Röhlig Logistics

What Röhlig Logistics does

Röhlig Logistics is a family-owned global freight forwarder headquartered in Bremen, Germany, founded in 1852 and now in its sixth generation of ownership. The company specializes in three core service lines: sea freight (intercontinental ocean container and consolidation), air freight (international time-sensitive cargo), and contract logistics (customized warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management for enterprise customers). It operates from a network of offices in more than 35 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East, employing 2,800–3,000+ staff from over 70 nationalities, and is managed by a board including Managing Partner Philip W. Herwig, Ulrike Baum, and Dr. Robert Gutsche.

The company's technology stack centers on Röhlig BLUE CORE, a proprietary middleware and data hub that integrates with customer ERP systems to enable real-time data exchange across the shipment lifecycle. This is complemented by a leading implementation partnership with GRAVITY, a next-generation supply chain management software offering booking, documentation, customs, supplier management, and KPI reporting modules. Customer-facing tools include Röhlig Realtime (a shipping calculator and live shipment map), Track & Trace visibility, and an online Get a Quote / My Röhlig booking portal at app.rohlig.com. The company also operates structured internal development programs (Blue Step, Blue Arena, Blue Step Sales) and has held Audit Beruf und Familie certification since 2008 and Bremer Diversity-Preis recognition since 2014.

Röhlig generates revenue through transaction fees on sea and air freight shipments and managed-services contracts for contract logistics, with quote-based pricing applied per shipment and route. Go-to-market is primarily enterprise direct sales via the global office network, supplemented by inside sales teams for mid-market customers and a self-service digital booking portal for SMB and transactional volume. Customers are horizontally segmented B2B enterprises and mid-market firms with international supply chain needs; no named customer logos are publicly disclosed. The company is privately held with no external PE or VC ownership, having received a single disclosed investment from Nord Holding in 1994, and it voluntarily complies with LkSG, GDPR, and AGG frameworks despite not meeting the statutory employee thresholds for some obligations.

Name

Röhlig Logistics

Legal name

Röhlig Logistics GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rohlig.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Röhlig Logistics is a sixth-generation, family-owned global freight forwarder founded in 1852 in Bremen, Germany, providing sea freight, air freight, and contract logistics services to enterprise and mid-market B2B customers across 35+ countries via its BLUE CORE middleware, GRAVITY SCM partnership, and self-service booking portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• International logistics solutions
• Supply chain management
• Contract logistics services
• Sea and air freight

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sea Freight: Intercontinental ocean freight forwarding services including container shipping, consolidation, and specialized cargo handling
2. Air Freight: International air cargo transportation services for time-sensitive shipments
3. Contract Logistics: Customized warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management solutions for enterprise customers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Röhlig Logistics is a global freight forwarder providing international sea freight (containerized ocean shipping, consolidation, and specialized cargo), air freight (time-sensitive international air cargo), and contract logistics (customized warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management). The services are delivered through a network of offices in 35+ countries and supported by digital tools for booking, tracking, ERP integration, and supply chain visibility.

Product overview

Röhlig Logistics is a global logistics company specializing in sea freight, air freight, and contract logistics services. Founded in 1852 in Bremen, Germany, the family-owned company offers a comprehensive suite of freight solutions complemented by digital services and tools. The product portfolio includes core freight services (Sea Freight, Air Freight, Contract Logistics), digital platforms (Röhlig BLUE CORE middleware for data integration, GRAVITY Supply Chain Management Software), and customer-facing tools (Röhlig Realtime shipping calculator, Track & Trace, Get a Quote booking portal). The company operates in over 35 countries with over 2,800 employees, serving customers worldwide through tailor-made logistics solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Röhlig BLUE CORE: Global modular solution and middleware serving as a data hub for all shipment-related information.
• GRAVITY
• Röhlig Realtime
• Blue Step
• Blue Step Sales
• Blue Arena

Products and services

• Sea Freight International ocean freight forwarding services for shipping goods via sea routes, providing containerized and bulk shipping solutions for global trade. Serves enterprises requiring intercontinental shipping with consolidation and specialized cargo handling.
• Air Freight International air cargo transportation services for time-sensitive shipments, offering express and standard air freight solutions for global delivery.
• Contract Logistics Customized contract logistics solutions including warehousing, fulfillment, and supply chain management services tailored to specific customer requirements.
• Röhlig BLUE CORE Middleware platform serving as a data hub for all shipment-related information. Enables system integration, data exchange, and interface solutions for efficient logistics process management and ERP system connectivity.
• GRAVITY Supply Chain Management Software Next-generation Supply Chain Management software offering booking portal, shipping documentation management, operational management tools, real-time KPI reports, dashboards, order management, supplier management, customs management, and compliance and audit management. Röhlig is a leading implementation partner for this platform.
• Röhlig Realtime Shipping calculator tool enabling customers to enter shipment details, choose transport mode and destination, receive quotes within seconds, and book shipments. Features real-time shipping map visualization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seamless 24/7 information exchange through continuously improved digital offerings

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GRAVITY (Supply Chain Management Software)coreTechnology or IntegrationRöhlig is one of the leading implementation partners for GRAVITY, a next-generation supply chain management software. GRAVITY offers features including booking portal, shipping documentation management, operational management tools, real-time alerts for exceptions, KPI reporting, order management, supplier management, customs management, and compliance/audit management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with sea, air, and contract logistics across 100+ countries. Directly comparable to Röhlig in service mix (sea, air, contract logistics) but materially larger in scale, making it the dominant reference point in the global forwarding market where Röhlig competes.
• DHL Global Forwarding: The freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, one of the largest ocean and air freight forwarders globally. Directly competes with Röhlig across all three core product lines (sea, air, contract logistics) but at vastly larger scale and with greater digital and network leverage.
• DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider offering land, air, ocean, and contract logistics services prior to its announced acquisition by DSV. Directly overlaps with Röhlig across sea, air, and contract logistics, particularly in the European DACH region, with broader rail and European land transport capabilities.
• Nippon Express: Japanese-headquartered global logistics company providing international freight forwarding (air and ocean), contract logistics, and moving services. Directly comparable on sea/air forwarding and contract logistics, with much larger global scale and a strong Asian customer base that overlaps with Röhlig's APAC coverage.
• DSV A/S: Danish-headquartered global transport and logistics provider offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics solutions. Comparable to Röhlig across the full forwarding product suite but much larger and known for aggressive M&A-driven growth (including the recent Schenker acquisition).

Direct peers

• Expeditors International: US-headquartered asset-light global logistics provider specializing in international air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage. Directly comparable on air/sea forwarding mix and asset-light business model, and a reference point for digital capability maturity in mid-sized forwarding.
• Yusen Logistics: Japanese-headquartered global logistics company offering air and ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions across 40+ countries. Comparable to Röhlig in service breadth and Asia-Pacific exposure, with stronger APAC density offset by smaller European footprint.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered, family-owned global forwarder offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics with similar mid-market positioning. Closely comparable to Röhlig on size, ownership structure (family-controlled), heritage, European origin, and full-service forwarding portfolio, making it the most like-for-like peer.
• CEVA Logistics: CMA CGM-owned global third-party logistics provider offering air and ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and ground transportation. Comparable to Röhlig on the integrated forwarding-plus-contract-logistics model, with a particularly strong presence in contract logistics and emerging markets.

Emerging players

• Flexport: US-based digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and truck freight services via a proprietary technology platform. Not a direct head-to-head at the enterprise level today but represents the digital-native competitive threat targeting the same ocean and air forwarding customers that Röhlig serves, particularly in SME and digitally progressive segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Röhlig Logistics