Drewes Group
Drewes Group is a third-generation, Bremen-based family-owned logistics and shipping firm founded in 1925, operating through DREWES Logistics (multimodal freight forwarding, project cargo, IATA-licensed air freight) and DREWES Shipping (shipbroking, vessel operating, port agency), serving enterprise customers in steel, oil & gas, renewable energy, and mobility across roughly 18 global offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1925
- HeadquartersBremen, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Drewes Group does
Drewes Group is a third-generation, family-owned logistics and shipping group headquartered in Bremen, Germany, founded in 1925. The group operates through two core divisions: DREWES Logistics, which provides worldwide freight forwarding and project logistics across ocean, air, road, rail, and barge modes (including its own IATA-licensed air freight offices at Hamburg Airport and Paris), and DREWES Shipping, which offers shipbroking, vessel operating, and port agency services in German and South African ports. The company specializes in complex, oversized, and high-value cargo — break bulk, project cargo, pipes, steel, wind turbine components, LNG tanks, and rail vehicles — with in-house transport engineering capabilities (3D simulations, lifting and transport plans, feasibility studies) and an ISO 9001-certified HSSEQ management system.
The company's revenue model is project-based and quote-driven B2B professional services and transaction fees, earned on freight-forwarding margins, charter commissions, vessel operating fees, and port agency charges. Annual turnover is disclosed at approximately €100 million, supported by ~60 employees across 17-18 owned offices in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, India, and South Africa, plus project-specific local staff in markets such as Egypt, the Gulf, and the United States. Customer concentration is high but diversified across verticals: oil & gas (Shell, Wärtsilä, Rover Pipeline), renewable energy (Enel Green Power, Building Energy, Elawan), mobility (Siemens Mobility, Israel Railways), and steel/pipes (Europipe, Woodside Energy for the Scarborough pipeline).
Recent strategic activity (2022-2026) reflects a programmatic internationalization and capability build-out: opening a Hamburg air freight branch with its own IATA license (April 2022), acquiring French project logistics firm PHILCO INTERNATIONAL (November 2022), consolidating legacy subsidiaries under the DREWES Logistics GmbH and DREWES Shipping brands, establishing a Middle East joint venture with Martrade (Dubai), and acquiring a majority stake in an Indian freight forwarding company operating seven locations (2026). Drewes is privately held, has no external institutional investors, and is operated by family management including Dr.-Ing. Patric Drewes (Managing Director, DREWES Logistics) and Robert A. Drewes (Managing Director, chartering).
Drewes Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drewes Group
- Legal name
- DREWES Group
- Website
- https://drewes-group.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1925
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Drewes Group is a third-generation, Bremen-based family-owned logistics and shipping firm founded in 1925, operating through DREWES Logistics (multimodal freight forwarding, project cargo, IATA-licensed air freight) and DREWES Shipping (shipbroking, vessel operating, port agency), serving enterprise customers in steel, oil & gas, renewable energy, and mobility across roughly 18 global offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Drewes Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Project Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chartering & Heavy-Lift Vessel / Barge / RoRo Solutions (TLACAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH), Breakbulk & Project Cargo Handling (Heavy Lift, Out-of-Gauge Handling) (TLAHALAH), Heavy Lift / Breakbulk & RoRo Project Shipping (TLADAGAC)
Keywords
Where Drewes Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bremen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices19 records
Markets served
Drewes Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: Worldwide freight-forwarding services including ocean freight (LCL, FCL, break bulk), air freight, and project logistics. Revenue generated through service fees for transportation, handling, and logistics coordination.
- Shipbroking: Shipbroker services in the bulk and break bulk segments, ranging from handy to capesize shipments. Special expertise in transport of iron ore, coal, grain, wood pellets, steel, aluminium and scrap metal. Freight contracts from short-term spot to long-term timecharters. Additional services include market analysis and consultancy.
- Vessel Operating: Operator of maritime vessels specializing in break bulk and project cargo. Includes surveillance of cargo securing and handling processes.
