E-commerce, engineering and lifestyle

From generalist to specialist:

CLI Group strengthens industry focus

Nine years after the founding of Compass Logistics International AG, Michael Müller – CEO of the Hamburg- based logistics provider – has realigned his group of companies. With CLI Supply Chain GmbH, which is headed up by Frank Marquard, the former E-Commerce Director of DHL Solutions, Müller has now set up a fulfilment specialist for the online retail sector.

“We have utilised the time since the sale of the Bremen logistics company Kieserling to realign the group of companies,” says Müller, CEO of CLI AG. He notes that this process has focused on specialisation and moving away from traditional forwarding services and “me-too” offerings. “Our field involves expansive niches,” Müller explains when describing his corporate strategy.

Specialist markets and specialist services

Over the past three years, for example, with the acquisition of the Kurzenberger freight forwarding company, now part of CLI Transport, and the setting up of a shipping company (CLI Marine) and the project development company CLI Engineering, separate areas of expertise have been established under the CLI AG umbrella. These focus on specialist markets and services, such as logistics for the sanitation and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) sector and project forwarding for the mining industry in South Africa (CLI Projects). The hazardous goods specialist RSB Logistic has also gained a stronger profile within the group. With Marc Schweiger, who moved from Bolloré to CLI in 2019, the management board has gained an internationally experienced project logistics specialist. Müller has terminated the cooperation with the group’s air and sea freight activities located in the Middle East.

CLI Supply Chain GmbH, another company under the umbrella of the Hamburg group of companies, has been going through the launch process since April. “We see ourselves as logistic specialists who provide solutions for multichannel strategies in the retail sector,” says Managing Director Frank Marquard, who brings with him senior management experience in the field of e-commerce from his time at Hermes and DHL Solutions. “We offer the retail sector a set of fulfilment services that serves all sales channels from a single source and with the same delivery performance levels,” Marquard adds.

A new logo and a new slogan

In the course of the repositioning process, investor and logistics entrepreneur Müller has reshaped his group’s market presence and renamed Compass Logistics International AG as CLI AG. A new company logo has been developed that, in conjunction with the slogan CLI – Customised Logistics Ideas, highlights the solutions expertise of the group. “We don't want to be the biggest, but rather the best in each particular market,” says Müller, in formulating his aspiration.

In 2020, he came one step closer to this goal with the purchase of assets and trade mark rights from the Klepper Faltbootwerft AG.

The long-standing company from Rosenheim is the world's leading manufacturer of folding boats and now has the name Klepper Lifestyle. “With Klepper Lifestyle, we deliver everything that outdoor enthusiasts and recreational athletes need for their lifestyle,” reveals Müller. Klepper is a globally established brand with a an almost 100- year history. “We want to use this brand asset for further expansion in this market segment,” Müller adds.

Based in Hamburg, CLI AG employs 500 people at 16 locations in Germany, France, southern Africa, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Canada and the USA. Its clients include multinational companies from the energy industry, the textile and furniture sector and the plant engineering market.