HELCO
HELCO Pharmalogistik GmbH is a German GDP-compliant pharmaceutical logistics specialist founded in 1982, providing temperature-controlled transport, warehousing, and air freight services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors across Germany and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersHanau, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What HELCO does
HELCO Pharmalogistik GmbH is a privately held German logistics company founded in 1982 and headquartered in Hanau in the Rhein-Main region. It specializes exclusively in GDP-compliant pharmaceutical logistics, serving pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors across Germany and Europe with temperature-controlled transport (+15°C to +25°C), GDP-compliant warehouse storage at its Hanau site, and air freight handling as a Federal Aviation Office-approved regulated agent. The company operates 24/7/365 with a dedicated pharmaceutical fleet ranging from Caddy vans through 40-ton semi-trailers (including double-deck trailers accommodating up to 66 euro pallets), supplemented by an asset-light Europe-wide partner network of GDP-certified carriers.
The company differentiates through DEKRA-validated ISO 9001:2015 and GDP certifications, an integrated telematics stack for real-time temperature, route, and theft monitoring with email alerts, and a high-security concept combining validated transport units, GDP documentation, and trained staff. Pricing operates on a transparent fixed house-tariff system based on defined transport weights and distances for partial and full loads; financial terms are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise B2B sales with personal account management and 24/7 pharma dispatch.
Revenue is generated entirely through transport fees and related logistics services for the single pharmaceutical vertical. The company has two named managing directors (Dr. Dirk Schröder and Michael Knecht) who also serve as shareholders, indicating concentrated ownership. No external funding, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed. Recent strategic activity has centered on operational expansion (a Thale site), sustainability investment (a tree-sponsorship program and the launch of a first fully electric truck in summer 2025), and active recruitment of CE-licensed drivers.
HELCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HELCO
- Legal name
- HELCO Pharmalogistik GmbH
- Website
- https://helco-pharma.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HELCO Pharmalogistik GmbH is a German GDP-compliant pharmaceutical logistics specialist founded in 1982, providing temperature-controlled transport, warehousing, and air freight services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors across Germany and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HELCO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical Logistics
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120)
- SIC
- Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pharma & Life Sciences Cold Chain Forwarding (GDP-Compliant) (TLACAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pharmaceutical Cold-Chain Delivery (2–8°C / CRT) (TLAAAJAC), Temperature-Controlled / Pharma Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAG)
Keywords
Where HELCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hanau
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
HELCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- GDP-Pharmalogistik Transport: Core revenue from temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics services including domestic and international transport. Services include standard pharma transport, express shipments, and temperature-guided special transport. Revenue is generated through transport fees based on distance, weight, and specific handling requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Transaction based/ take rate | Transparent fixed house tariff with defined transport weights and distances |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
HELCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HELCO provides GDP-compliant temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics, including road transport (national and international), air freight handled as a regulated agent, and temperature-monitored pharmaceutical warehousing at its Hanau headquarters. Services are coordinated centrally 24/7/365 from the Rhein-Main region, with a specialized vehicle fleet and telematics-based monitoring of temperature, route, and theft. Pricing follows a transparent fixed house tariff structured by transport weight and distance for partial and full loads.
Product overview
HELCO is a logistics company specializing in GDP-compliant pharmaceutical transport across Europe. The core offering is GDP-Pharmalogistik, a unified pharmaceutical logistics service coordinated from Hanau headquarters, supplemented by temperature-controlled warehouse logistics, air freight services as a regulated agent, a specialized vehicle fleet, and telematics-based monitoring. The product portfolio includes the pharmaceutical fleet (ranging from Caddy to 40-ton trucks), GDP-compliant storage at Hanau near Frankfurt Airport, air freight solutions, and a pallet exchange system—all unified under the GDP quality standard to ensure pharmaceutical-grade cold chain management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GDP-Pharmalogistik (GDP-Compliant Pharmaceutical Logistics) Core pharmaceutical logistics service providing GDP-compliant transport management across Europe with temperature-controlled shipments (maintained at +15°C to +25°C), a coordinated European pharmaceutical supply chain, and seamless processes managed centrally from the Hanau headquarters. Targeted at pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
- GDP-Compliant Warehouse Logistics Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical warehouse at the Hanau site in the Rhein-Main region near Frankfurt Airport, with permanent temperature monitoring in the +15°C to +25°C range for temperature-guided pharmaceutical goods. Targets pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors needing compliant short- or longer-term storage close to a major air freight hub.
- Air Freight / Regulated Agent (Luftfracht) Air-freight pharmaceutical logistics handled by HELCO in its capacity as a Regulated Agent approved by the Luftfahrtbundesamt, integrating with the secure air cargo supply chain to accelerate transport of medications and APIs for pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
- Pharmaceutical Fleet (Pharma-Flotte) Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical vehicle fleet ranging from Caddy (up to 300 kg) and Sprinter (up to 800 kg) to 12-ton trucks (up to 4,400 kg) and 40-ton semi-trailers (up to 22,500 kg), equipped as double-deck trailers capable of carrying up to 66 euro pallets and Duo-Temp vehicles. Provided to pharmaceutical customers as the physical transport asset underpinning HELCO's GDP-compliant services.
- Pharmaceutical Pallet Exchange System (Tauschsystem) Exchange system based on pharmaceutical-appropriate light euro pallets for efficient handling and transport of pharmaceutical goods, used by HELCO as part of its end-to-end pharmaceutical logistics offering.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50 tonnes CO2 per year savings potential with electric truck
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use HELCO
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
HELCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
HELCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TAPA EMEAminorHELCO displays TAPA (Transported Asset Protection Association) certification/plaque on their website, indicating membership in this freight security initiative.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HELCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HELCO social profiles
Digital presenceHELCO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
HELCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HELCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
HELCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HELCO 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 HELCO
What does HELCO do?
HELCO provides GDP-compliant temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics, including road transport (national and international), air freight handled as a regulated agent, and temperature-monitored pharmaceutical warehousing at its Hanau headquarters. Services are coordinated centrally 24/7/365 from the Rhein-Main region, with a specialized vehicle fleet and telematics-based monitoring of temperature, route, and theft. Pricing follows a transparent fixed house tariff structured by transport weight and distance for partial and full loads.
Is HELCO a public or private company?
HELCO is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was HELCO founded?
HELCO was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HELCO based?
HELCO is headquartered in Hanau, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does HELCO make money?
One revenue line is on record: GDP-Pharmalogistik Transport.
Does HELCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for HELCO.
What industry is HELCO in?
HELCO's product category is Pharmaceutical Logistics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAMAD, Pharma & Life Sciences Cold Chain Forwarding (GDP-Compliant), with a secondary code of TLAAAJAC, Pharmaceutical Cold-Chain Delivery (2–8°C / CRT). Its NAICS code is 4885 and its SIC code is 4210.