“Transport to Central Asia is our great strength”

Since 2020, Militzer & Münch has been present with a branch in Austria. From the new office in Vienna, the three-person team is active in both operations and sales. In addition to customer-oriented solutions and first-class service, the team is particularly characterized by comprehensive know-how and many years of experience in rail and truck transport, which enables the Vienna branch to offer Austrian companies ideal access to Central Asian and Eastern European markets. In this interview, Branch Manager Nikolay Gueorguiev talks about the challenges of recent years, outstanding projects, and plans for the future.

Mr. Gueorguiev, you have almost twenty years of experience in the logistics sector. What brought you to Militzer & Münch?
I started my forwarding career in 2006 at a company specializing in rail transport as a scheduler and salesman. After a company takeover, I was appointed head of the rail transport department. In 2019, I took on a position as the authorized signatory and branch manager at a newly founded company with a focus on projects and oversized transports.

As I had had good contacts with Militzer & Münch for many years and had previously been their partner in Austria, I knew the company quite well. I therefore suggested opening a branch in Vienna for Militzer & Münch. After several discussions and meetings, I was able to convince the group of this plan.

What were the biggest challenges for your team in Vienna in the first few years?
We opened our branch in Vienna in September 2020. The first coronavirus lockdown had just come to an end in summer 2020. We assumed that everything would be over after that and things would pick up again – then the second lockdown came in November 2020, and things were even worse than in the first one. Nevertheless, we didn’t give up and fought our way through.

As we were new to the Austrian market, it was very challenging as we had not yet built up a customer base. So, during these tough times, we had to try to acquire customers. However, it was almost impossible to reach the right contacts due to forced short-time working and work from home regulations, among other things. In addition, only a few customers were open for change. Many companies were fighting for their existence. Our branch too would probably not have survived this time without the financial and moral support of the Militzer & Münch Group.

Today, we are on the right track, and I am convinced that this will also be reflected in our results. We also want to continue growing; we are planning to hire another employee this year.

What notable projects have you recently completed with Militzer & Münch in Vienna?
In spring 2024, we received an order to transport 36 combine harvesters and cutting units by rail from Poland to Uzbekistan. We first transported the cargo to Lithuania on flatbed trailers and from there on rail wagons to Tashkent. Transporting agricultural and construction machinery in multimodal transport from Europe or via Europe to Central Asia is our great strength, and we have extensive experience in this field.

We handled another interesting project for a machine manufacturer in summer 2024. We transported heavy machinery from a plant in the Czech Republic to another plant in Turkey. This involved several trucks, including two special transports with machines weighing 40 and 70 tons. In the case of the 70- ton machine, we had a total weight of over 100 tons on the road including trailer and tractor unit. Oversize transports by truck and rail are also among our strengths.

One of our customers will soon be starting a major project from Austria to Tajikistan. A power plant is being renovated in Rogun, for which we will be shipping plant components and accessories.

Which modes of transport are most in demand from your customers? Which industries are represented in your customer base?
We are known as a overland freight specialist. Our strengths are road and rail transportation and, of course, multimodal transport. As already mentioned, our customers include manufacturers of agricultural and construction machinery as well as mechanical engineering companies, but also plant manufacturers, manufacturers of rail vehicles, of power plants and of consumer goods.

From Japan to Turkmenistan with 200 excavators and bulldozers

M&M Militzer & Münch Turkmenistan is involved in a major national transport project between the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan and the Japanese trading company Itochu Corporation.

Between October 2022 and December 2023, the Militzer & Münch team participated in the transportation of a total of 200 earth-moving machines from Japan to Turkmenistan by sea and land. The 167 excavators and 23 Komatsu bulldozers were first shipped from Japan to the Turkish ports of Izmir and Derince on ro-ro ships. From there, they were transported by truck through Georgia and Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan. Spare parts and oils for the Komatsu machines were shipped by container from Japan to Turkmenistan via the port of Poti in Georgia.

The vehicles are intended for projects of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan. This involves the water supply of agricultural areas, the creation of additional water reserves, the construction of new barrier lakes and the expansion of the capacity of existing reservoirs.

In this major project, Militzer & Münch not only handled the transport, but also the inspection of the cargo, unloading, arrangement of import customs clearance and additional services on site as requested by the customer.

“We already have experience with transport projects for government agencies in the region. The renewed participation in a government project proves the reliability and excellent service of M&M Turkmenistan.”, says Nikolaus Kohler, Regional Managing Director Middle East / Central Asia. “I am more than convinced that with our experienced team we will be able to win over more customers and partners to place their trust in Militzer & Münch in Turkmenistan.”

Cranes at sea

Militzer & Münch Turkmenistan Ltd. offers its customers comprehensive transport logistics services in the fields of road, air, sea, and project transports – and, as an additional service, crane rental.

