Read on to discover all four cornerstones
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Message from the CEO
We deliver GDP+ Growth.
One of our greatest strengths lies in the clarity of our vision to become the most trusted supply chain partner supporting a sustainable future. This guides all our decisions and actions. By staying focused, we will achieve our goals together with our dedicated employees and partners, delivering growth for our partners — customers, shareholders and employees.
As we reflect on the past year, it’s important to recognise the dynamic and often unpredictable environment in which we operate. Our ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances has been crucial in maintaining our service levels and supporting our customers through uncertain times.
We are well positioned to enter the next phase of our strategy and to capitalise on our strong market position. We are committed to grow our business above the market (“GDP+ Growth”). Moreover, we offer integrated solutions combining all modes of transport, as well as value-adding services such as temperature-controlled healthcare logistics or customs brokerage, to name just two examples. This unique combination is essential for delivering the best-in-class supply chain solutions for our customers.
Moreover, we will continue to actively pursue the opportunities arising from consolidation, including selective acquisitions opportunities, provided that are complementary to our existing business and a strategic fit to company.
To support our above-the-market growth approach, our strategy going forward will focus on the Market Potential cornerstone for achieving GDP+ Growth with the other cornerstones — Kuehne+Nagel Experience, Digital Ecosystem and Living ESG — enabling that growth.
Market Potential
Exploring and capitalising on Market Potential is a key element of our strategy to grow above the market. Our focus is on identifying and expanding in key industries and markets where we can offer best-in-class solutions and add growth to our customers.
In 2024, we expanded several distribution centres for customers and inaugurated our largest-ever logistics hub for adidas. Furthermore, we opened new locations in the United States and the United Arab Emirates to meet the growing demand for e-commerce and healthcare services.
Customs has emerged as a standout example of our Market Potential solutions. Over the past year, our Customs division has achieved high growth, driven by customer demand for standalone customs services and customs consultancy. We can also deliver customs solutions more smoothly with new automation tools and support from our shared service centres. The integration of Farrow, a Canadian based customs company, in the beginning of 2024 has been particularly successful, with many of our customers now using Farrow’s services.
Additionally, our recent acquisition of a majority stake in IMC Logistics, a leading drayage provider in the United States, represents a strategic expansion of our capabilities. This acquisition enhances our intermodal Sea Logistics offering in the US, supports greater transparency of our shipments, reducing delivery time and strengthens our presence in key US ports and rail hubs.
Our commitment to exploring Market Potential is about continuously identifying opportunities in high-growth industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, and technology, increasing our presence in growth regions and focusing on tailored solutions that meet industry needs.
Kuehne+Nagel Experience
Our commitment to customer and employee satisfaction is a key enabler for above-market growth. We introduced several new services and solutions to address the evolving needs of our customers. When the Red Sea crisis affected container shipping in early 2024, we were able to quickly offer our customers alternative transport options, such as combined sea and air solutions. We strive to enhance the customer experience and build long-term partnerships based on trust and reliability.
Feedback from our customers plays a crucial role in shaping our strategies and offerings. In our second company-wide customer survey, we achieved a high level of engagement from our customers with double the response rate, providing us with great feedback that we are acting on.
At the same time, our efforts to create an extraordinary Kuehne+Nagel Experience for employees is bearing fruit. In our second annual “Great Place To Work” survey, 64 of our countries gained the certification.
Our focus is on identifying and expanding in key industries and markets where we can offer best-in-class solutions and enable above-market growth for our customers.”
Stefan Paul
Digital Ecosystem
Our transition to cloud-based systems marks a significant milestone in enabling growth through the Digital Ecosystem cornerstone. In 2024, we migrated our key Sea and Air Logistics transport management system to the cloud, representing 120TB of data. If this data were an HD video, it would take three years to watch it, when streaming 24/7. This enabled connected data sources, automated pro-cesses, and accelerated our go-to-market strategies.
This shift not only streamlines our operations but positions us to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence. For example, we are leveraging AI to predict the estimated time of arrival for cargo, leveraging real-time data and historical delivery patterns.
Building on our AI experience, we are committed to pioneering agentic AI in logistics. Agentic AI will help us autonomously solve complex, multi-step problems by observing, planning, and executing. We can become more responsive accepting inquiries 24/7 around the globe — even multiple ones simultaneously.
Living ESG
A last enabler for above-market growth is our Living ESG cornerstone. We are dedicated to offer our customers and industry partners sustainable logistics solutions that are economically sound. Our efforts include operating electric vehicles and the use of low-carbon fuels — sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for air freight and biofuels for sea and road freight. Moreover, we are leveraging our data intelligence to help customers understand and reduce their CO2 footprints.
By integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations, we are enhancing our efficiency and competitiveness while contributing to the global fight against climate change.
Looking ahead
As we move forward, our focus remains on our strategic priorities to enable above-average growth for our customers and, consequently, for our shareholders. Driving profitable growth is key as we explore opportunities in markets and industries where we can add value.
The core of our business is our asset-light business model and low-risk approach. In 2025, we will continue to drive growth, innovation and excellence across our processes and operations. Our strategic cornerstones: Market Potential, Kuehne+Nagel Experience, Digital Ecosystem, and Living ESG, will be key drivers and enablers of our growth and success. We will consider complementary acquisition opportunities if they enhance our customer service offering.
We are confident that with a dedicated and talented team and the trust of our customers and partners, we will successfully achieve our vision.
Read on to discover all four cornerstones