Martin Schrüfer, Editor-in-Chief of materialfluss
"Does size alone make the difference?"

Martin Schrüfer, Editor-in-Chief materialfluss. © Martin Schrüfer

The intralogistics industry has been experiencing a major wave of acquisitions for some time now, for two main reasons: the industry's sales boom and the increasing complexity of what "just happens in the warehouse", as one might casually say. Firstly, the sales boom. Due to the triumph of e-commerce, the question of "in" and "out" in the warehouse has become existential for many companies, aggressive market giants such as Amazon are ruthlessly setting the pace and, above all, determining the turnover figures of internal and external logistics.

Anyone who increases efficiency here - and this brings us to the innovative intralogistics companies in this country - guarantees customers benefits that can be counted in hard cash. On the intralogistics side, this leads to full order books and big profits. These profits are also attracting the attention of capital from outside the industry, and so it is quite possible that a group like Körber, which previously invested in vending machines, among other things, will acquire its own logistics business area within a few years. Others will follow, that's for sure.

In terms of increasing complexity, however, it is becoming more and more apparent that the construction of new warehouses or their modernization is no longer carried out in separate trades (e.g. racking, conveyor technology and industrial trucks), but is increasingly a case for integrators who can not only supply everything from a single source, but can also manufacture everything themselves. Industrial truck manufacturers such as Toyota Material Handling, Jungheinrich and the Kion Group, among others, are very active in this area.

Nevertheless, even the "little ones" need not fear: Due to the aforementioned complexity in the warehouse, the specialist for, let's say, the food trade will also find plenty of market potential. There will never be a single company that will keep everyone in line and bind orders to itself. Ultimately, this is in the interests of the industry, because innovation and industry size rarely go hand in hand; intralogistics is no exception here either.

Andrea Gillhuber, Editor-in-Chief of SCOPE:
"Buying in specialist expertise"

Andrea Gillhuber, Editor-in-Chief SCOPE. © Andrea Gillhuber

The industry has been growing steadily for several years. The good order situation ensures full books and full accounts. However, megatrends are forcing companies to rethink: it is no longer possible to rest on one's laurels; core competencies need to be expanded and new technologies adapted.

We are, of course, talking about the digital transformation. If you want to be successful in the long term, you cannot escape it. Digitalization and the associated networking is a common thread running through all industries. Suddenly, a tool manufacturer is confronted with software and a software manufacturer has to deal with process technology in order to open up new market segments and thus remain fit for the future for itself and its employees.

Of course, every company could build up expertise within its own ranks. But this is very costly and time-consuming. Above all, the omnipresent shortage of skilled workers means that the specialists they are looking for are in short supply. So what can be done?

Either you enter into partnerships or you secure know-how through acquisitions and the purchase of shares in up-and-coming companies. Purchasing know-how through acquisition offers a number of advantages: You quickly gain well-trained specialists, your own product portfolio can be profitably expanded and you secure exclusive access to the know-how of the acquired company.

The purchase of company shares or even a blocking minority can also be very advantageous and is often practiced on the market. As a shareholder, you initially secure access to the technology and have a say - at least to a certain extent - due to the blocking minority. It also gives the shareholder the opportunity to acquire new technical input for the company through further partnerships, in line with the principle that "two heads are better than one". And if it doesn't work out, shares can be sold more quickly than an entire company.