In the year 2008, the Turkmenistan country unit launched the service with two cranes, and in 2015, two more were added. There is demand for the special technology, especially from internationally active energy companies, such as Eni or Dragon Oil. “The oil and gas industry is an important sector in Turkmenistan, and we are seeing high demand here. But customers from the construction industry also make use of our service”, reports Djeyhun Hummedov, Managing Director of M&M Militzer & Münch Turkmenistan Ltd.

In the context of oil drilling operations, for example most recently in the Caspian Sea, the cranes are used onshore to move the platforms between job sites. On the offshore platforms themselves, the cranes transport cargo. A crane can lift up to 75 tons.

The offshore operations also present challenges: “The very high salinity can lead to corrosion on the metal parts of the cranes,” says Djeyhun Hummedov. “Regular inspection and maintenance are therefore essential to ensure that the cranes function properly.” The crane operators employed specifically for crane rental at Militzer & Münch Turkmenistan have a special permit to work on the platforms and are regularly trained in occupational safety.

Djeyhun Hummedov: “Customers who rent our cranes not only get modern technology, but also qualified personnel and full service –  from erecting and dismantling the platforms to prompt repair and spare parts delivery.”

Transports to fight hunger

 

Militzer & Münch supports the World Food Programme in the fight against famine and delivers food from Tajikistan to regions with vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.

Millions of people in Afghanistan are threatened by hunger. Rising food prices, job cuts and the devaluation of the national currency have led to an increase in the number of vulnerable people in recent years. The World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing nutritional aid to people locally for years, delivering nutrient-enriched and balanced foods to the country. Since 2021, Militzer & Münch has been supporting the humanitarian organization in this endeavor: with food transports from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.

Under the programme, considerable quantities of wheat flour, vegetable oil, and yellow peas are sent on their way every two to three months. In order to cope with the required volume, and to ensure timely and efficient delivery of the goods, Militzer & Münch supplements its own truck fleet to some extent by contracting third-party providers. Thanks to the close cooperation with the sub-contractors, the high quality standards and the specific criteria and guidelines of the WFP can be met at all times.

Effective coordination

Militzer & Münch is also in constant contact with the WFP itself to ensure the smooth coordination of the shipments or to solve problems that might arise, for instance, at the border crossing. Militzer & Münch provided first services to the WFP already in 2018. “In the course of our long-term cooperation, we have built strong and solid relationships with the World Food Programme,” says Aziz Sharipov, Managing Director in Tajikistan. “Our team works closely with WFP representatives and ensures that all necessary protocols are followed. Thus, we are able to meet the organization’s high standards.”

On board six trucks from China to Uzbekistan

Within only 20 days, Militzer & Münch’s Asia specialists transported power generation equipment, a total weight of almost one hundred tons, from the extreme northeast of China to Tashkent.

Almost 4,500 kilometers lie between Anshan in China and Tashkent in Uzbekistan – as the crow flies. Between May and June 2023, Militzer & Münch covered this distance in the context of a special order: A large number of wooden crates containing transformers, switch cabinets, and other power engineering components had to be picked up from the consignor’s plant in Anshan and delivered to the consignee in Tashkent, a regular customer of M&M Uzbekistan. The journey involved crossing China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. This meant two entry procedures – one for Kyrgyzstan and one for Uzbekistan, as well as several days of demurrage for the trucks in Yalama at the border to Uzbekistan. Six trucks carried out the impressive transport in just twenty days.

In total, the cargo weighed 97 tons; its value amounted to 1.2 million US dollars. “It was a challenge,” says Dino Wang, branch manager in Urumqi, China. “At the shipper’s request, the cargo had to be declared as one unit, which meant we had to completely reload the goods into six customs-monitored trucks before we were able to prepare and file the customs declaration.” In Osh, Kyrgyzstan, the cargo was transloaded onto Uzbek trucks. The valuable cargo was insured by the shipper; an escort for the convoy was not required.

Market study participation

St. Gallen, October 6, 2022. How do shippers cope with the fluctuating freight rates in logistics? The University of St. Gallen tackled this question with a diverse research consortium from the logistics industry. The result is a 132-page study that addresses challenges, practices, and instruments. Militzer & Münch participated in the study.

For several years now, Militzer & Münch has been a member of the Association of the Institute of Supply Chain Management at the University of St.Gallen. The institute regards itself as an international platform for the dialogue between science and practice in the field of Supply Chain Management. Holger Seehusen, Managing Director of M&M air sea cargo GmbH, regularly participates in various activities. For him, involvement in the study was an opportunity to demonstrate what practices shippers, forwarders and brokers can adopt to counteract volatile freight rates in logistics markets.


Volatile freight rates and sustainability

The study, titled “Managing Volatility in Logistics Markets”, examines freight rate volatility across ocean, road, rail, and air transport modes, and highlights management practices from the perspective of shippers and logistics service providers. It also provides a classification and analysis of indices and digital business models in the freight sector, thus making a significant contribution to a better understanding of the tools available on the market and their individual value propositions for shippers, forwarders and carriers.  In addition to fluctuating freight rates, sustainability concerns are also becoming increasingly important. “I am convinced that in the near future, decision-makers or customers, respectively, will not care so much whether it costs x € per kilogram, but how high the carbon footprint is in the goods procurement process,” says Holger Seehusen.

