What Willems Logistics does

Willems Logistics is a privately held, family-owned third- and fourth-party logistics provider headquartered in Rijkevoort, Netherlands, with operating roots dating to 1930. The company employs approximately 220–250 people across eight logistics hubs in the Netherlands (Borculo, Haps, Nuenen, Rijkevoort, Veghel, Waalwijk, and two additional sites), supported by a fleet of nearly 100 owned tractor units and approximately 100,000 square feet of warehouse capacity including refrigerated and non-refrigerated facilities (notably ~14,000 square meters in Waalwijk alone). Its service portfolio is organized around four pillars — Custom Logistics, Transport, Warehousing, and Distribution — supplemented by 3PL/4PL, Value Added Logistics (packaging, labeling, assembly), conditioned/cold-chain transport, and pallet storage with 24-hour delivery turnaround from four warehouse locations. Technology infrastructure consists of a proprietary in-house Warehouse Management System, a Data2 GPS fleet tracking system installed across all trucks, and a customer-facing Track & Trace portal providing 24/7 shipment visibility.

The business model is B2B managed services targeting enterprise clients — predominantly in the food sector — with multi-year custom-quoted contracts rather than disclosed list pricing. Visible anchor customers include FrieslandCampina Ingredients (baby nutrition, Veghel), FrieslandCampina Professional (dairy, Nuenen), and Rafti Sugar Solutions (liquid sugar, Wijchen), with the company self-describing its relationships as "Champions League level" performance partnerships. International activity includes scheduled weekly transport from Spain and Portugal to Waalwijk focused on footwear and leather goods, plus serving Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Italy. Distribution is handled through direct owned-fleet operations across the Benelux, with no reliance on intermediaries or marketplace channels.

The company is a privately held family business with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or PE/VC ownership. Recent strategic activity centers on the 2017 acquisition of Van Caem Transporten (adding the Waalwijk hub), the January 2022 consolidation under the unified Willems Logistics brand across all eight sites, deepening of the FrieslandCampina relationship from 2020 onward, and incremental service-line additions (4PL, VAL). Compliance footprint includes HACCP for food safety, CMR convention adherence for international road transport, and GDPR for customer data handling. No AI, ML, or autonomous capabilities are disclosed in the technology stack.

Name

Willems Logistics

Legal name

Willems Logistics

Website

https://willemslogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Willems Logistics is a family-owned Dutch 3PL/4PL provider founded in 1930, offering integrated transport, warehousing, cold-chain storage, and distribution services across eight Dutch hubs to enterprise customers in the food, retail, industrial, and international footwear sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third-Party Logistics Services

NAICS

Warehousing and Storage (493), General Warehousing and Storage (49311), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Food & Beverage Cross-Docking (Perishables) (TLALAFAC)

Keywords

• Third-party logistics
• Cold chain transport
• Warehousing distribution
• Freight transport services
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Rijkevoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 3PL/4PL Logistics Services: Comprehensive third-party and fourth-party logistics services including custom logistics, transport, warehousing, and distribution. The company takes over entire logistics processes from production to end customer delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Willems Logistics provides B2B third-party and fourth-party logistics services for food and non-food industries, including custom logistics, road transport (conditioned and ambient), warehousing with cold storage and pallet storage, and distribution across the Benelux and parts of Western/Southern Europe. Operations are supported by a proprietary Warehouse Management System, a GPS fleet tracking system, and a customer-facing Track & Trace portal, all delivered through eight strategically located hubs in the Netherlands.

