with the increase in the frequency of connections. Raben Group's transport between Poland and Germany currently consists of 90 daily linehauls. " - explains Łukasz Lubański, director of Polish-German market development at Raben Group- "The development dynamics of these connections give us good reason to be satisfied: the results show an increase in orders at the level of 30% year on year".

Raben in Poland

“We are pleased with the results for 2019 and have entered 2020 well prepared. While we can already see signs of an economic slowdown, especially in Western Europe, we are trying to shape our client portfolio in a way that minimizes economic fluctuations. , many of the initiatives we have undertaken in recent years to improve the quality and modernity of our services are starting to bear fruit by increasing customer satisfaction and, consequently, the development of cooperation ". - says Paweł Trębicki, General Director of Raben Transport.

Raben Transport, which he managed, generated record revenue in 2019. Even the largest company of Raben Group Logistics Polska, achieved exceptional results having last year obtained a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 80% and a Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) of 82%, and is already well prepared for the challenges of the new year.

"In 2020, the logistics sector will continue to develop despite many challenges." - says Janusz Anioł, General Director of Raben Logistics Polska. - "In Poland, the most serious of these challenges will continue to be the increase in labor market costs and the burdens resulting from expected new regulations. These changes will affect the entire market and all industries, and therefore it will be necessary to achieve a close cooperation and understanding throughout the supply chain to refine logistic processes together Logistics should change, improve and adopt a new approach to business through innovation, automation, advanced forms of data exchange and environmental activities. Only financially stable companies with modern development potential and a strong IT and research team will be able to meet this challenge. "

In Poland, in terms of investments in plants, 2019 was better than the previous year. In May, a modern warehouse with an area of ​​21,000 m2 was opened in Robakowo near Poznań. Thanks to this, Raben Group now manages the Gądki Logistics Center with 120,000 m2 of warehouse, with the possibility of storing 185,000 pallets, nearly 18,000 m2 of cross-dock area and 5,000 m2 of production space. The new logistics warehouse with a capacity of 41,000 pallets has been divided into five areas, including specialized ones that allow the storage of aerosols or oxidants, which required the application of cutting-edge safety and fire protection solutions. The facility is also designed for carrying out co-packing projects.

A few weeks later, a Raben Group branch was opened in Kielce, which took over the business of an office in nearby Starachowice - too small to meet the growing needs of customers. A modern and ecological plant with a capacity of 5,000 m2, designed for transport and cross-docking services, which handles on average over 24,000 shipments and approximately 50,000 pallets per month. Thanks to these investments, the company's operational capabilities have significantly increased.

In turn, for La Fresh Logistics Polska specialized in the transport of fresh products, the year 2019 was characterized by a continuous improvement of the business as part of the Better Every Day program based on the Lean Management philosophy. No less than 18 optimization projects were carried out, thus increasing the effectiveness of the services and responding to the growing expectations of customers.

"The customers of logistics services are increasingly demanding. The role of logistics operator does not only include talking about storage goods or their transport from A to B, but above all dealing with provisions of high quality services, care for the safety of transported and stored goods, of the widely understood process and cost optimization. The logistics operator must deliver more frequently, more accurately, without errors and without damage. Customer expectations in recent years have evolved towards higher quality, ever shorter response times to changing needs, with unlimited flexibility and pressure on the cost level of logistics services. " - says Tomasz Olenderek, General Director of Fresh Logistics Polska.

Innovation

The investments in infrastructures in Raben Group last year were accompanied by the implementation of new technological solutions and the development of fleets. In January, the company offered its customers an innovative tool based on the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) parameter, which allows them to track shipments in real time and determine delivery time with an accuracy of two hours. This solution has been appreciated not only by customers, but also by the IT industry. Together with the myRaben.com platform, the ETA parameter was awarded in the Best in Cloud 2019 competition organized by Computerworld as "The best implementation of the cloud service in the last 12 months".

For many years Raben Group has focused on the automation and robotization of processes and services at different levels: physical processes, IT processes and recently also the automation of robotic processes (RPA). When it comes to automation, it has opted for advanced IT solutions, such as platforms that automatically pass information to customers, platforms presenting ETAs, etc. In the field of warehouse automation and robotization, Raben is implementing devices that measure shipments, autonomous and semi-automatic forklifts, "co-robot" arms, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and many other solutions that increase the effectiveness of storage and transport processes. Within the RPA (Robotic Process Automation) there are software robot implementations that support or replace the work of users in particular applications (WMS / TMS / FK) or at the interface of IT systems.

It is also worth mentioning that in 2019 the operator's fleet was enhanced by ten Mercedes-Benz tractors equipped with innovative technology, including MirrorCam cameras and the Blind Spot Assistant. The latest Actros tractors allow you to drive even more economically and, above all, exceptionally safe, a real priority of the Raben Group

Awards

Raben Group's successes can also be measured by the awards it has won. Their number in 2019 was extremely high, and some of them were truly unique and prestigious. Ewald Raben, CEO Raben Group, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the Polish economy, was awarded the Centenary Medal of the Reconquest of Independence by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. In turn, Paweł Trębicki, general manager of Raben Transport, received the Decoration of Honor "Meritorious for Transport of the Republic of Poland" at the request of the Transport and Logistics Poland Employer Association - TLP.

The Raben Group's industry expertise has been repeatedly recognized. The company received the title of Reliable Brand 2019 in the category "Logistics Services" in the report of the magazine "My Company Polska". In addition, it took first place in the 24th edition of the Transport Forwarding Logistics (TFL) ranking prepared by "Dziennik Gazeta Prawna" in the category "Logistics services". At the same time, Fresh Logistics Polska received a distinction in the "Transportation" category. Raben Group was also the winner of the daily "Rzeczpospolita" award for outstanding companies in the transport, forwarding and logistics sector - in the categories "Highest revenues in contract logistics" and "Best CSR practices". Finally, in the 18th edition of the Logistics Operator of the Year 2019 survey, Raben Logistics Polska received the golden emblem and topped the ranking of companies with the greatest customer trust, while Raben Transport received the Logistics Leader statuette in the category of the most trusted FTL service provider. Foreign companies also have something to brag about: Raben Ukraine received the "REPUTATIONAL ACTIVists" award in the field of "Transport and logistics - complete logistics services".
 
Corporate Social Responsibility

In 2019, Raben Group's activities in the field of CSR brought not only measurable effects, but also numerous awards. In spring, volunteers planted 2,100 trees as part of the "e-invoice-higher culture" campaign, which the company has been running since 2014 - a total of over 13,000 trees were planted during that time. The company has joined the partner group of the Responsible Business Forum and the latest edition of the "Responsible Business in Poland 2018. Good practices" report presents 16 of its initiatives. Already for the fourth time, the weekly "Polityka" awarded Raben Group the Gold Leaf of the CSR, as well as a special prize for its collaboration with the Federation of Polish Food Banks. For its contribution to the prevention of food waste, the company received the Jacek Kuroo award in the National Donor category. The fifth social report of the Raben Group in Poland was also published in the summer: "The Way to Responsibility 2018".

Raben Group closed the year with a joyful Christmas accent when Ewald Raben became one of the patrons, and his brother Marco - one of the volunteer drivers of the Christmas convoy, which in December left Germany for Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine . More than 170,000 parcels were transported to Eastern European countries in 38 trucks with the help of sponsors and nearly 300 volunteers. Christmas gifts were distributed among children from local schools and day care centers, orphanages and clinics.