 

Workshops and interviews

After the official start of the project in August 2021, workshops were held in the following three months; the final presentation took place in December 2021. Work then started on the study. Besides the University of St. Gallen and Militzer & Münch, other logistics service providers, shippers, IT providers, and a commercial law firm were involved.

In addition to the regular exchange within the consortium, 44 interviews were conducted with logistics experts between early September and the end of November, and used as source material for the compilation of the study.

“We defined relevant criteria to determine a suitable segmentation of logistics markets,” says Prof. Dr. Erik Hofmann from the University of St. Gallen. “Based on these criteria, e.g., geographic reach, mode of transport, and carrier, we examined four relevant logistics scenarios. Our goal was for the study to provide practitioners with a basis for implementing concrete solutions.”

Interested parties can access the study free of charge via the following link:

https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/266520/

 

Supply Chain Innovation Day

Participation in the study is only part of Militzer & Münch’s commitment to the Association of the Institute of Supply Chain Management at the University of St.Gallen. In order to get young people interested in the field of logistics and to draw their attention to Militzer & Münch as an employer, Holger Seehusen was a speaker at the Supply Chain Innovation Day initiated by the University of St. Gallen in Rorschach on Lake Constance last year. Militzer & Münch was also represented there with a small information booth. This year, Eva-Charlotte Dürr, Group Project Manager Pharmaceuticals, M&M Militzer & Münch International Holding AG, Switzerland, and Vignesh Pandi, Trade Lane Manager North America Airfreight, M&M air sea cargo GmbH, Germany, participated in the Supply Chain Innovation Day on September 27.

Multimodal via the Middle Corridor

The Middle Corridor is currently gaining ground as a promising alternative to the Northern Corridor of the New Silk Road. The route connects exporters from China or Kazakhstan in particular with Northeast, Southeast, and Central Europe.

For their customers, Militzer & Münch experts organize multimodal transports along the New Silk Road: by ship from Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan via the Caspian Sea to the port of Baku in Azerbaijan, then by rail to Georgia, and from the ports of Batumi and Poti via the Black Sea to Europe. Already in 2017, an agreement was signed that regulates transport along the Trans-Caspian route. The route is used mainly to transport Chinese goods to European countries. From Kazakhstan, the time of transport is about 35 days.

As a rule, roughly 80 percent of Chinese goods reach Europe by sea. Currently, the Middle Corridor is becoming established as a reliable alternative to bypass container congestion that prevents on-time shipments at many major ports.

“Thanks to our efficient and competent global network, we were able to respond quickly to the increasing customer demand for this routing,” says Michael Spitzlei, Head of Business Segment Rail at M&M air sea cargo GmbH.

Rail as an alternative

Containers are currently in short supply worldwide, and there is a lack of capacity on ships – a problem, especially during the Christmas peak season. Militzer & Münch Germany meets this challenge by using rail transport. Thus, for two customers, six complete block trains were put together to run between China and Duisburg.

Due to the imbalance in trade between China and Europe, a large number of containers are stranded at European ports and terminals. This often results in a shortage of containers for transports from Asia to Europe – especially during the important fall and Christmas business.

“It’s like in real life: if you plan early enough, it’s easier to make ends meet,” says Michael Spitzlei, Head of Business Segment Rail at M&M air sea cargo GmbH. ” For transportation by rail, individual containers or space are always offered. However, handling shipments by sea to and from Europe is challenging in many respects at the moment, and the booking situation is critical.” Industrial customers often get their space from shipping companies only at the current daily or market rates, instead of the originally agreed contract rates. That is why many shippers are currently switching to rail, like some of Militzer & Münch’s key accounts, for example.

For the customers, one of them a global wholesale chain, Militzer & Münch set six complete block trains on their way from China to Duisburg in August. The German Rail team worked closely together with their colleagues from Militzer & Münch China on these transports. Total transit time from terminal to terminal was 25 days – despite congestion at the borders, it was thus within the usual time frame. The trains were all fully Militzer & Münch trains, exclusively transporting 50 x 40’ high cube containers with goods for the Militzer & Münch customers. Thus, especially in times of crisis, rail proves to be a reliable alternative to sea transport.

Too big for any door

Out-of-gauge: between May and October 2021, Militzer & Münch transported seven autoclaves to Uzbekistan for a manufacturer of construction and household materials. The weight – 83,000 kilograms each – and the dimensions of the autoclaves posed some challenges for the Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan team, but these were not the only hurdles they had to overcome.

An autoclave is a sealable high-pressure chamber that can take various forms. In industry, autoclaves are used for such purposes as curing building materials, vulcanizing tires or for sterilization. Autoclaves can also be found in the kitchen at home, as pressure cookers are also classified as autoclaves.