Product overview

Willems Logistics is a Dutch logistics service provider offering a unified suite of logistics services organized around four core pillars: Custom Logistics (Logistiek maatwerk), Transport, Warehousing, and Distribution. The company operates an integrated service model where these core offerings work together to provide end-to-end logistics solutions—from production to end customer. Supporting services include 3PL and 4PL logistics, Value Added Logistics (VAL) for packaging and assembly, conditioned/cold transport, and cold storage. The company leverages proprietary technology including a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for inventory and order management, a Track & Trace customer portal for shipment visibility, and a Data2 GPS track system for fleet management. Services are delivered through eight strategically located hubs across the Netherlands (Borculo, Haps, Rijkevoort, Veghel, and Waalwijk).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Logistics (Logistiek maatwerk) Tailored logistics solutions designed to specific customer requirements, including process optimization and full outsourcing of logistics operations from production through to end-customer delivery. Aimed at enterprise customers in food and non-food industries.
• Transport Road transportation services for conditioned (temperature-controlled) and unconditioned foodstuffs, operating across the Benelux and the German Ruhr area using a modern fleet of nearly 100 tractor units including tautliners and tailgate-equipped vehicles.
• Warehousing Storage and warehouse management services supported by a proprietary Warehouse Management System, encompassing cold storage, pallet storage, loading/unloading, and value-added logistics activities across multiple Dutch locations.
• Distribution (Distributie) Distribution services throughout the Benelux for food and non-food industries, including daily fresh produce distribution and deliveries to supermarkets, bakeries, and other retail customers with 24-hour warehouse turnaround.
• 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) Third-party logistics services under which Willems Logistics assumes outsourced logistics management responsibilities for enterprise clients in the food and non-food sectors.
• 4PL (Fourth-Party Logistics) Fourth-party logistics services in which Willems Logistics takes responsibility for end-to-end supply chain management and optimization across multiple logistics providers and processes.
• Value Added Logistics (VAL) Logistics services with added value beyond transport and storage, including packaging, labeling, assembly, product improvement, and quality enhancement activities performed within the warehouse environment.
• Conditioned Transport (Geconditioneerd vervoer) Temperature-controlled road transport for products requiring specific storage conditions throughout the journey, applied to conditioned and unconditioned foodstuffs under HACCP guidelines.
• Cold Storage (Gekoelde opslag) Refrigerated storage service providing 2,000 m2 of cold storage capacity for temperature-sensitive products, operated under HACCP food safety guidelines.
• Pallet Storage (Pallet opslag) Pallet storage at four locations across the Netherlands with both refrigerated and ambient storage options, with delivery to customers within 24 hours.
• Loading and Unloading (Op- en overslag) Professional loading and unloading services with 2,000 m2 facilities handling both refrigerated and non-refrigerated goods in compliance with HACCP guidelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Error minimization through proprietary WMS and digital systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: Global contract logistics provider with extensive European road and warehousing operations including food and cold chain capabilities. Competes for the same enterprise 3PL contracts as Willems, with a much larger scale and geographic footprint.
• Geodis: Global French-headquartered logistics provider with strong contract logistics and distribution capabilities across Europe, including food-grade and temperature-controlled offerings. Competes for multi-country European contracts that Willems serves regionally.
• DSV A/S: Global Danish-headquartered transport and logistics company with major contract logistics and road divisions serving food and cold chain customers across Europe. Represents the scaled global 3PL benchmark and a frequent consolidator of mid-sized Dutch operators.
• DHL Supply Chain: World's largest contract logistics provider with extensive Benelux operations, including dedicated food and cold chain warehousing and value-added services. A direct large-scale competitor for enterprise food logistics customers.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest logistics providers with strong Benelux presence, dedicated cold chain/GxP-licensed warehouses, and significant food industry customer base. Operates as a major global 3PL competitor for enterprise food logistics contracts.

Direct peers

• Simon Loos: Dutch family-owned transport and logistics company with similar mid-market positioning, multi-temperature warehousing, and B2B food industry focus across the Benelux. Closest direct comparable in family ownership profile and scale.
• Royal Den Hartogh Logistics: Dutch-headquartered logistics provider specializing in liquid, food, and chemical transport with extensive European network and dedicated fleet. Comparable in Dutch origins, food-grade logistics focus, and fleet-based service model.
• Van den Bos Transportbedrijf: Dutch fresh produce and food logistics specialist with international operations and temperature-controlled transport. Directly comparable in fresh/food vertical focus and Netherlands-based operations.
• Nabuurs Logistics: Dutch family-owned logistics company with a strong B2B food and consumer goods focus, providing transport, warehousing, and distribution across the Benelux. Highly comparable in family heritage, vertical specialization, and mid-market size.

Regional players

• Rotra Forwarding: Dutch transport and logistics provider offering road transport, warehousing, and distribution primarily across Benelux and Germany. Comparable in regional B2B logistics positioning and service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WillemsLogistics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willems-tran
• Instagraminstagram.com/willemslogistics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Willems Logistics