Logistics with Heart and Mind
Interview with Thomas Lache, Managing Director of G. Lache Spedition GmbH
The logistics industry has been under high pressure not just since the crisis years. Global uncertainties, shortage of skilled workers, and environmental regulations make quick action and customer-oriented solutions more important than ever. G. Lache Spedition GmbH from Elsdorf has specialized exactly in this. Through customized transport and warehousing solutions and a lived family corporate culture, the company sets new standards in terms of flexibility and reliability.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Lache, your company already looks back on a long history. How has everything developed?
Thomas Lache: The company was founded in 1997 by my father as a pure transportation company. After his sudden death in 2011, I decided to continue his life's work. From 2015, I focused fully on further development, and we evolved from a classic forwarding company to a logistics company with two main focuses: Transportation and Warehousing. Particularly important was the establishment of hazardous materials warehouses, to be able to offer our customers real added value.
Wirtschaftsforum: Who is in your client base?
Thomas Lache: Our focus is clearly in the B2B area. We work for well-known drugstore chains and large chemical corporations. Besides transportation and storage, we also cover consulting services, with a focus on hazardous materials storage. We are also active in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors.
Wirtschaftsforum: Are you also active internationally?
Thomas Lache: Our core markets are still in Germany, but we also reliably serve customers in Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. For transportation to more distant countries, we closely cooperate with long-standing and proven partner companies that have the necessary know-how and appropriate infrastructure locally. This ensures we remain flexible, maintain a high standard of quality, and can provide comprehensive and efficient service to our customers throughout Europe.
Wirtschaftsforum: What sets G. Lache Spedition GmbH apart from the competition?
Thomas Lache: Our credo is to offer everything from a single source. We focus on short response times, personal availability, and flexible solutions, even on weekends. Our warehouse is open from 6 AM to 8 PM, and we also load and unload on Saturdays. Moreover, we have equipped our fleet exclusively with Mercedes vehicles to guarantee the highest reliability and provide the best possible comfort for our drivers.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are the biggest challenges you currently face?
Thomas Lache: The major issue remains the shortage of skilled workers, particularly among professional drivers. Our clear philosophy is to employ only drivers who reside in Germany. This offers us and our clients the highest reliability but also presents the great challenge that we hardly receive any applications anymore. The increased demands, the higher level of stress, and often difficult working conditions for drivers also lead to the profession becoming overall less attractive, making the search for suitable personnel increasingly difficult.
Wirtschaftsforum: How would you describe your company culture?
Thomas Lache: We live flat hierarchies and promote open, direct communication at all levels. Our values compass is based on the central principles of reliability, responsibility, respect, and trust. These values shape our daily actions and are perceived and appreciated by both our customers and our employees alike. Our goal is to create a working environment where everyone feels comfortable, can develop their potential, and is motivated to come to work.
Wirtschaftsforum: The topic of sustainability is becoming more important. How are you addressing it?
Thomas Lache: We rely on state-of-the-art Euro-6 vehicles and have installed photovoltaic systems at our logistics sites. Additionally, we have ordered our first fully electric vehicle. However, cost remains a challenge, as the investments are often not fully borne by the customers. Training in economical driving is also part of our commitment.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you see the future and what personally motivates you to continue running the family business?
Thomas Lache: Our goal is to continue growing sustainably and to establish ourselves as a strong partner to our clients. The biggest challenge will remain making the profession of drivers more attractive again. Autonomous driving will not be a solution in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we continue to focus on humanity and cooperative partnerships. Personally, I am particularly motivated by the fact that the logistics sector allows you to make a difference every day and quickly see what has been achieved together. With the right partners by our side, we want to continue creating solutions that offer real added value and excite our customers.