The dimensions of the seven autoclaves Militzer & Münch transported for the customer from Northern Germany to Chirchiq near Tashkent, however, hardly remind one of cooking pots. “With a length of 45 meters and a diameter of four meters, the autoclaves are so big that the factory where they are going to be used for manufacturing aerated concrete building blocks has to be built around them. No door would be big enough for them to be installed afterwards,” says Yulduz Babajanova, head of the projects department at Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan. “On-time delivery was therefore an essential factor in the time schedule for the construction of the Chirchiq factory.”

Multimodal – and via different routes

Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan delivered the autoclaves to their destination in three shipments. Since there are no standard solutions for transports of this scale, the project team worked with three subcontractors; different routes and various multimodal combinations were used. “Nikolaus Kohler, our Regional Managing Director for Central Asia, advised us on our own choice of subcontractors,” says Yulduz Babajanova. “A shipment with these dimensions entails various challenges. For example, after arrival in Uzbekistan, each of the three shipments had to be taken to the construction site with a convoy of escort vehicles to ensure maximum security. In addition, we were not flexible with transit times.”

Delays in St. Petersburg

The first transport was started in May 2021. Militzer & Münch transported two autoclaves from the point of origin in northern Germany, first by truck and then via inland waterway to Antwerp. There, they were loaded onto a freighter and shipped to St. Petersburg. In St. Petersburg, however, there were severe delays because the Russian Railroad was unable to meet transit times due to a rail platform overload. The cargo then continued by rail to Shymkent in Kazakhstan and from there by truck to the construction site in Chirchiq.

Due to the delays, the first transport took 135 days – the longest transit time of the three transports. To prevent this from happening with the second shipment, Militzer & Münch chose an alternative route. Up to St. Petersburg, the two autoclaves took the same route. From there, however, the cargo did not continue by rail, but was carried on the Volga-Don Canal across the Caspian Sea to Aktau in Kazakhstan. There, the cargo was transferred to trucks and covered the rest of the way by road – the entire transport took only 60 days.

Transport number three was even faster. It took only 55 days to transport the three autoclaves from northern Germany to Chirchiq. Here, too, the cargo was first taken to St. Petersburg, but then continued via the Volga-Don Canal to Tolyatti in Russia, and from there by road to the construction site.

A satisfied customer

“Despite the delay, we were able to handle the transport to our customer’s full satisfaction and deliver the autoclaves within the scheduled time,” says Khurshid Kasimdzhanov, Managing Director of Militzer & Münch Uzbekistan. “The customer had already cooperated with us on several projects, and we were able to convince him of our merits also this time. This success is primarily due to the good performance of our team in Uzbekistan, but also to the flexibility and resourcefulness of our subcontractors.”

 

52 trucks – from door to door

More than 50 trucks with numerous components started on their route in Germany and Estonia in spring. Overland and by sea, they went to Novocheboksarsk, where a hydrogen plant was to be built from the finished parts. A challenging project – but not uncharted territory for the experienced Militzer & Münch team.

Hydrogen is regarded as the energy source of the future. It has many uses and is a key element in ensuring the successful energy shift. So far, hydrogen has been used primarily in the chemical industry, but is also gaining in importance as a fuel for vehicles. However, hydrogen is not a primary energy; like electricity, it has to be produced in special plants.

Such a plant for the production of hydrogen went on its way to Russia – via a total of 52 trucks, most of them special transports with permits and escort vehicles. Over a period of about two months, Militzer & Münch delivered the individual components from Germany and Estonia to Novocheboksarsk. Depending on the pick-up location, part of the cargo went from Hamburg by ferry across the Baltic Sea. The majority of the transports, however, was purely overland.

Good planning leads to the goal

There were no detours for the hydrogen factory to arrive in St. Petersburg for customs clearance, as the project was a door-to-door delivery: the individual parts were picked up from their respective manufacturers and delivered directly to the consignee in Russia. Moreover, to make customs clearance as uncomplicated as possible, the consignee requested classification. Thus, it was possible to declare several parts under the same customs tariff number, and to clear them through customs en bloc.

For a transport of this size, the key issues are good organization and coordination. No problem for the Militzer & Münch team at Filderstadt headed by Hardy Rosentreter. For the customer, a manufacturer of gas purification and gas generation plants, this was not the first order of this kind. Militzer & Münch had already successfully delivered similar plants to Poland and Turkey before.

“The hydrogen factory in Novocheboksarsk is an important contribution to the energy turnaround,” says Thomas Winter, Managing Director at M&M Militzer & Münch GmbH, M&M air sea cargo GmbH. “We are glad that we, as a logistics service provider, are involved in advancing projects in our core regions that support alternative energy sources.”

Metal roof tiles – from Poland to the USA

An entire roof on one pallet? No problem for a roof tile manufacturer in Poland. His products are also in demand in the USA. Militzer & Münch Poland guarantees that the innovative roof tiles arrive reliably.

