Since the reorientation of the M&M country unit in Dubai in 2017 by a new management team, Militzer & Münch has successfully expanded its business and tripled its workforce. In the meantime, the team has extended its service-portfolio to provide customers with a comprehensive range of services pertaining to transportation and storage.

Militzer & Münch has been able to significantly expand its Dubai location in recent months. It was only in October 2018 that the team moved from Dubai Airport to the port in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), where it has been operating a warehouse ever since. There, employees can coordinate the loading of containers themselves and offer additional services such as storage, transports to and from India and the Middle East, or the import of flavors for the tobacco industry.

“Since 2018, the customer base and the service portfolio have grown enormously,” says Nikolaus Kohler, Regional Managing Director Middle East / Central Asia, M&M Militzer & Münch International Holding AG. “An important part of our business in Dubai are warehousing services and distribution for local customers. For example, we very often transport spare parts for boats and ships, and printer consumables.”

A new office for customer service 

Another milestone: Militzer & Münch Dubai has opened its own sales office in the city. “This allows the team to concentrate even more on customer service. A major part of the business is regional transportation for a globally active food company. The team is also currently developing further logistics solutions for the region and for the CIS countries. The employees are also in charge of all questions regarding the Militzer & Münch Dubai air and sea freight services.

“These great developments were possible above all because we have a great team on site in Dubai,” says Nikolaus Kohler. “The colleagues are intimately familiar with the local market and always give proof of high commitment. We certainly owe our success also to the fact that Militzer & Münch Dubai is well connected locally, while at the same time having access to the international Militzer & Münch network.”

On October 1, Militzer & Münch started operating a branch office in Austria. The team at the new office in Vienna is active in both operations and sales, offering Austrian companies an ideal access to the markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

With the new location at Vienna’s DC Tower, Militzer & Münch is expanding its geographic coverage at the heart of Europe and intensifying its proximity to local customers. For the time being, the office is run as a foreign branch of M&M Militzer & Münch AG, Switzerland – with the aim of turning into a country unit in its own right at a later date. From the Austrian capital, the experienced team concentrates on the Militzer & Münch core markets of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Russia and the Maghreb, with a special focus on rail transport.

Austria boasts a stable economy, and the Vienna region has always been a successful economic hub in the trade between West and East. Under the management of Nikolay Gueorguiev, the local Militzer & Münch team will help to successfully lead the Militzer & Münch Group towards post-corona growth. Nikolay Gueorguiev previously worked for other well-known international logistics companies.

In October 2019, Militzer & Münch founded a joint venture with the Serbian logistics company Invictus System Transport & Logistics D.O.O. With this move, Militzer & Münch further expands its existing network in the Balkans. Now, the Serbian Militzer & Münch organization is celebrating its first anniversary – and is looking ahead with confidence: Their goal is to be among the leaders in the Serbian transport and logistics sector within the next two years.

After a year of intensive work, the course is set for growth at Militzer & Münch Serbia. The Serbian Militzer & Münch unit operates five offices in Serbia. The head office is in Dobanovci, where the logistics service provider offers its whole service portfolio. Additional offices are in Belgrade, Velika Plana and Pozega, where the Serbian country unit provides customs clearance services. At an office in Leskovac, the M&M Serbia team offers customs clearance services as well as transportation. Militzer & Münch Serbia currently uses 5,000 square meters of rented storage space for its operations in Dobanovci. “Business is developing well, and we will move into an additional 5,000 sqm storage space by November 1. Due to our growth and the market demand, we are planning to operate our own distribution center in the future”, says Nikola Vasiljevic, COO Militzer & Münch Serbia

Quickly established

The 80 employees process circa 1,000 orders per month; they generated a turnover of around twelve million euros last year. “It is thanks to the great commitment of our team in Serbia that we were able to establish ourselves in the market so quickly”, says Filip Simovic, CEO Militzer & Münch Serbia. “The courageous decision to start the joint venture last year was the right one – now we want to further expand our business.”

Before the joint venture was founded, Militzer & Münch was largely unknown in the Serbian market. A customer base had to be built first. Today, the Serbian Militzer & Münch organization already cooperates with more than 150 customers. They include companies from the chemical, textile, automotive, pharmaceutical and beverage industries. Particularly successful are groupage services for imports from Germany, Austria and Italy, but also for exports to Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Albania.

Militzer & Münch Serbia’s services include part and full loads, refrigerated transports, as well as customs and storage solutions. “Customer satisfaction is our top priority,” explains Filip Simovic. “With tailor-made logistics services, high quality and the commitment of our team, we clearly stand out from the competition.”

However, the pandemic does not leave the Serbian Militzer & Münch unit unaffected. “We have seen declines especially in the automotive and chemical sectors,” says Nikola Vasiljevic, “while demand has gone up enormously elsewhere: In the pharmaceutical and food sectors, there were increases of up to 60 percent – and we are also seeing growing interest from our customers in our cold chain capacities.”

