FERCAM - From South Tyrol to the world
DACHSER and FERCAM are linked by a long-standing partnership. The family-owned company from Bolzano has been handling the distribution of all general cargo shipments with industrial and consumer goods from the European DACHSER network in Italy since 2003 and feeds corresponding shipments from Italy into this network. Both companies have a lot in common - and this also applies to their corporate history.
The connection between rail and truck - that's what the name FERCAM stands for. The artificial word made up of the syllables of the Italian words "ferrovia" for rail and "camion" for truck expresses what the business model of the Italian logistics company was based on when it was founded in 1949 in Bolzano in South Tyrol: the transport of goods by rail and truck.
In 1963, the Baumgartner family took over the local transport company. From then on, the integration of the two modes of transport, rail and road, the steady internationalization and the expansion of the business were the focus of the development of the still young northern Italian company. After the turn of the millennium, FERCAM also grew outside Italy and established locations in Slovakia and Romania, for example. In 2005, the family-owned company entered the air and sea freight business, thus laying the foundation for its international business. In 2007, FERCAM launched transports to the Maghreb, where it already had its own branch, and in 2012 the company opened a new branch in Tunisia. But FERCAM also grew strongly in its Italian home market, expanding its location at the headquarters in Bolzano and investing in its logistics centers in Milan, Padua, Bologna or near Pavia.
Strong partnership with DACHSER leads to joint venture
FERCAM and DACHSER have been partners in operational general cargo handling since 2003. Both family-owned companies are united by a culture of clear values in which responsibility and respect for customers, employees and the environment are written large. Added to this is the claim to develop innovations and offer logistical solutions of the highest quality.
The long-standing, successful partnership is now culminating in the establishment of a joint venture. In accordance with the agreement concluded between the two companies, FERCAM will spin off its FERCAM Distribution (groupage) and FERCAM Logistics (contract logistics) divisions with 920 employees and 2022 sales of around EUR 400 million from FERCAM AG by the end of 2023 and contribute them to a new company in which DACHSER will hold 80 percent of the shares.
From the beginning of 2024, the joint venture will operate as an independent company under the name 'DACHSER & FERCAM Italia S.r.l.' and report directly to Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at Dachser. FERCAM AG will hold a 20 percent stake in the new company.
FERCAM Transport (national and international road and rail transport), FERCAM Air & Ocean and FERCAM Special Services (art and trade fair logistics, moving and relocation services, as well as archive services and document management), including all foreign companies, will remain in the exclusive ownership of FERCAM AG and will not be transferred to the joint venture. In the future, FERCAM will increasingly drive growth and internationalization, including overseas, of these areas.
Incidentally, there are also some parallels between the companies when it comes to sustainability. FERCAM - like DACHSER - has launched an "Emission Free Project" for emission-free city deliveries in 2021. When it comes to alternative fuels, FERCAM is also active and has been participating in a South Tyrolean biogas company since 2020.
By bringing the general cargo and contract logistics businesses into the joint venture with DACHSER, FERCAM's owning family is now taking a further step to open up additional growth potential and create security and stability for the future. A new chapter is being opened in the history of the former rail truck forwarder from South Tyrol.
