The Spirit Makes It
Interview with Anemone Zabka, Managing Director of Schumacher Lager und Logistik GmbH
With the increasing globalization of trade and a rising demand for fresh and delicate products, the market for temperature-controlled transport is continuously growing. Advances in cooling technology and the growing importance of sustainability shape the further development of the industry. The Schumacher Group from Würselen is part of this dynamic market. The specialist in temperature-controlled transportation benefits not only from comprehensive know-how and modern vehicles, but especially from its extraordinary spirit.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Zabka, you are the managing director of Schumacher Storage and Logistics GmbH, which is part of the internationally active Schumacher Group. Can you briefly summarize how the group is structured and where its core competencies lie?
Anemone Zabka: The name Schumacher stands for a medium-sized family business, now managed by the fourth generation. There are now several companies; therefore, we refer to ourselves as a group and distinguish between national and international forwarding agencies, as well as the company for storage and logistics, which operates all sites and for which I have been the managing director for three years. From the beginning, the company specialized in the transportation of temperature-controlled goods, especially food, but also other fresh products.
Wirtschaftsforum: How did this specialization come about?
Anemone Zabka: The roots of the company stretch back to 1931, when Josef Schumacher founded a transport company that quickly took on refrigerated transportation. Over time, this evolved into an international, rapidly growing freight forwarding and logistics company.
Wirtschaftsforum: How many employees are there today and what does the company's organization look like exactly?
Anemone Zabka: There are about 300 employees in the group. Three generations of the Schumacher family are actively involved in the company. Since 2024, Katrin Schumacher has been acting as Managing Director; in addition, Johannes Wienands and I are the other two Managing Directors. As a trio, we divide the areas of responsibility among ourselves. Today, the group includes ten locations, each of which specializes in temperature-controlled logistics. We use a different strategy in Mallorca, where there are five warehouses for various types of goods.
Wirtschaftsforum: The industry is undergoing constant change, and temperature-controlled logistics, in particular, involves very specific and very challenging demands. How does Schumacher meet these requirements?
Anemone Zabka: In various ways. We have a fleet of state-of-the-art refrigerated vehicles with online monitoring and high-bay warehouses with large moving systems; we operate the largest moving system in Europe by Jungheinrich. Our services include co-packing, assembly and price labeling, storage and retrieval, reorganization, and vacuum sealing. With this broad range, we try to meet the most diverse customer needs.
Wirtschaftsforum: Schumacher has grown continuously; in recent years, a new location has been added to the group each year. Is the broad range of services the driving force behind this sustained success?
Anemone Zabka: It is one factor among others. We consistently orient ourselves to the needs of our customers and develop a concept based on those needs. In the end, there is a solution that fits both sides. Ultimately, what we do is not extraordinary. Many other competitors can also do this. What sets us apart are well-thought-out processes, the way we work. We call this the Schumacher-Spirit. With us, nothing is impossible; we cover all eventualities, process inquiries very quickly, and are open to new things. 'Impossible' does not exist at Schumacher. This has been the case not only today but is in the company's DNA. The Schumacher family has always ventured into new things and followed their gut feeling, even when it was not clear that it was the right path. This attitude is palpable everywhere.
Wirtschaftsforum: Schumacher is a family business with strong cohesion. How did you come to the company and what did you find particularly appealing?
Anemone Zabka: I started over 17 years ago as an assistant to the management; thus, I have known the company and the Schumacher family for a long time. The family is so strong because it is authentic and independent and brings a healthy dose of risk-taking. Last but not least, I am impressed that everything here is fundamentally honest; deals are sometimes still sealed with a handshake. I value this spirit and the close cooperation with the other managing directors very much.
Wirtschaftsforum: What challenges do you see for the future?
Anemone Zabka: We are operating in a growing market – the topic of convenience will be a booster for the frozen food sector. We want to be part of this growth, even if currently limited by lack of space. A new multipurpose hall would also be a valuable step to spontaneously respond to customer needs. To continue to grow healthily, we will also need new employees. Although we are well positioned by now, this remains a challenge. We have worked to build a team in which people enjoy working together. The social interaction is right at Schumacher, and that gets around. Another issue that takes up a lot of space is sustainability in transportation. We are intensively dealing with the use of electric trucks and the fuel HVO 100 to reduce our ecological footprint. This will be a central task in the future. Overall, we will continue to align ourselves with our company slogan and offer our customers logistics that move – boundless and flexible.