Mühlacker (DE)/Sibiu (RO), 10th December 2024 – The Romanian subsidiary of Craiss Generation Logistik GmbH & Co. KG, Craiss Logistik S.R.L., is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Having started as a freight-forwarding business in 2004, the Romanian site now offers a wide range of contract logistics services and value-added services, including the professional cleaning and preparation of small load carriers, the first company in the group to do so. Upon the establishment of a second Romanian company, Craiss Transport S.R.L., the site in Sibiu received the addition of transport services and its own fleet in 2012. Today, Craiss Romania supports around 50 companies, primarily from the automotive industry. To mark the anniversary, a party is planned for the staff.
"It all started in our first office in a small apartment in Sibiu, which the managing director, Horia Matei, renovated himself. We are now talking about more than 2,000 square metres of office space in Romania, in addition to 10,000 square metres of storage space, around 170 employees, and 50 customers we support on site," says Michael Craiss, Managing Partner of Craiss Generation Logistik GmbH & Co. KG, reflecting on the last 20 years. The establishment of the Romanian subsidiary in 2004 was part of the expansion of the Mühlacker logistics company into Eastern Europe. "With the opening of the site in Sibiu, we strengthened our market presence in Romania and responded to the requirements of customers, who had requested local contact persons who speak their language and understand their processes," says Craiss.
Having started with two customers, Craiss Logistik S.R.L. was able to win its first new customers already in its first year and now supports around 50 companies, most of which come from the automotive industry. The current site has been in operation since 2018 – a milestone for Horia Matei, Managing Director of Craiss Romania: "The fact that the group of companies decided to build the new building back at that time was, for me, a clear sign of appreciation for our work and my team on site." Craiss emphasises the strategic importance of the site: "None of our companies is as broadly positioned as our Romanian one. Several of our services were initially introduced in Romania in order to expand them throughout Europe from there."
These include, the cleaning of small load carriers, among other things. Matei says: "It is important to us to react flexibly to the requirements of our customers. The demand for handling of empty packaging is increasing in Romania. That is why we sort and clean the empty containers of our customers or their end customers and prepare them for reuse in production."
After the growth of recent years, the family business plans to further expand its site in Romania. "We currently still have over two hectares of land suitable for building in Sibiu. Over the next few years, we plan to expand our storage space by up to 14,000 square metres, with up to 35,000 additional pallet spaces," says Matei, adding: "Our plan is to first further consolidate the site in Sibiu, and then expand to other locations in Romania over the long term."
Craiss Logistik S.R.L has many years of collaboration with its customers and staff to look back on. "On average, our staff members have been part of the company for ten years. Some have been with us since our early days. "Solidarity is high: we are a family business, which can also be felt in Romania," says Matei happily. To mark its 20th anniversary, the company is planning some festivities for its staff as part of this year's Christmas celebrations. Michael Craiss will also be present in person.