Air and sea freight next

The logistics service provider plans to expand business even further. “In 2021, we want to step into the air and sea freight business, as these segments offer enormous potential,” says Nikola Vasiljevic. “An important project is also planned in rail transport. Serbia is a bridge to the EU – many goods reach Western Europe via our region. Which is why, together with the Militzer & Münch Group, we plan to establish a train connection between China and Serbia, routed via Budapest. We are already in the process of preparing a pilot train for the product.” With these big plans for the second year, the Serbian unit looks to the future with optimism.

In October 2020, Militzer & Münch took into operation a new distribution center in the north-east of the Belarusian capital Minsk. The 2,000 square meters facility will be used mainly for express goods handling.

“The new logistics terminal gives us the opportunity to further strengthen our position on the Belarusian market,” says Victor Blazhukevitch, Managing Director of Militzer & Münch Belarus. In the future, the new property will be used mainly for handling express goods on an area of 2,000 square meters. A small part is also designated for the long-term storage of pallets and the handling of general cargo. The distribution center is ideally located in the northeast of the Belarusian capital near the Minsk MKAD beltway.

Currently, Militzer & Münch Belarus counts about 400 employees working at 15 locations throughout the country. The company handles groupage, part and full loads and express shipments using its own fleet of trucks. The portfolio of Militzer & Münch Belarus also includes services in the field of air and sea freight and customs clearance as well as hazardous goods and heavy lift transports.

Important hub

Belarus offers great potential for the Militzer & Münch Group, both in terms of the local economy and as a transit country between the Eurasian and the European Unions. The industrial country is an important hub in the Belt and Road Initiative between Asia and Europe. “Belarus is a preferred location for industrial, trade and logistics enterprises,” says Victor Blazhukevitch. Germany is among the country’s most important trading partners.

Militzer & Münch founded the country unit in Greece on October 1, 1970. The company has been active there for almost 70 years, as Militzer & Münch’s first office abroad was established in Athens in the 1950s. 

Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding restrictions on contact, the company would have several reasons to celebrate this year: in spring, Militzer & Münch turned 140 years old, and October marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the country unit in Greece.

Greece was the place where Militzer & Münch moved into its first office abroad: By the 1950s – almost 70 years ago – the company already had its own agency in Athens. Until 1970, further offices followed in the important port cities of Thessaloniki and Volos. Even then, the Greek team offered numerous import and export services by land, air and sea as well as customs and warehousing services. These included, for example, consolidated rail transports from Germany to Athens.

One of the more recent milestones of the country unit: in late 2018, Militzer & Münch Greece moved into a new distribution center, merging various warehouses at the Aspropyrgos site near Athens. In addition to the almost 14,000 square meters facility in Aspropyrgos, the company continues to operate at its second location, in Thessaloniki (4,400 square meters).

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In late 2018, Militzer & Münch moved to a new distribution center in Greece. At the new, spacious location in Aspropyrgos near Athens, Militzer & Münch combines different warehouses. The modern technologies and efficient usability of the new premises optimally support logistics activities and contribute to the growth of the company.

Militzer & Münch Greece has moved to a new location. The new construction at Aspropyrgos, an Athens suburb, is situated close the old warehouse near the Athens-Patras Motorway. In addition to Aspropyrgos, Militzer & Münch Greece continues operating at the second location, in Thessaloniki, the western port city.

As private consumption, the main indicator of Greek economy, remains at a low level, and the manufacturing industry is all but non-existent, Militzer & Münch has shifted its focus to value added services. Being the leading provider of these services in Greece, Militzer & Münch early on recognized the opportunity. “The move to the new logistics facility allows offering such services as labeling, picking and packing, warehousing and customs management at a very high level”, says Panagiotis Manolopoulos, Managing Director M&M Militzer & Münch S.A.

Bundling activities at one location 

With a storage area of 13,605 square meters and a 500 square meter zone for offices and staff rooms, the new complex lets the Militzer & Münch Greece team combine all the activities handled at Aspropyrgos under one roof. Until autumn 2018, warehousing and office areas were spread over four buildings at different addresses.

Not only does the building offer lots of space, it also comes with optimal ceiling height. Thanks to the space-saving sprinkler system under the roof, the employees can make efficient use of the space available: the shelves go up to almost ten meters in height.

In terms of technological and ecological aspects, the warehouse offers enormous added value, too. “We have here a very modern, energy-efficient new building equipped with state-of-the-art technology”, Panagiotis Manolopoulos says. “The warehouse features 14 electronically controlled ramps. Transparent overhead light strips allow working by daylight almost full-time and reduce energy consumption.” With high speed Internet and innovative warehouse management software laying the technological base, the company can now offer the entire service spectrum of a 3PL and 4PL provider.

