What Rhenus Group does

Rhenus Group is a privately held German multimodal logistics provider headquartered in Holzwickede, operating under the legal entity Rhenus SE & Co. KG with 39,000+ employees across 70+ countries and 1,300+ sites. Founded in 1912, the company delivers end-to-end supply chain solutions spanning sea freight, air freight, road transport, rail logistics, inland waterway transport, intermodal cargo solutions, project logistics, warehousing, port services, customs brokerage, and 2-man home delivery, serving enterprise customers across automotive, life sciences and healthcare, fashion and lifestyle, chemicals, high-tech, and consumer and FMCG verticals. It owns Europe's largest inland waterway fleet, a captive fleet of 21,000+ containers across 250+ depots, and runs 250+ intermodal trains per week, with selective vertical integration into port logistics and last-mile home delivery.

The technology stack includes a proprietary warehouse management system, real-time track and trace across intermodal transport, a 4PL logistics control tower for end-to-end supply chain visibility, and an AI-powered logistics command centre that automates routine administrative workload while positioning operators as exception handlers. Workflow automation, predictive analytics for demand forecasting, and Kardex AutoStore-based warehouse automation support the 'One Rhenus' technology strategy led by CIO Frank Hinkel and CEO Jan Harnisch. The company holds EcoVadis Platinum Medal status (top 1% globally, score 91/100) and Authorized Economic Operator certification in Türkiye, reinforcing its credentials for ESG-conscious and regulated shipments.

Rhenus monetizes through transaction-based freight fees tied to shipment weight, volume, and distance, recurring warehousing and storage fees, and project-based 4PL and supply chain consulting engagements under multi-year enterprise contracts. Pricing is quote-based and customized, with revenue split across modal services rather than concentrated in any single line. The customer base skews toward large enterprise shippers such as IKEA (India), Westwing, SOFACOMPANY, Home24, and government clients such as Correios. Distribution is exclusively direct B2B field sales with country-specific offices and no self-serve or consumer-facing channel. Recent strategic activity includes full acquisition of LBH Global Agencies (2026), a new rail terminal in Kazakhstan (2026), ASEAN cross-border road freight buildout, and strategic partnerships with COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

Name

Rhenus Group

Legal name

Rhenus SE & Co. KG

Website

https://rhenus.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Rhenus Group is a privately held German multimodal logistics provider operating in 70+ countries with 39,000+ employees, offering sea, air, road, rail, inland waterway, intermodal, warehousing, port, customs, and last-mile delivery services to enterprise customers across automotive, healthcare, fashion, chemicals, high-tech, and FMCG verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Warehousing and Storage (493), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

International Fulfillment, Forwarding & Consolidation Services (CRAFAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) & FMCG (TLAIALAH), Freight, Linehaul & Middle-Mile Transportation for E-commerce (CRAFAMAH)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Supply chain logistics
• Warehousing solutions
• Intermodal transport
• Customs brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Holzwickede

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Core logistics services including air freight, sea freight, road transport, rail logistics, and inland waterway transport. Revenue generated through freight fees based on shipment weight, volume, and distance.
2. Warehousing and Storage: Over 180 warehouse locations providing storage, distribution, and value-added services. Revenue from storage fees and handling charges.
3. 2-Man Delivery Services: Last-mile delivery of large goods (furniture, appliances) with professional installation, assembly, and packaging disposal. Revenue from delivery service fees.
4. Intermodal Container Services: Container services including one-way leasing, container rental, and container trading. NVOCC services for space protection and competitive handling charges.
5. Rail Logistics Services: Rail freight forwarding with 250+ intermodal trains per week, including rail vehicle maintenance and infrastructure management services.
6. Port and Inland Waterway Services: Port logistics, port agency services, and inland waterway transport. Revenue from port handling, agency fees, and barge transportation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rhenus Group is a global logistics service provider that delivers end-to-end supply chain solutions across multiple transport modes — air freight, sea freight, road transport, rail logistics, inland waterway transport, and intermodal cargo solutions — supported by 180+ warehouse locations worldwide, port logistics operations, customs brokerage, and 4PL supply chain visibility. The company additionally offers specialized services such as 2-man home delivery for large goods (furniture and appliances), project logistics, commodity logistics, and digital document solutions, serving enterprise clients in automotive, healthcare, fashion, chemicals, high-tech, and consumer goods industries across 70+ countries.

