Willi Betz
 | |
| Company type | GmbH & Co KG |
|---|---|
| Industry | Logistics |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Rainer Bisinger, Wolfgang Bisinger |
| Revenue | > 1.000 Mio. Euro (2008) |
Number of employees | 4,000 (2012) |
| Website | www.willibetz.com |
The Internationale Spedition Willi Betz GmbH& Co. KG is a German road haulage and logistics company which was founded in 1945 by 17-year-old Willi Betz (5 December 1927 – 12 December 2015)[1] in Undingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. its headquarters are located in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Over 4,000 people are employed in more than 40 locations in Europe and the Near and Middle East. With an own vehicle fleet of about 2,000 tractors and 3.000 trailers, Willi Betz GmbH &Co. KG is to one of the largest forwarding and transportation companies in Europe.
Due to his close contacts with the state-owned transportation company SO MAT in Bulgaria in the 1960s, the company was able to expand on an international level. In the 1990s SO MAT has been integrated into the Willi Betz Group and the company had the chance to evolve into a leading forwarding and transportation company in Southeast Europe, Near and Middle East. After privatization, Willi Betz bought the Bulgarian SO MAT, the biggest truck delivery company in the world at the time, for a fraction of the real cost. According to various reputable newspaper agencies like this DW article, the company used Bulgarian truck drivers for low wage, dodging legal fees and taxes, which resulted in Thomas Betz being convicted to 5 years in prison for bribery and tax evasion (see the references).
Today the Willi Betz Group has branches in 25 countries. In 2008 the company achieved a turnover of over 1 billion euros. At the end of 2011 the company sold its subsidiary LGI to focus on its core business forwarding and transport services as well as the expansion of activities in Eastern Europe.[2] In 2012 Wolfgang Bisinger and Martin Rilling have been appointed CEOs of Internationale Spedition Willi Betz GmbH & Co. KG, in June 2015 Rainer Bisinger succeeded Martin Rilling as CEO.[3]
Divisions
- Forwarding: Over 4,000 people are employed in 54 locations. The range of services contains General Cargo, Automotive Logistics, Temperature Controlled Transports, Special and Combined Transports.
- Transport: Regarding international cargo the Dedicated Fleet Division with its 2,800 tractors and 4,000 trailers makes sure that the freight arrives on time. This department offers individual timetables and transport concepts for their customers and supports them with a professional drivers management and a Europe-wide network of workshops.
- Automotive: Vehicle sales are carried out in Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria and Macedonia Willi Betz distributes Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Smart and Mitsubishi. In addition to vehicle sales, Willi Betz offers the corresponding After Sales Services as well.
References
- ^ Willi Betz dies aged 88 at GEA (German language). Retrieved 17 January 2016
- ^ General-Anzeiger, Reutlinger. "Willi Betz verkauft Tochterfirma LGI". www.gea.de.
- ^ General-Anzeiger, Reutlinger. "Spedition Willi Betz mit neuen Chefs". www.gea.de.
External links
- Official website (in English)
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