"It all started with a passion for freight forwarding - today we are united by our fascination for unusual and challenging logistics," says Reinhold Diess, founder and Managing Director of All Fresh Logistics GmbH, on the occasion of the logistics company's 20th birthday. Over the past two decades, the company based in Puch near Hallein (Salzburger Land) has developed into a specialised service provider in the field of fruit logistics, providing advice and support to a growing customer base beyond the logistics chain - from retail and wholesale chains to wholesalers and producers.
All Fresh Logistics was founded as a central coordination centre for the import of fruit and vegetable shipments from Spain and France, says Diess looking back. "Our aim was to offer our customers the best possible service and to centralise the flow of goods to Austria and Eastern Europe. Speed, punctuality, and high transport quality in the supply chain were and still are the fundamental values of our company."
Reinhold and his son Dominic Diess are at the helm of All Fresh Logistics GmbH together.
Cost increases and product requirements
Over the years, a nationwide collection network for the entire Spanish fruit and vegetable range has been established via the logistics hubs of Perpignan, Valencia, and Barcelona. In addition, transport companies were set up in Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. Diess: "Thanks to this sophisticated network, we can offer refrigerated groupage transport to Eastern Europe - as far as Moldova and the Balkans. This has contributed significantly to the annual increases in transport volume." All Fresh Logistics GmbH sees itself not only as a pure fresh food forwarder, but also as a service provider and offers additional services such as interim storage, order picking, incoming and outgoing goods inspections and monitoring the refrigerated supply chain from dispatch to the recipient.
Until the coronavirus outbreak, the fruit and vegetable sector recorded pleasing annual growth, whether in terms of transport volumes, market expansions or the number of units in the fleet, Diess continues. "After the pandemic, we unfortunately had to accept a decline in transport performance and volume, which was mainly due to the cost explosion, i.e. the sharp rise in equipment purchase prices, fuel, and toll increases as well as high labour and operating expenses. We have realised that European procurement logistics in the fruit and vegetable sector has become pricier for our customers, particularly in production."
The specialist emphasises that the requirements in fruit and vegetable logistics are incomparable to other market segments. "Our core segment is much more time-consuming and labour-intensive than other product groups. Round-the-clock customer service is part of fruit and vegetable logistics; availability and proactive customer contact are the be-all and end-all in our day-to-day business. We therefore attach great importance to trained staff, and our team is always available for customers."
Opportunities and challenges in fresh produce logistics
Fruit and vegetable hubs have become indispensable in Western and Southern Europe, but these hubs are only just emerging in Eastern Europe. Diess: "We see a need for action here, as legislation is making it increasingly difficult to adhere to the specified transit times. The systems have to change fundamentally, otherwise the supply chains from Southern Europe will slow down."
Sustainable, alternative drive systems are a recurring theme in the logistics industry. "The environmental impact is very high due to the enormous movement of goods in road transport, although fossil fuel engines are already burning less and less fuel and are therefore becoming cleaner. In my opinion, alternative drive types such as electric or LNG lorries are justified and will become increasingly important for journeys of up to 500 km and for urban deliveries. Noise and CO2 reduction must take centre stage. However, I am also of the opinion that many bulk goods - such as paper, steel, scrap, raw, and construction materials or wood - belong on the railway and not on the road. As long as the transport of goods by road is cheaper, and the railways retain their inflexibility, there will be no relief for roads and the environment. In procurement logistics on routes of 1000 to 3000+ km per leg, I believe that the use of alternative drives will be technically and economically difficult to achieve in the coming years without extending the transit time and increasing transport expenses due to multiple hubs and technical and personnel costs," he concludes.
For more information:
Reinhold & Dominic Diess
ALL FRESH LOGISTICS GMBH
Urstein Nord 11, Stiege III
5412 Puch near Hallein / Austria
T +43(0) 6245 20 350 - 40
F +43(0) 6245 20 350 - 88
[email protected]
https://www.allfresh.at/