- Port Agency Services: Agency services as owners' and charterers' agents in German and South African ports, including vessel clearance, coordination of tug-operators, pilots, moorers, crew support, waste disposal, and documentation services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Drewes Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Drewes Group provides worldwide freight-forwarding, project logistics, shipbroking, vessel operating, and port agency services through two divisions. DREWES Logistics delivers multimodal transport (sea, air, road, rail, barge) for break bulk, project cargo, bulk, Ro/Ro, and IATA-licensed air freight, plus transport engineering with 3D simulations. DREWES Shipping provides shipbroking for bulk and break bulk commodities (iron ore, coal, grain, steel, aluminium, scrap), vessel operating for break bulk and project cargo, and port agency services in German and South African ports.
Product overview
DREWES Group operates as a globally active German logistics and shipping corporate group headquartered in Bremen, established in 1925. The company is organized into two core business units: DREWES Logistics (freight-forwarding and project logistics) and DREWES Shipping (shipbroking, vessel operating, and port agency services). DREWES Logistics provides Project Logistics (including international projects, air freight, cranage, land transport, barging, storage, customs clearance, and transport engineering), Ocean Freight (LCL, FCL, break bulk, Ro/Ro, project cargo, charter shipments, and sea-air transport), and Air Freight (IATA-licensed time-optimized solutions via scheduled/charter flights). DREWES Shipping offers Shipbroking (bulk/break bulk commodity transport and freight contracts), Operating (vessel operation for break bulk and project cargo), and Port Agency Services (clearance, coordination, documentation, provisions, crew support, waste disposal in German and South African ports). Both divisions work together to provide integrated multimodal transport solutions for project cargo, steel, gas, renewable energy, and government/defense logistics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DREWES Logistics
Quantifiable outcome
- 331,575 freight tons of wind turbine components transported for South Africa renewable energy project
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Drewes Group
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Drewes Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Drewes Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, supporting and regional.
- Oldendorff CarrierscoreHamburg shipping company whose vessels were taken over by DREWES Logistics under full charter for Scarborough project pipe shipments. Ten vessels were chartered from ports of Bremen and Brake to Kabil, Indonesia. Partnership enables maritime transport capacity for large-scale project cargo.
- Amasus Shipping BVcoreDutch shipping company whose coastal vessel was exclusively chartered by DREWES Shipping for transport of LNG tanks from Hamburg to Antwerp for Shell BIO-LNG project.
- Spedition Bender GmbHkeyFreudenberg-based forwarder partner for heavy transport and specialized logistics services in DREWES Logistics projects including Shell BIO-LNG plant project.
- Riga Mainz GmbHkeyCrane service and heavy-lift company partnered with DREWES for Shell Energy and Chemicals Park project, handling installation of 246-ton LNG tanks onto foundations using 750-ton and 600-ton crawler cranes.
- Häfen und Güterverkehr KölnsupportingPort and logistics service provider in Cologne involved in handling and preparation of heavy cargo for inland port operations.
- Lyondellbasell IndustriessupportingChemical company involved as partner in Shell Energy and Chemicals Park project ecosystem.
- BBC CharteringcoreShipping company of the German Briese Group, operating multipurpose vessel 'BBC Mont Blanc'. Partnered for shiploader transport from Jebel Ali to Al-Jubail and LNG tank world tour project. Consistently provides heavy-lift vessels for DREWES projects.
- German Transport EngineeringsupportingEngineering partner from Florstadt involved in complex project logistics planning and execution for shiploader transport across Persian Gulf.
- Martrade (Joint Venture)keyJoint venture partner with Dubai office involved in complex shiploader transport project. DREWES has established joint venture relationship for project cargo operations.
- Martrans (Egypt)regionalEgyptian state logistics service provider. PHILCO is the official contract partner of Martrans, which was acquired by DREWES Group. Partnership strengthens North African market presence.
- BLG Cargo LogisticssupportingTerminal operations in Bremen involved in handling of pipe shipments for Scarborough project.
- J. MuellersupportingTerminal operations in Brake involved in pipe handling for Scarborough gas field project shipments.
- ACL (Atlantic Container Line)supportingShipping company whose ConRo ships were used for rail wagon shipment from Hamburg to Antwerp for Israel Railways project.
- Grimaldi Lines Euromed ServicesupportingRoRo vessels used for shipment of Siemens Desiro HC trains from Antwerp to Ashdod, Israel.
- Fridenson Logistic ServicessupportingPartner responsible for transfer of wagons from roll trailer back to rail at Israel Railways destination.