In 2017, Poland exported goods for over 230 billion USD, an absolute high (source: Statista). Most goods are still going to the European neighboring countries, especially to Germany. But the supply of high-quality competitively viable products encourages many companies to export also to countries outside EU borders.

For example, a manufacturer of innovative products for roofs and facades. In comparison to the regular clay or concrete roof tiles, his modular metal roofing tiles are more durable, they weigh less, they are easier to install and also more storm-resistant.

All in all, a modern competitive product that finds buyers not only in Poland but also in far-off markets such as the USA.

Export consultancy right from the start

“In order to venture into exports to these countries, for many companies smooth logistics processes are among the prerequisites”, says Paweł Twardokes, Deputy COO Militzer & Münch Poland. “We advise our customers from step one, looking for the optimal logistic solution and implementing it.”

And there are a number of challenges that have to be mastered: customs clearance must run smoothly, and the driver shortage in the USA is not allowed to turn into a problem either – this is business as usual for Militzer and Münch Poland.

Road, sea, rail: pallets in 20-foot containers

Packed onto pallets, the innovative metal roofing tiles have been reliably and safely shipped since late 2017 to the USA via Norfolk in Virginia to their destination in Chicago. The shipments are exceptionally big: about 50 to 70 standard 20-foot containers per shipment. Militzer & Münch organizes the door-to-door transports via road and sea.

Delivery to the end destination in the US takes no more than 28 days from pick up. “Our customer is now thinking about exporting his goods to additional countries”, says Paweł Twardokes. “Canada, Australia and also, much nearer, UK are planned.”

Every Millimeter counts

Two days to send a complete packaging system from Schwäbisch Hall in South Germany to Dammam, Saudi Arabia – via airfreight, not really a big deal. And still, at the end of the day, every millimeter counted. 

Militzer & Münch wanted this to be a really impressive performance for this customer: Hamba-Gasti GmbH is a leading supplier of form, fill and seal machines specifically designed for the dairy and food industries. The company is part of the Italian IMA S.p.A.

The task: difficult, but not impossible. Heavy-lift, out-of-gauge cargo, a complete packaging system including accessories, around 17,000 kilogram weight – to be sent to its destination in Saudi Arabia at short notice.

Understandably huge was the surprise at the pick-up of the goods: the 17,000 kilogram cargo was stowed not in three, but instead in two, over-dimensioned, wooden crates. But packed like this, will the cargo even fit into the Boeing 747?

Time constraints did not allow any alternative. Thus, the Militzer & Münch team and the employees at Luxembourg Airport performed precision work to maneuver the boxes undamaged into the cargo hold of the airplane.

“It was a nerve-wracking situation, but in the end everything went smoothly”, says Felix Luz, Senior Sales Manager Militzer & Münch Karlsruhe. “With the fast delivery and our commitment we were able to really convince our customer – follow-up orders are in prospect.”

South Germany – an important location

  • The Militzer & Münch Sales Office Karlsruhe was taken into operation in December 2017
  • Like the Militzer & Münch teams in Munich, Stuttgart and Nurnberg, Militzer & Münch Karlsruhe, too, caters to the high demand for logistics in South Germany
  • Militzer & Münch Karlsruhe has already won orders for regular worldwide spare parts deliveries via airfreight
  • In August, the team handled another heavy lift goods transport, this time via sea to China

75 Tons from Bursa to Ploieşti

Barely 900 kilometers separate the Turkish city of Bursa from the destination, the city of Ploieşti in Romania. Not too long a distance, one might think, but the transport route leads through a total of three countries, two capitals, and across the Bosporus. The load: a 75-ton metal press. A task that Militzer & Münch Turkey mastered flawlessly.

We don’t get to see them very often, but they have long been an integral part of the industry: mechanical and hydraulic presses. With the help of high pressure, they cut, punch, bend, rivet, and shape almost any material. Preston Makina, a good customer of Militzer & Münch based in Bursa, manufactures exactly such machines and relies on Militzer & Münch for the transport.

This time, a metal press measuring 8.60 x 2.35 x 3.20 meters and weighing a total of 75 tons had to be transported from Bursa in Turkey to Ploieşti in Romania. A proverbial mammoth task, thoroughly planned by Militzer & Münch Turkey in collaboration with customer Preston Makina. First, the heavy cargo had to be lifted onto a low-bed trailer with the help of a crane. After the freight had been properly secured and wrapped, the special transport was ready to start: From the northwest of Turkey, it first went along the Sea of Marmara, across the Bosporus and through Istanbul. The convoy then passed through Bulgaria before crossing the Romanian capital Bucharest and reaching its destination just under 100 kilometers further on: Ploieşti in Romania. “The order was handled to the customer’s full satisfaction, and the team did a really good job,” reports Kostas Sandalcidis, member of the Management Board.

