At the top of the German Mittelstand: pfenning logistics climbs to 18th place in the Top 100
The business network “Die Deutsche Wirtschaft – The Voice of SMEs” has published the updated ranking of the 10,000 most important medium-sized companies. The pfenning group ranks 18th in the Top 100 in the May edition. A total of 39 criteria were taken into account in the ranking, including revenue, team size, investments, innovations, sustainability and social commitment.
Heddesheim, May 31, 2023
The pfenning group, a family-run contract logistics service provider, achieves an outstanding position in the top one percent of the companies surveyed in the May edition of the SME ranking by “Die Deutsche Wirtschaft”. The company has climbed from rank 725 to rank 18. According to the business network, this is due to pfenning’s continuous and successful growth strategy despite a challenging market environment. The Pfenning family recently reported annual revenue of approximately €652 million. The ranking considers data from family-run companies generating up to €1 billion in revenue. Since 2021, pfenning has completed six acquisitions and four major real estate developments.
A key factor in the company’s success is the innovative “multicube” property concept, which pfenning has been developing for over ten years. The first site, “multicube rhein-neckar” in Heddesheim, was awarded DGNB platinum with the highest score among industrial new builds and also received the first Logix Award. The newest development, “multicube osthessen” in Mecklar, opened in April and meets high sustainability standards, enabling climate-neutral operation through photovoltaic systems and air-source heat pumps. By 2024, a total of six multicube properties will exist, including one in Alsace, France.
Strategic vision pays off – despite energy crisis and labor shortage
“Our growth strategy over the past years has been bold – especially for a medium-sized company. But we approached it thoughtfully, and our 90 years of logistics experience helped enormously,” says Rana Matthias Nag, CEO of the pfenning group. “This exceptional result in the SME ranking is a great validation of our investments and our sustainability efforts.”
This is far from a given. According to a recent Forsa survey, the biggest challenge for German SMEs is the shortage of skilled workers – 74% of the 1,500 companies surveyed expressed concern. At pfenning, the quality of service and thus business success depends primarily on employee satisfaction. This is why personnel development plays a vital role at the company.
SMEs are the heart of the German economy
Over 99% of German companies are considered medium-sized. They generate around 45% of GDP and employ 60% of the workforce. For this reason, the pfenning group values initiatives like the SME ranking by “Die Deutsche Wirtschaft,” which recognizes and promotes the efforts of mid-sized enterprises.
You can access the full study and the Top 100 list here (in German):
www.die-deutsche-wirtschaft.de/lage-im-deutschen-mittelstand/
About the pfenning group:
The pfenning group is a full-service supply chain provider for the German SME sector, based in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, the company has 90 years of logistics experience and employs 6,900 people across 110 locations in Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Sweden. With a fleet of 1,000 trucks and a total warehouse capacity of 750,000 m², the company is a strong backbone for its customers’ logistics. It ranks 55th among 60,000 logistics service providers in Germany according to the “Top 100 Logistics” study. Since May 2023, the company has ranked 18th among 10,000 German SMEs with revenues of up to 1 billion euros, according to “Die Deutsche Wirtschaft.”
The Heddesheim-based corporate group has continuously expanded its portfolio. State-of-the-art contract logistics and transport solutions are complemented by diverse value-added services, such as display construction and two-man handling. The company has strategically grown by integrating a nationwide personnel service provider, a metal construction firm, and Germany’s oldest car dealership into its corporate structure. Since 2014, Autowelt Ebert has strengthened the group’s portfolio in both the passenger and commercial vehicle segments, representing leading brands such as Daimler, Skoda, and Ford. From sales to after-sales service, everything is offered from a single source.
Since the 1990s, the pfenning group has been one of Germany’s leading retail logistics providers. Other industries also rely on its expertise: The company has built and operated specialized warehouses for chemicals, automotive, FMCG, food, and pharmaceuticals. Through strategic acquisitions, pfenning has further expanded into fashion logistics, e-commerce for consumer and medical technology, two-man handling, and general cargo transport. Its solutions ensure stable supply chain cycles, excellent cost efficiency, and market success.
Five decades of experience serve as the foundation for groundbreaking real estate projects. In 2012, pfenning logistics developed the multicube rhein-neckar, an award-winning multi-user logistics concept, designed for customized use and sustainability. This success continued in 2018 with multicube rheinhessen. Both logistics centers rank among Europe’s top 10 industrial buildings certified DGNB Platinum. Since 2022, pfenning logistics has been rolling out the multicube concept across borders, developing up to 300,000 m² of high-quality warehouse space – from Berlin to Alsace.
For short-term logistics needs, the pfenning group offers the nationwide logistics service concept WAREhouses+, with nearly 400,000 m² available at key German logistics hubs, including Karlsruhe, Düsseldorf, and Rhein-Main.
The company’s philosophy is based on responsibility, reliability, and trust. These values guide the entire team in daily operations, with a strong focus on transparency, openness, and honesty.
For more information, please contact Yeliz Kavak-Küstner.
