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.”
“The courageous decision to start the joint venture last year was the right one – now we want to further expand our business.”
Filip Simovic
CEO Militzer & Münch Serbia
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.
