What Arcese does

Arcese is a privately held, family-owned global transport and integrated logistics group headquartered in Arco, Trentino, Italy, founded by Eleuterio Arcese in 1970. The group operates across 70 branches on five continents with more than 3,500 employees, a fleet of 650+ tractors and 2,800+ semi-trailers, and 18 contract-logistics facilities, generating over €1 billion in annual turnover. Its three core service lines are Road Freight (FTL, LTL/groupage, and intermodal solutions combining road, rail, and short-sea transport), Contract Logistics (inbound/outbound logistics, warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and document management), and Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding operated through wholly-owned subsidiary Ventana Serra, which holds IATA Top Agent status and AEOF customs certification.

The business is monetized primarily on transaction-fee and managed-services models with quote-based, non-publicly disclosed pricing. Customers request personalized quotations through online forms or work directly with dedicated account managers under multi-year enterprise contracts. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with a certified carrier partner network coordinated through the proprietary VLM (Vendor Lifecycle Management) platform, while shippers track shipments in real time via the My Arcese Track & Trace portal. The customer base spans automotive (Ferrari, SAIC Motor/MG, Omoda&Jaecoo), paper manufacturing (Cartiere del Garda), chemical, consumer/e-commerce, industrial, textile/fashion, and technology sectors, with anchor relationships built around JIT/JIS/Kan Ban automotive supply chains and intermodal Italy–Spain corridor traffic.

The corporate structure is anchored by Arcese Holding S.a.p.a. di Eleuterio Arcese e C., with Arcese Trasporti S.p.A. as the primary operating entity. Wholly-owned subsidiaries include Ventana Serra, Red Gloves, Red Gloves Automotive, Papier Garda, and regional road freight units in Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, and France; joint ventures include Arcese DP World (with DP World) for port/cargo handling and XCA (with the Conti family) for industrial logistics. In February 2025, Global CEO Guido Pietro Bertolone stepped down. Recent strategic activity has emphasized geographic expansion (Chicago, Malaga, Paris, Cuneo), new intermodal Europe–Egypt–Middle East routes, electric truck deployment with Daimler Truck, and recognition as a Financial Times "Europe's Climate Leaders 2026" and "Europe's Best Employers 2026" company.

Name

Arcese

Legal name

Arcese Holding S.a.p.a. di Eleuterio Arcese e C.

Website

https://arcese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Arcese is a privately held Italian logistics group offering road freight, contract logistics, and air/ocean forwarding across 70 branches and five continents, serving automotive, industrial, and consumer customers with a €1B+ turnover and 3,500+ employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services / Freight Transportation

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage) (TLACAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Cross-Border E-commerce Ocean Forwarding (DDP/DDU) (TLACABAK)

Keywords

• Road freight transport
• Contract logistics services
• Air ocean freight forwarding
• Intermodal transport solutions
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Arco

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 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. Road Freight Services: Full truck load (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) transport services across Europe with over 650 tractors and 2,800+ semi-trailers
2. Air & Ocean Freight (via Ventana Serra): International air and ocean freight forwarding services including customs operations, door-to-door solutions, NVOCC operator services
3. Contract Logistics: Integrated logistics solutions including inbound/outbound warehouse management, e-commerce logistics, document management across 18 facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arcese is a global transport and integrated logistics provider delivering three core service lines: Road Freight (full truck load, less-than-truckload groupage, and intermodal solutions combining road, rail, and short-sea shipping), Contract Logistics (warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, document management, and supply chain consulting), and Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding operated through its wholly owned subsidiary Ventana Serra, with customs clearance capabilities. Services are supported by proprietary digital platforms for shipment tracking and partner management.

Product overview

Arcese is a global transport and integrated logistics company offering three core services: Road Freight (international groupage/LTL, full truck load/FTL, and intermodal transport), Contract Logistics (inbound/outbound logistics, e-commerce logistics, document management, and supply chain consulting), and Air & Ocean Freight managed through subsidiary Ventana Serra (air freight, ocean freight, and customs operations). The company operates digital platforms including My Arcese for shipment tracking and VLM for partner management. With over 70 branches across 5 continents, 3,500+ employees, and €1 billion+ turnover, Arcese serves diverse sectors including automotive, chemicals, consumer, industrial, textile, fashion, and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ventana Serra: Arcese Group company specialised in Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding, offering international shipping, import/export via ocean and air, door-to-door services including internal logistics, stocking, warehousing and distribution. Also manages customs operations with AEOF certification.
• My Arcese
• VLM (Vendor Lifecycle Management)

