News / FM Logistic set to acquire German industrial logistics specialist Schaflein

Photo: FM Logistic

French pure-play contract logistics operator (PPCLO) FM Logistic is set to enter the German market after it today announced that it agreed to acquire “a majority stake in the capital of German logistics group Schaflein”.

FM Logistic did not reveal the size of its stake nor the price, although German logistics newspaper DVZ reported that it is set to buy 90% of the target.

Meanwhile, Schaflein’s current owners are expected to remain with the company if the deal completes – it still has to win clearance from Germany’s competition regulator, the Bundeskartellamt.

“The current management, Achim and Bernd Schäflein, will retain an equity stake, thereby securing the continuity and family roots of the business,” an FM Logistic statement said.

The French company added that Schaflein’s vertical profile – it earns 40% of its revenues from the industrial sector and 27% from the mobility and transport industries – was a further attraction, as is several of its tech solutions, developed in-house.

“Schaflein brings highly sought-after technical expertise: a high degree of automation through its specialised in-house unit LOCIT, recognised know-how in the management of reusable containers through its SprintBOX solution, and a pioneering commitment to decarbonisation,” it said.

According to S&P Global’s CapitalIQ platform, at the end of 2024 Schaflein had revenues of €211.4m and posted an EBITDA of €23.4m.

It had a net debt position of €16.2m and around 1,600 employees.

In contrast, according to Capital IQ the privately owned FM Logistic reported revenues of €1.95bn in the year ended March 2025 and has over 27,000 employees, although chief executive Jean-Christophe Machet said the two companies were structurally similar.

“FM Logistic and Schaflein share a common DNA – that of family owned-businesses driven by a long-term vision and thinking in terms of generations.

“Our entry into the German market, the largest in Europe, is based on the deliberate choice of a best-in-class partner.

“Our goal was not simply to acquire capacity, but valuable industrial know-how. We are investing in growth to carry forward Schaflein’s model and to build, together, an indispensable pan-European market leader,” he said.

The deal is likely to see FM Logistic close the gap on France’s largest contract logistics operator, ID Logistics, which last year posted revenues of €3.7bn and an EBITDA of €233.7m, according to CapitalIQ.

Meanwhile, Schaflein chief executive Achim Schäflein said the acquisition secured the future of his company.

“As we prepared the handover to the next generation, we looked for a strategic and industrial partner that could help accelerate the international growth of our business model while preserving its long-term vision and values.

“Joining forces with FM Logistic gives us that international reach while allowing us to preserve our identity, our management team and our absolute commitment to our long-standing customers,” he added.