Hoyer plans investments

SECURE THE FUTURE

STRATEGY • HOYER CAN LOOK BACK ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL 2018 AS IT LAYS PLANS TO FOCUS INVESTMENT ON INCREASING DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY AND SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES

THE HOYER GROUP has reported 2018 turnover of €1.17bn, slightly down on 2017’s record figure of €1.20bn, with pre-tax earnings virtually flat at €40.2m.

A salient feature of 2018 was the expansion of Hoyer’s activities in Asia, with its Supply Chain Services (SCS) division taking on more on-site logistics and providing more value-adding services at industrial locations in Shanghai. It also expanded its transport operations in China and began a move into a new market through the creation of the Hoyer Logistics Australia joint venture, which is bringing business in both its deepsea and Chemilog divisions.

Chemilog and deepsea both recorded slight turnover growth in 2018; together they account for 58 per cent of group turnover. The Petrolog business unit contributed 24 per cent of total turnover in 2018. Despite a 7.2 per cent drop in turnover, a strategically important field was opened up by supplying fuel to airports and aircraft in Europe. The Gaslog business unit, which earned 10 per cent of total turnover, recorded 4.5 per cent turnover growth.

The transport logistics business with industrial, chemical and special gases developed “satisfactorily”, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. Some 8 per cent of total turnover was contributed by the Netlog business unit, which is responsible for worldwide container management and technical services such as cleaning and maintenance, as well as depot services.

HOYER HAS IDENTIFIED A NEED TO OFFER ITS CUSTOMERS The most significant turnover growth was shown by the IBC business, where an acquisition in 2017 had a considerable effect, and the market showed a sustained positive trend, Hoyer reports.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES Hoyer invested €83.9m in 2018 in asset replacement and modernisation and in expanding its transport fleet; the Hamburgbased company has more ambitious plans for 2019, more than doubling its investment budget to €173m. This will be spread over business development, investment in fixed assets, further replacement and expansion of its transport fleet, and – perhaps most significantly – continuation of its Smart Logistics digitisation strategy.

Thomas Hoyer, chairman of the Advisory Board of the Hoyer Group, says: “We will also use the 2019 investment budget to determinedly achieve further expansion of Smart Logistics and Supply Chain Services – and thus of our competitive advantage.”

Digitisation of the tank container fleet took another step forward during 2018 and more than one-third of Hoyer’s tanks have now been fitted with telematics systems to convert them into Smart Tanks. Further measures were also initiated in the Added Value Services area.

The Digital Supply Chain is part of an overarching digitisation strategy being followed up consistently by Hoyer, which sees itself as one of the sector’s pioneers. According to Ortwin Nast, CEO of the Hoyer Group: “We recognised the growing demand for specialised logistics services extending beyond transport. So that’s exactly where we are targeting our logistics solutions by giving large parts of the supply chain structure a transparent image – worldwide and at all times.”

Hoyer now has more than 6,400 employees in over 115 countries to support clients with logistics solutions. Hoyer owns around 2,400 trucks, 2,700 road tankers, 43,100 IBCs, 39,200 tank containers and numerous logistics installations with depots, cleaning plants and workshops. HCB www.hoyer-group.com