The move, and the growth it enables, were duly celebrated. “On January 21, we festively inaugurated the new building”, says Panagiotis Manolopoulos. “Apart from our main customers, the directors of the German-Greek Chamber of Commerce and the Greek Forwarders’ Association attended.”

On 1st October, the Militzer & Münch Turkey team moved to a new office and a new warehouse in Istanbul. The location, optimally situated in vicinity of Istanbul’s Muratbey customs office, lends itself for cross docking and also allows a wide range of logistics services; it also simplifies overland transports between Europe and Turkey.

Militzer & Münch Turkey has been operating the new warehouse and office at Hadımköy, Istanbul, since October 1st, 2018. From this location, the team offers mainly road transports going to Europe, but also to other destinations such as the Balkans and CIS countries.

Despite the economic situation of the country, Militzer & Münch Turkey managed to develop successfully. “We succeeded in winning new customers and increasing our turnover; and in the past months, we were able to dedicate more time to such services as intermodal solutions”, says Cem Ulusoy, Managing Director of Militzer & Münch Turkey. The future looks very bright to the Turkish M&M organization. “Increasing our market share, developing our transports volumes, and also concentrating on combined traffics and the project business still are and remain our targets.”

At a total area of 5,700 square meters, of which 350 square meters office space, the facility has more capacity than the former warehouse and also provides the possibility to offer additional logistic services. “3,000 square meters of the facility alone are dedicated for bonded storage”, says Cem Ulusoy. “Other sectors we use for cross docking for export shipments and as storage and distribution center for domestic goods.”

The sales team at Militzer & Münch Turkey profits from the facility’s optimal situation in Istanbul. “The new location is near the Muratbey customs office, which seals all export trucks. Moreover, many big corporations with import and export business are domiciled around us within a 20-kilometer radius”, Cem Ulusoy says. “The close proximity lets us reach existing customers and potential new ones much better.”

In earlier times on camelback, today via truck: since the end of 2018, the famous trade corridor between Afghanistan and Europe has been reopened. The transport route, named for the blue semi-precious stone, dates back more than 5,000 years and comprises the shortest overland and sea routes between Central Asia and Europe.

At the Afghanistan Regional Economic Cooperation Conference in November 2017, the foreign ministers of the countries involved – Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey – signed the transport and transit agreement concerning the Lapis Lazuli Route. The roads, railway tracks and waterways connect Europe and Turkey, via the shortest routes, with Afghanistan and Central Asia, and via the New Silk Road also with China.

The reopening of the Lapis Lazuli Route is meant to promote regional cooperation and to strengthen the economic and cultural relations between Asia and Europe. In the long term, the initiative will also boost Afghanistan’s infrastructure and economy.

3,000 years before Christ 

The Lapis Lazuli Route is part of the old Silk Road. The name is inspired by the history of the trade routes used to export lapis lazuli (Latin for: blue stone) more than 2,000 years ago from Afghanistan to the Caucasus, to Russia, the Balkans, to Europe and North Africa.

More than 6,000 years ago, man began mining the valuable lapis lazuli deposits for export to far-away regions. Parts of the trade lanes that make today’s Lapis Lazuli Route between Afghanistan and countries to the west were established already in the third millennium before Christ. Using different routes, caravans of up to 4,000 animals covered distances of 3,000 and more kilometers to take lapis lazuli and other rocks mined in Afghanistan to Mesopotamia and Egypt.

The only suitable means of transport were donkeys and camels. While donkeys carried the goods safely across the eastern mountain ranges, the camels were able to cover the rest of the distance across the sandy desert, owing to the fat storage in their humps. On arrival in Mesopotamia, the traders exchanged the blue stone, among others, against wool and grains.

The Lapis Lazuli corridor in the 21st century

For a long time, owing to insufficient infrastructure along sections of the route and the economic and political instability of the countries involved, the route was impassable. Massive investments in connection with the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), China’s program to push the development of the New Silk Road, contributed to the revival of the old trade routes. This also benefitted the projects of the Militzer & Münch group in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Today, the Lapis Lazuli Route is of interest for the transport of cotton, dried fruit and sesame products, which can now be delivered to Europe within the shortest time via the reopened sea and overland routes.

Top performance is rewarded: the team M&M Air Cargo Service (ACS) Bulgaria Ltd. was able to win five prizes in 2017.

Militzer & Münch’s Bulgarian airfreight services team has received the “Best Agent in Bulgaria 2017” award three times: by two airlines, Lufthansa and Fly Dubai, and the logistics services provider time:matters.

A further highlight was the festive award ceremony of Turkish Airlines. The airline honored M&M ACS Bulgaria Ltd. with two awards – as “Best Cargo Partner of the Year 2017” and as “Best Partner for Turkish Airlines & Premium Products”.

These awards again emphasize the continued appreciation of Militzer & Münch Bulgaria. Already in 2016, Turkish Airlines and Fly Dubai honored M&M ASC Bulgaria Ltd. as their best cargo partner.