•  Gras Group will focus its investments on its core regions of Neuwied/Koblenz, Mannheim and the greater Cologne area. 
•  The Noerpel Group is strengthening its presence in south-west Germany.  
•  This strategic move will benefit both family-owned companies. 

The Gras Group, headquartered in Neuwied near Koblenz, is sharpening its strategic focus and continuing to drive growth through targeted investments in its key regions. As part of this realignment, the company transferred its Ötigheim network location near Karlsruhe to the Noerpel Group, which is headquartered in Ulm, with effect from 1 January 2024. The transaction, signed in November 2023, further strengthens the Noerpel Group's market position in south-west Germany, increasing its network in Baden-Württemberg to 14 locations. 

Between 2021 and 2022, the Gras Group invested heavily in expanding its operations in the Cologne region. This included the construction of a 14,000 sqm logistics facility in Kerpen, as well as two freight forwarding terminals in Frechen, which together cover 9,000 sqm.

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its logistics centre in Polch near Koblenz in 2024. Warehouse capacity will increase from 56,000 sqm to 76,000 sqm, laying the groundwork for continued growth in the Neuwied/Koblenz, Mannheim and Greater Cologne regions. 

'At our Ötigheim location, we see too few synergies with our other general cargo operations,' explained Horst Stockschläder, Managing Director of the Gras Group. 'For this reason, we have decided to transfer the site to the Ulm-based Noerpel Group.'

Ideal Network Expansion 

'This represents an excellent opportunity for our company and a logical next step in strengthening our market-leading position across southern Germany,' said Lucas Noerpel-Schneider of the Noerpel Group. 

 The Ötigheim freight facility covers 21,000 square metres and includes a 4,500-square-metre transhipment terminal with 70 truck loading bays. Situated directly on the A5 motorway and connected to the wider long-distance road network, the location provides ideal access for transport operations to France, Switzerland, and destinations throughout Germany. Following Noerpel’s acquisition of ERKA in Stuttgart on 1 January 2023, the Ötigheim site adds to the company's portfolio of strategically important locations within one of Germany’s strongest export regions. 

From January 2024, the branch will operate under the name Noerpel SE & Co. KG. Existing operational structures will remain unchanged, with Michael Weidenbruch continuing to manage the site as branch manager. 

It's a win-win situation for both companies. 

“As the Gras Group, we are placing even greater emphasis on our core markets while continuing to expand our services for customers,” said Madeleine Boos, Managing Partner of the Gras Group. 'The planned expansion of our freight forwarding and logistics terminal in Polch will further strengthen our position in the greater Koblenz region.' She added, 'Noerpel has been a trusted partner for decades, and we are convinced that we have found the ideal successor for our Ötigheim operation.' 

Judith Noerpel-Schneider, Managing Director of the Noerpel Group, also highlighted the strategic value of the transaction: 'Following the acquisition of ERKA in Stuttgart and together with our Freiburg location, Ötigheim represents the ideal addition to our existing network structure in south-west Germany.' 

The family-run companies Gras and Noerpel have collaborated closely for many years, including within the IDS general cargo network. Alongside the Geis Group and the Rieck Logistics Group, they are among the largest medium-sized companies within IDS. Alongside Andreas Schmid, Krage Potsdam and Krage Gerloff Schwanebeck, these partners now operate over 60 per cent of all IDS locations.