Road transports are Militzer & Münch’s specialty. But the Militzer & Münch Bursa branch office also has a sound knowledge of sea transports. Within the Turkish Militzer & Münch country unit, the branch office is considered the country’s No. 1, an impressive achievement for the six-member local team, which is already looking forward to the next cooperation with Preston Makina.

300 tons for the glass industry

Eleven trucks, ten of them oversized, on the road in two convoys, with special permits and escorts, three nights each, through five countries. A task mastered jointly by the Militzer & Münch teams in Romania and Germany. The concerted action served to transport a plant for industrial soda production –  anything but an everyday job.

Soda ash is an important ingredient in many products of everyday use. The largest consumer is the glass industry, which uses soda ash in the melting process. Soda ash is also used in the production of detergents and cleaning agents, of textiles, paper, food and many more products.

The Ciech Group, which operates eight factories in Poland, Germany and Romania, is the second largest soda ash producer in Europe. In late 2020, subsidiary Ciech Soda Germany commissioned the Militzer & Münch team in Berlin with a special transport: to move a so-called carbonation column from the Romanian Ciech plant in Ramnicu Valcea to its new place of use at the Staßfurt site in Germany.

Two convoys with special vehicles

“This was our first order for this customer; it was a recommendation from another industrial company,“ says Sven Sange, Sales/Transport Scheduling at M&M Berlin. He organized the transport of the 300-ton colossus together with Militzer & Münch Romania.

Daniel Din from the team in Romania inspected the plant on site, then prepared the loading scheme. Subsequently, he synchronized the entire process. Eleven trucks, ten of them oversized, were needed to transport the dismantled chemical plant from Romania via Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to eastern Germany. The door-to-door transport started in two convoys just before and after Christmas.

“The parts of the dismantled plant were loaded in three days,“ says Daniel Din. “Five trucks on the first day, three trucks on the second day, and three trucks again on day three, as the last six loads were more complicated and couldn’t be handled on one day.“

Special permits had to be obtained for the oversized vehicles. The trucks were only allowed to be on the road at night, and traveled in two convoys. Each convoy took three nights to cover the 1,600-kilometer distance. “This transport is a good example of the successful cooperation between Militzer & Münch Romania and Militzer & Münch Germany,” says Militzer & Münch Romania Managing Director Valentin Dragu. Sven Wolthusen, Branch Manager M&M Berlin, takes a similar view: “From the first call to Daniel Din to the delivery, everything went smoothly, and the customer was fully satisfied.“

For space travel, a nighttime operation

Strictly confidential: in August 2020, Militzer & Münch transported a component for a launch vehicle. The customer was a company from the private space sector. The logistics service provider transported the oversized cargo by truck and by sea from Germany to North America.

“The component was developed by one of the largest suppliers to the European Space Program,” says Marco Fischer, Operations Manager, Sea Freight & Project Logistics at Militzer & Münch. “It is intended for a launch vehicle that can be partially reused – which is not the case with conventional rockets. Thus, the component contains state-of-the-art technology that is strictly confidential.” To prevent industrial espionage, the Militzer & Münch team had to make sure the box was not opened and its contents were not photographed.

The transport of the valuable cargo started by truck in southern Germany. From a port in northern Germany, the cargo was shipped to the port of destination on the east coast of North America. There, a North American freight forwarding company took over the last leg of the transport to the end customer.

With detours to the destination

The biggest challenge was the dimensions of the component. The diameter of the cargo was over five meters and thus oversized. Such loads not only require numerous permits, in Germany, they can also only be transported at night. Plus, in the end, the route originally planned for the transport was unsuitable, as two construction sites caused the roadway to be only three to four meters wide in some areas. “We therefore had to accept a detour of several hundred kilometers,” says Marco Fischer.

 


Through Germany, escorted by the police

In order to ensure safety, police escort was mandatory along parts of the route. Several groups of police vehicles with specially trained and equipped police officers accompanied the truck to guarantee smooth transport to the port in northern Germany.

“From the North German port, we loaded the component onto a 20-foot flat rack container and secured it,” explains Marco Fischer. “Afterwards, the freight had to be transported to the seaport terminal by barge, i.e. on board a boat without its own drive, as the terminal is not accessible for trucks. Only then were we able to load the cargo onto a container ship.”

 

“The component contains state-of-the-art technology that is strictly confidential.”

Marco Fischer
Project Logistics Sea Freight at Militzer & Münch

 

Special test

Before transport, Militzer & Münch had a check carried out to determine how best to store and secure the oversized and valuable cargo – and whether it could be taken on board the selected container carrier at all. To this aim, the team contacted a so-called ‘Special Cargo Desk’ – loading experts such as former ship’s captains, who were presented with pictures of the cargo, technical drawings, and stowage plans. “Only when the Special Cargo Desk gives the okay, can the cargo be loaded,” says Marco Fischer.