Product overview

Rhenus Group is a global logistics company offering a comprehensive portfolio of transport and logistics services. The company operates as a unified platform with multiple integrated service lines spanning sea freight, road transport, air freight, rail logistics, inland waterway transport, intermodal solutions, and specialized services including 2-man delivery, project logistics, warehousing, port services, 4PL logistics, document solutions, commodity logistics, and customs brokerage. With over 100 years of experience, 39,000 employees, operations in over 70 countries, and more than 1,300 sites, Rhenus provides end-to-end supply chain solutions across multiple transport modes. The company operates Europe's largest inland waterway fleet, manages over 21,000 containers across 250 depots globally, and runs more than 250 intermodal trains weekly. Recent strategic initiatives include AI-powered logistics transformation, hydrogen truck testing, and global network expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rhenus Road Freight: European road freight operations and transshipment hub network
• Rhenus Home Delivery
• Rhenus Port Logistics
• Rhenus Alpina

Products and services

• Sea Freight Worldwide sea transportation services offering LCL (less than container load) and FCL (full container load) options for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly shipping of non-time-critical goods.
• Road Transport Global road logistics solutions handling hazardous materials, temperature-sensitive goods, and varying transport volumes with groupage, LTL (less than truckload), and FTL (full truckload) options.
• Air Freight Fast and reliable air freight transportation with on-board courier, charter services, and value-added services including insurance, repacking, and labeling.
• Rail Logistics Cross-border rail freight transportation with over 250 intermodal trains per week, offering rail forwarding, rail vehicle maintenance, and transport on the company's own account.
• Inland Waterway Transport Europe's largest inland waterway fleet offering barge, push unit, and touring boat services for containers, bulk goods, waste, project cargo, and hazardous goods transportation via rivers and canals.
• Intermodal Cargo Solutions Seamless intermodal transportation combining road, rail, and sea transport with own fleet of more than 21,000 containers and 250 depots worldwide. Includes container services, NVOCC, land bridge, and rail freight solutions.
• 2-Man Delivery European market leader in handling goods for home delivery on the last mile. Pairs skilled professionals to deliver and assemble furniture and appliances directly to customers' room of choice, including same-day/next-day options and returns management.
• Project Logistics Complex project cargo handling and transportation including oversized loads, heavy-lift, and specialized equipment logistics.
• Warehousing Solutions Over 180 warehouse locations offering comprehensive storage solutions with value-added services, warehouse management system, and customized warehousing for various industries.
• Port Services Europe-wide port network with direct access to central ports offering sea terminals, inland port terminals, port agency, and shipping agents services.
• 4PL Logistics (Supply Chain Visibility) End-to-end supply chain control tower services including tendering, invoice verification, process control, and complete transparency with specialized software solutions.
• Document Solutions Data protection-compliant document handling including archiving, digitizing, destroying sensitive data, and file recovery services.
• Customs Brokerage Expert customs clearance services ensuring smooth cross-border shipments with compliance expertise across multiple regions.
• Rhenus Gulf Link Solutions Alternative multimodal routes including sea-air combinations and landbridge services via neighboring markets to maintain reliable access to the Middle East region during operational disruptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% reduction in route length achieved for SOFACOMPANY through hub optimization, significantly decreasing CO2 emissions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Strategic partnership agreement signed in Cuxhaven for joint cooperation. Marks beginning of collaborative relationship between Rhenus and COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers for specialized cargo transportation.
• Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Rhenus participated in international business conference in Brussels organized by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) discussing development of Middle Corridor transport route connecting Asia with Europe. Conference addressed transit capacity, railway and port infrastructure modernization, logistics digitalization, and EU Global Gateway integration.