Products and services

• Road Freight Road freight transport services including international groupage (LTL), full truck load (FTL), and intermodal transport combining road, rail, and short-sea shipping across Europe, with a modern fleet of 650+ tractors and 2,800+ semi-trailers.
• Contract Logistics Integrated logistics solutions including inbound/outbound warehouse management, supply chain management, e-commerce logistics, document management across 18 facilities, and supply chain consulting services for industrial, automotive, consumer, and e-commerce sectors.
• Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding (Ventana Serra) International air and ocean freight forwarding services including standard and express air freight, FCL/LCL ocean freight, NVOCC operations, customs clearance with AEOF certification, and door-to-door solutions managed by subsidiary Ventana Serra.
• My Arcese (Track & Trace Platform) Online platform providing customers with real-time shipment tracking, downloadable transport documents, and delivery status monitoring for air and maritime shipments.
• VLM (Vendor Lifecycle Management) Partner Portal Partner-facing platform enabling Arcese's network carriers and suppliers to manage documentation, services, and business data independently, supporting a European certified-carrier partner ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• Intermodal transport reduces CO2 emissions by more than 50%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• Omoda&JaecoostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Strategic partnership at the Basiano Logistics Centre near Milan for after-sales service excellence. Arcese manages logistics operations for the automotive brand.
• Daimler Truck ItaliastrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Daimler Truck Italia delivered Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric trucks to Arcese for use with Cartiere del Garda - a partnership of excellence for innovative and sustainable transport.
• SAIC Motor ItalystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Partnership for MG brand spare parts warehouse in Tortona, Italy. Arcese Group and SAIC Motor Italy jointly inaugurated the facility.
• NextGenerationEU / Spanish Ministry of TransportminorOthers · 1 January 2024Beneficiary of NextGenerationEU funds under PRTR managed by Spanish Ministry of Transport. Received €170,000 incentive for intermodal mobility enhancement between Italy and Spain.
• Ventana SerracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary of Arcese Group specializing in Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding services. Ventana Serra handles all international shipping with door-to-door services including internal logistics, warehousing, and distribution. Operates under IATA Top Agent status with AEOF certification.
• Arcese DP WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between Arcese Group and DP World for integrated logistics and port-related services. Located at Contrada Cerratina in Lanciano, Italy.
• XCA (with Conti family)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture company established by Arcese Group with the Conti family. XCA acquired Il Faldo logistics hub in Livorno and continues to launch new operational projects.
• The Sumba FoundationminorOthersPartnership with non-governmental nonprofit organization supporting young girls on the island of Sumba through scholarships. Project aims to provide educational opportunities and promote sustainable development.
• Rosa AssociatiminorOthersCollaboration on Kenya Project (sport for schooling) and Road To New York initiative enabling young people with Down's Syndrome to participate in New York Marathon.
• CesviminorOthersPartnership for 'Oranges Project' supporting economic and sustainable development of Maramani community in Zimbabwe.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is a Swiss-headquartered global freight forwarder offering sea freight, air freight, road logistics, and contract logistics across 100+ countries with €25B+ revenue. Direct competitor to Arcese in air/ocean forwarding and contract logistics, with stronger global scale and forwarding market share, particularly on transcontinental lanes.
• Gebrüder Weiss: Gebrüder Weiss is an Austrian-headquartered, family-owned global logistics company with €2.5B+ revenue, offering land transport, air & sea freight, and contract logistics. Highly comparable to Arcese on ownership structure (family-controlled), European road freight roots, multi-modal service portfolio, and mid-market enterprise customer focus.
• DSV: DSV is a Danish global freight forwarder with road, air, and ocean services plus contract logistics, generating €45B+ revenue after acquiring DB Schenker. Directly comparable to Arcese on integrated multi-modal forwarding and contract logistics, though at substantially larger scale and with a more aggressive M&A-led growth strategy.
• DHL Global Forwarding: DHL Global Forwarding is the air and ocean freight arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world's largest logistics company, offering integrated forwarding, customs, and supply chain services. Direct peer to Arcese on multi-modal freight forwarding; competes with Ventana Serra on air freight and contract logistics scale advantages.
• CEVA Logistics: CEVA Logistics is a French-headquartered contract logistics and freight forwarding company owned by CMA CGM, providing supply chain, freight, and finished vehicle logistics globally. Comparable to Arcese's contract logistics and forwarding mix; CEVA's automotive finished vehicle logistics business overlaps with Arcese's automotive after-sales work for MG and Omoda&Jaecoo.
• Fercam: Fercam is an Italian-headquartered, family-owned logistics company offering integrated transport, contract logistics, and distribution services across Europe. Directly comparable to Arcese on Italian family-owned origins, integrated multi-modal service model, European road freight core, and contract logistics scale (€1B revenue range).
• Savino Del Bene: Savino Del Bene is an Italian-headquartered global freight forwarder with 60+ offices worldwide, specializing in ocean and air freight forwarding with customs operations. Directly comparable to Arcese's Ventana Serra subsidiary on international air & ocean forwarding, AEOF customs expertise, and Italian family-owned origin competing in similar customer verticals.
• Girteka: Girteka is a Lithuanian-headquartered road transport and logistics group operating one of Europe's largest truck fleets with FTL services across the continent. Comparable to Arcese's European road freight arm with asset-heavy tractor/trailer operations; competes primarily on FTL and intermodal road services within Europe.
• Geodis: Geodis is a French global logistics provider offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, distribution, and supply chain solutions across 170+ countries. Comparable to Arcese in offering integrated road, air, ocean, and contract logistics; competes directly in European road freight and on automotive/industrial verticals.

Broad incumbents

• XPO Logistics: XPO Logistics is a US-headquartered asset-based transportation and logistics company with European LTL operations and global freight forwarding. Comparable to Arcese on integrated road freight and contract logistics, though XPO operates as a broader incumbent with North American concentration rather than European mid-market focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6PS2xcFnK31kZ9AnWO1uUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/arcese.official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1816538

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Arcese