- Wallmann's heavy lift terminalsupportingHamburg heavy lift terminal where tanks were transferred from barges to coastal vessel for Shell BIO-LNG project.
- Katoen NatiesupportingTerminal in Antwerp seaport where LNG tanks were received, taken off and prepared for further Rhine transport.
- BHV (Bremenische Hafenvertretung)keyIndustry association with around 250 member companies from logistics, port, and transportation industries in Bremen and Bremerhaven. DREWES Managing Director Patric Drewes serves as executive board member. Publishes BHV Project Logistics Monitor.
- Various Shipping CompaniessupportingDREWES sea freight department continually assesses various shipping companies, considering economic, ecological and social standards to help customers select suppliers based on budgetary and sustainability goals.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Drewes Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Deugro: German-headquartered, family-owned global project cargo forwarder specializing in heavy lift, oversized and breakbulk shipments for oil & gas, energy and infrastructure clients. Directly comparable to Drewes on chartering model, project engineering capabilities, and enterprise customer base.
- Panprojects International: Specialist project logistics company focused on heavy lift, breakbulk, RoRo and OOG cargo across energy, mining and infrastructure projects. Closely comparable on multimodal project cargo execution and engineering-led project planning.
- Fracht Group: Swiss family-owned specialist in project logistics, heavy lift and intermodal transport for industrial clients including oil & gas, renewables and steel. Comparable on project-only focus and specialized industrial verticals.
- Bertling Logistics: German-headquartered project logistics forwarder with strong oil & gas, mining and energy customer base, operating asset-light model similar to Drewes with chartering, project forwarding and airfreight capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- Kuehne+Nagel: Global top-3 freight forwarder with a dedicated Kuehne+Nagel Project Logistics division serving oil & gas, mining, renewables and infrastructure. Overlaps with Drewes on enterprise project cargo work but competes across the entire logistics value chain at far greater scale.
- DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider with project logistics, airfreight and ocean freight capabilities. Competes with Drewes on industrial project work and Bremen/Hamburg-based forwarding relationships but offers a far broader and standardized service portfolio.
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German family-owned global forwarder with over 100 years of history, offering forwarding across road, air, sea and project logistics. Compares to Drewes on heritage, German family ownership and multi-modal industrial customer base; broader and far larger in scale.
- DSV: Global freight forwarder and logistics group with project cargo division (formerly UTi/David Watson) specializing in industrial projects. Competes with Drewes on project forwarding work for energy and infrastructure customers globally.
Emerging players
- Röhlig Logistics: German family-owned mid-market forwarder with strong airfreight, sea freight and project logistics capabilities. Comparable to Drewes on family ownership, German origin and specialization in complex industrial shipments.
- GAC Group: Global shipping, logistics and marine services provider with strong port agency, ship broking and project cargo capabilities. Closely aligns with Drewes Shipping's combined shipbroking/operating/port agency stack and similar chartering expertise.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Drewes Group social profiles
Digital presenceDrewes Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Drewes Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drewes Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Drewes Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Drewes Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drewes Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Drewes Group
What does Drewes Group do?
Drewes Group provides worldwide freight-forwarding, project logistics, shipbroking, vessel operating, and port agency services through two divisions. DREWES Logistics delivers multimodal transport (sea, air, road, rail, barge) for break bulk, project cargo, bulk, Ro/Ro, and IATA-licensed air freight, plus transport engineering with 3D simulations. DREWES Shipping provides shipbroking for bulk and break bulk commodities (iron ore, coal, grain, steel, aluminium, scrap), vessel operating for break bulk and project cargo, and port agency services in German and South African ports.
Is Drewes Group a public or private company?
Drewes Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Drewes Group founded?
Drewes Group was founded in 1925. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Drewes Group based?
Drewes Group is headquartered in Bremen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Drewes Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are shipbroking, vessel Operating and port Agency Services.
Who are Drewes Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Deugro, Panprojects International, Fracht Group and Bertling Logistics. Broad incumbents are Kuehne+Nagel, DB Schenker, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and DSV. Emerging players are Röhlig Logistics and GAC Group.
Does Drewes Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drewes Group.
What industry is Drewes Group in?
Drewes Group's product category is Project Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAIAJ, Chartering & Heavy-Lift Vessel / Barge / RoRo Solutions, with a secondary code of TLACABAH, Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.