• LBH Global Agencies Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026Rhenus Group acquired 51% stake in 2023 with plans to increase to 100%. Completed full acquisition of remaining 49% in April 2026. LBH Group operates international maritime shipping agency managing bulk goods, liquid cargo, containers, and general cargo at locations in 24 countries.
• Kazakh Logistics TerminalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026Rhenus acquired its first rail-connected terminal in Kazakhstan located north of Almaty. Terminal handles block trains and offers container depot and bonded storage services. Strategic response to changing supply chain trends marking entry into Kazakh logistics market.
• KardexcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 December 2025Kardex reached 100th AutoStore installation site ordered by Rhenus Group. Including extensions, total reaches around 120 projects globally. Kardex operates in 20 countries serving sectors including 3PL, retail, manufacturing, automotive, and e-commerce.
• IKEAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Partnership between IKEA and Rhenus to expand online distribution in Delhi NCR, India. Emphasizes sustainability through electric vehicle deliveries and renewable energy. New distribution hub launched in India.
• Correios (Brazilian Postal Service)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Rhenus Group appointed by Correios as global logistics service provider for COP 30 Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil (November 10-21). Rhenus manages international cargo transportation from Bonn, Germany to Brazil and back, leveraging global logistics capabilities and sustainable transportation commitment.
• IKEAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025IKEA and Rhenus launched new distribution hub in India emphasizing sustainability through electric vehicle deliveries and renewable energy.
• BLU LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023Rhenus Group acquired BLU Logistics to expand logistics capabilities and market presence. The acquisition was analyzed as a strategic move to strengthen Rhenus's global logistics network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders and contract logistics providers, with similar air/sea/road forwarding, warehousing, and 4PL offerings. Most direct global comparable to Rhenus across product lines, customer segments, and multi-modal strategy.
• DSV A/S: Global freight forwarder built largely through M&A, including recent Schenker acquisition. Closely comparable to Rhenus in growth-by-acquisition strategy, multi-modal forwarding, and contract logistics across road, air, and sea.
• DHL Global Forwarding: DHL's air and ocean freight forwarding division competes head-to-head with Rhenus across international forwarding lanes. Notably, Rhenus's UK Air & Ocean MD Scott Dudley spent a decade at DHL Global Forwarding before joining Rhenus in 2019.
• DB Schenker: European-headquartered global logistics provider with land, air, and ocean freight forwarding plus contract logistics. Recently acquired by DSV; competes with Rhenus in European road, rail, and integrated supply chain solutions.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Privately held German-headquartered global logistics company offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and specialized services. Closely comparable mid-sized peer to Rhenus in business model, ownership structure, and product breadth.
• Ceva Logistics: Global 3PL owned by CMA CGM offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions. Direct competitor to Rhenus in contract logistics and freight forwarding, especially across Europe and emerging markets.
• GLS (General Logistics Systems): European parcel and logistics services provider, subsidiary of Royal Mail/IDS. Comparable in European parcel delivery and warehousing footprint, particularly competing with Rhenus Home Delivery in last-mile services.
• Bolloré Logistics: French-headquartered global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider. Comparable to Rhenus in multimodal forwarding, warehousing, and specialized verticals (fashion, luxury, retail).

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Express: Japanese-headquartered global logistics conglomerate offering forwarding, warehousing, and heavy haulage. Comparable to Rhenus in product breadth but with stronger Asia-Pacific concentration and broader modal portfolio.
• Yusen Logistics: Global logistics provider with strong Asia-Pacific presence in air/sea forwarding, contract logistics, and automotive logistics. Comparable to Rhenus in vertical specialization (especially automotive) and end-to-end supply chain services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhenus-logistics

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhenus Group