The right timing

Police escort at night, unexpected obstacles, and complex regulations that have to be complied with – such factors must be taken into account and precisely coordinated before a transport of this kind can even start. “With projects like this, timing is key,” explains Marco Fischer. “And we are proud that our team, due to good cooperation and lots of experience, ensured that the cargo arrived safely at the North American East Coast.”

A factory at sea

Transporting an entire factory plant by sea from Belgium to India is an unusual project even for the experienced Militzer & Münch team in Germany. This is not least because many plant components are only dismantled shortly before transport, which leaves only a tight time slot to communicate the cargo’s dimensions and degree of soiling to the shipping company – and to determine whether the cargo is even allowed on board.

The demand for bentonite – a rock used in construction, as a food additive and in cosmetics, among other things – has risen sharply in India. A leading Indian supplier of the material has therefore decided to dismantle a factory – a so-called roller mill – in the Netherlands and rebuild it in India.

The project involves several steps: a freight forwarder brings the parts from the Netherlands to the port in Antwerp, Belgium. From there, Militzer & Münch takes over the transport by sea to the port of destination. The logistics service provider transports most of the plant components to Mundra, India. Several shipments are necessary to transport the entire factory. The project started in August 2020.

Short term solutions

„Under normal circumstances, transports of this kind are no big deal for us,“ says Marco Fischer, Operations Manager, Sea Freight & Project Logistics at Militzer & Münch. „However, many of the components are only dismantled shortly before they are carted off.“ This is why there are often spontaneous adjustments to the size and weight of the cargo – and suitable solutions have to be found quickly. The Militzer & Münch team therefore maintains close contact with the shipping company at all times in order to be able to communicate any changes as quickly as possible.

The parts are up to 4.2 meters wide and 3.8 meters high. This makes them ‘out-of-gauge’, i.e. they exceed the normal container dimensions. In order to use the capacities on board as efficiently as possible, containers are precisely matched to each other during loading. The weight of the containers also plays a decisive role in loading. Heavy containers are stored in the lower part of the container vessel to ensure stability. “Space on the ships is limited, and this type of cargo is usually not transported in standard containers,” explains Marco Fischer. “There’s a lot of information we only receive at very short notice. It is therefore no easy task to register the containers with the shipping company in good time and get them stowed on board.”

“The ship’s captain has the option of rejecting cargo if he thinks it is too dirty.”

Marco Fischer
Project Logistics Sea Freight at Militzer & Münch

A (not so) clean solution

Another challenge for the Militzer & Münch team: in some cases, the components of the plant are very dirty. Since the cargo is removed immediately after dismantling, there is no time to clean the factory parts. “The ship’s captain has the option of rejecting cargo if he thinks it is too dirty,” says Marco Fischer. “So far, none of our containers have been rejected, but if this should happen, we will find a solution for this as well.” Intensive communication with the shipping line and the customer, as well as the Militzer & Münch team’s in-depth know-how, have ensured that the first shipments have already been successfully handled to the customer’s full satisfaction.

In the starting blocks, headed south and east

Despite the corona crisis, the Swiss Militzer & Münch unit was able to achieve a number of successes. Among other things, the team signed a three-year contract with a major manufacturer of rolling stock. Militzer & Münch is in charge of transporting the manufacturer’s products to Poland.

In the past few months, Militzer & Münch Switzerland has strategically repositioned itself and defined additional business areas. As a result, order volume and sales have increased, which allowed the company to take on new employees and open a new location. The new office at Muttenz near Basel, operated by a staff of 16, offers sufficient space for further growth.

“The new business areas are the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Maghreb and the region of Central Eastern, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe,” says Nikolaus Kohler, Regional Managing Director Middle East / Central Asia, Business Development Switzerland, M&M Militzer & Münch International Holding AG. “Especially in the Maghreb and in Central Eastern, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, we have vastly increased our business volume. The decisive factor for this success: our team has a wealth of expertise, and each individual colleague assumes a great deal of responsibility. Moreover, the long-term partnerships we maintain with our sister companies in our target markets set us apart from the competition.”

These features convinced a big rolling stock manufacturer, who immediately commissioned the Militzer & Münch team in Switzerland with a transport project to Poland for a period of three years. The transport of the automotive parts started in May. “Further contracts have already been signed,” says Nikolaus Kohler. “We are to transport products for one of the leading Swiss retailers from this region. For another customer, we take care of the distribution of seeds and pesticides. Word has obviously got around in the shipping and loading industry in Switzerland that we are a specialist for customer-oriented solutions and niche markets – which makes the team and me very proud.”

A Happy encounter

He was at the right place at the right time: at a trade fair, an importer of Chinese laser cutting machines met Barbara Zablocka from Militzer & Münch – in the meantime, he has transported, with her help, already his 25th delivery to Poland.

The entrepreneur from the machine building industry was faced with a challenge two years ago: he wanted to import Chinese machinery to Poland, but had little experience in this field. When he participated in EXPO-SURFACE, the trade show for surface treatment systems, Barbara Zablocka, Business Development Manager, Militzer & Münch Poland, offered him a solution.

“The entrepreneur had already received an offer from another transport service provider”, says Barbara Zablocka. “It was cheaper than ours. But for the customer, the price was secondary. Due to the high value of the goods, it was important to him to get professional care.”

Intensifying Partnerships with China

Owing to the good cooperation with Militzer & Münch China and long years of experience on this trade lane, Barbara Zablocka and her team were able to provide comprehensive advice to the customer. In the end, they were awarded the contract.

“With transports from China, we cooperate closely with our local colleagues and with the German colleagues”, Barbara Zablocka says. “Our partners picked up the laser cutting machines in Qingdao, the East Chinese port.” From there, the team shipped the containers via sea freight to Gdynia on the Polish Baltic coast or – with destinations near the German-Polish border – to Hamburg. The last mile to the consignee, the machines are transported via truck.

“I am happy that the importer and I had the chance to talk at the trade show”, says Barbara Zablocka. “In the meantime, this has developed into very good cooperation. The customer is in good hands with us, and we are developing our existing partnerships on the China trade lane more and more intensively.” Until now, Barbara Zablocka and her team have already handled 25 imports from China for the customer, and they are planning more shipments.

Cell Phones in Flight Mode

Cell phones are regarded as dangerous goods – because of their batteries. This and more factors have to be taken into consideration when cell phones are transported via airfreight. No problem for Militzer & Münch: the Chinese Militzer & Münch unit handles time-sensitive transports to Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia for a leading cell phone manufacturer.

Since 2010, Militzer & Münch has been working with a leading cell phone manufacturer from China. “We transport cell phones and other telecommunication equipment from Shenzhen in China to Moscow and several other destinations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia”, says Andreas Löwenstein, Regional Managing Director Asia / Far East, M&M Militzer & Münch International Holding AG. “The customer regularly calls for tenders – in 2018, we were awarded the two-year contract again. Under this contract, we have so far transported a total weight of 800 tons.”

A Tight Time Frame

Apart from the Russian capital, destinations are Minsk (Belarus), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Kyiv (Ukraine). But before the cell phones reach their destinations, the Militzer & Münch team has to master some challenges. “The customer only plans a very short turnaround time for every transport – from door to door, depending on the destination, between four and seven days”, says Andreas Löwenstein. “Our pledge to the customer is to adhere to this tight schedule.”

Another challenge is posed by the lithium batteries that are integrated in the cell phones. If lithium has contact with water for instance, this will trigger intense chemical reactions. The resulting heat build-up is so strong it might lead to fires and explosions.

Owing to these risks, lithium batteries are regarded as dangerous goods and may only be transported under strict conditions. Yet, even if prerequisites are met correctly, some airlines and airports don’t accept lithium batteries as freight. Militzer & Münch China handles a large part of the deliveries via Hong Kong Airport, where only a small number of flights offer the right conditions for these transports: one weekly connection to Moscow and two connections to Central Asia, via Istanbul and Baku.

Like Clockwork

“As this is a door-to-door contract, we do multi-modal transports”, says Andreas Löwenstein. “The goods are not only transported by air, but also by water, by rail and by road. The different phases of the transport must fit together like clockwork for the goods to arrive in time.”

The ten-year cooperation with the customer demonstrates that Militzer & Münch offers the right mix of knowhow, coordination and efficiency to meet even the highest customer demands.

For coffee lovers

Coffee is popular in Poland, and has become an export hit, too: After years of successful cooperation, one of the largest Polish coffee producers has opted for Militzer & Münch as his sole transport service provider.

For a long time, the producer had worked with different transport companies. Militzer & Münch, too, had won the company as a customer some years ago and delivered coffee all around the world. “With this project, our team is fully committed”, says Michał Styrylski, Manager of the Cracow branch, Militzer & Münch Poland. “And Pawel Twardokęs, our airfreight and sea freight director, keeps our customer posted on every process.” For each order, the team draws up customized schedules with flexible options to choose from.

Convinced in Every Respect

“Our customer soon realized that he can rely on us”, Michał Styrylski says. “From the first order on, we have always responded intensively to their needs.” After only a few months, the customer invited the Cracow team personally to gather information on additional Militzer & Münch services.

With responsibility, trust increased, too, and the team got more and more opportunities to handle transports. And one day, the producer awarded Militzer & Münch the contract for the biggest delivery so far: the team was to transport airfreight – a total weight of over 40 tons – from Poland to Japan, and mastered the challenge successfully.

“This convinced the coffee producer”, says Michał Styrylski. “At our next meeting, they informed us that they were going to work with us exclusively from now on. It confirms us in our daily commitment: of course, we get the goods to their destination in a fast and smooth way. But what counts is long-term commitment and good communication. We regularly ask our customers if there is anything we can do better, and thus, we both grow.”

The Militzer & Münch Poland team. From left: Szymon Marzyński (Operations), Marta Gęsiak (Operations) and Michał Styrylski (Branch Manager Cracow)