The L.I.T. Executive Board in discussion about networked structures and strategic partnerships.
The L.I.T. Executive Board (from left to right): Simeon Breuer, Fokke Fels, Ingo Schreiber and Julian Lachnitt.
In 2025, the L.I.T. Group operates in a challenging market environment. Volatile demand, a shortage of drivers, but also new opportunities through digitalization and international expansion characterize the business. In an interview, Executive Board members Fokke Fels, Simeon Breuer, Julian Lachnitt and Ingo Schreiber explain how networked structures and strategic partnerships form the foundation for sustainable growth.
Given the strained economic situation in 2025, many industries face significant challenges. Logistics also feels the effects clearly, be it due to fluctuating demand, rising costs, or structural bottlenecks. Against this background, how does the current market situation for the L.I.T. Group present itself?
Fokke Fels: The year 2025 is definitely challenging. We are experiencing extreme volatility – from quiet phases to veritable demand explosions and back again. Specifically, we see a calm first quarter, then a "wild" second, calm again in the third, and probably an intense fourth quarter. These fluctuations underscore that as a group, we must act in a networked manner and intelligently orchestrate our various business areas.
Simeon Breuer: The high dynamic was particularly noticeable during the short holiday weeks in spring and summer. During this time, we reached our capacity limits because hardly any additional loading space was available on the market. Therefore, we must act counter-cyclically: build up capacities early to be able to react during peak times. The challenge is to make this approach economically viable at the same time.
How does the L.I.T. Group address these challenges in driver and fleet management?
Ingo Schreiber: The shortage of drivers is our constant companion. We also notice that the problem is structurally worsening: In quieter market phases, many drivers leave the industry and seek employment in other areas. These skilled workers are then often permanently unavailable, which further reduces the overall loading space in the market.
We have recognized that the solution to this challenge lies not only in higher wages but in building a genuine network of various contact points and services. Our driver hubs at the Locations Brake, Bremen, Wolfsburg, Kassel, and Koblenz are more than just parking spaces – they are meeting places with their own kitchens, washing machines, and sleeping quarters. This infrastructure not only helps retain our drivers but also attracts new colleagues.
Fokke Fels relies on intelligent networking of business areas – the core of L.I.T.'s strategy.
»Synergies only emerge through an understanding of the respective business.«
Simeon Breuer, Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group
Simeon Breuer, Managing Director of L.I.T. Speditions GmbH and Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group, sees growth primarily through synergies, internationalization, and sustainable networks.
How does this networking function in other areas – keyword: cooperation between the companies?
Fels: This is one of our biggest success factors as a corporate group. If a Contract Logistics customer requires additional transport services, the relevant department steps in. And when it comes to specialized skilled workers for logistics centers, Personnel Logistics provides support. Such connections arise daily and strengthen the entire group.
Breuer:This becomes particularly clear during acquisitions and new company formations. Synergies only emerge through an understanding of the respective business. Transparency through flow analyses and process adjustments are the key. Many companies have developed their own structures and processes over decades, which worked well on their own but do not fit our current demand for a networked L.I.T. system.
Internationalization is a decisive growth factor for many companies. How do you proceed: Do you rely on partners or your own structures?
Julian Lachnitt: That depends on the respective market. First, we check whether there are reliable local partners and whether the existing business volume is sustainable. We also always weigh which solution is faster and more precise for the particular case.
Breuer: Our business is a people business. If no suitable partner is currently available, we need local entrepreneurs who are willing to work within the L.I.T. Group. The existing volume is also important: proprietary structures are particularly worthwhile where we already have significant freight flows and the switch away from an agent also brings real added value. Markets without relevant traffic are therefore currently out of the question. Every decision is therefore ultimately a case-by-case assessment.
What role does digitalization play in integrating new companies into the group?
Lachnitt: Digitalization is our network enabler. We have already implemented an AI solution that automatically converts unstructured incoming documents into transport orders. This sounds technical, but behind it is the idea that all Locations can work with the same, efficient processes.
Breuer:In the transport sector, we also rely on specific digital tools. Cargo search via NeoCargo is now largely automated. This saves time and increases productivity. With our new Data Warehouse, we gain transparency during acquisitions without having to immediately switch companies to a new TMS. This facilitates integration and keeps us flexible.
Networks consist not only of Locations and processes, but above all of people. How important are employees as part of the company network?
Fels: Finding and connecting the right people is our central task. Recruiting no longer just means attracting new drivers – skilled workers in other areas such as dispatch, administration, or warehousing are also difficult to find today. Classic education and training alone are no longer sufficient, which is why we are developing new, creative concepts. This creates perspectives, increases retention, and covers our long-term need for skilled workers.
I find it particularly important that employees with initiative have enough freedom here. Those who want to make a difference will find a platform with us: be it through formal further training, new deployment opportunities within the group, or their own projects. L.I.T. thrives on people contributing their ideas and taking responsibility.
For Julian Lachnitt, Managing Director of L.I.T. Lager & Logistik Holding GmbH and Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group, digitalization is a key factor for efficient processes in the company.
»Digitalization is our network enabler.«
Julian Lachnitt, Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group
Ingo Schreiber, Managing Director of L.I.T. Cargo GmbH and Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group, focuses primarily on driver retention – with modern hubs, infrastructure, and new ideas in fleet management.
»We combine various approaches and adapt them together with customers and partners depending on the business.«
Ingo Schreiber, Executive Board Member of the L.I.T. Group
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic factor for companies – not only out of ecological but also economic responsibility. What role does this topic play in your network strategy?
Breuer: Sustainability only works in conjunction: ecology and economy must go hand in hand. Our goal is to reduce our CO2 footprint despite simultaneous growth. For this, we rely on an intelligent and intermodal network. We have recently further expanded it, for example, with new connections to Scandinavia. We deliberately shift long distances to rail and ferry, while the truck primarily handles pre- and post-carriage. This way, we combine economic efficiency with ecological responsibility.
Schreiber: The first e-trucks are already in use with us, for example, on the Brake–Bremen line. Drivers are very positive about this. But the bottleneck is still the infrastructure: e-trucks are ideal for regional operations, but the charging infrastructure is lacking for long-haul transport. Hydrogen remains an exciting option but is not yet widely available. The crucial point is: there is not one single solution. We combine various approaches and adapt them together with customers and partners depending on the business.
Given the dynamic market conditions and increasing complexity in Logistics: Where is the L.I.T. Group strategically developing – and where do you see the company in the coming years?
Breuer: The market will remain volatile. But that is precisely why our networked structures are so valuable. I see growth primarily in Europe, for example in France, and internationally in the USA, where we are just starting our first Contract Logistics projects. As has already been said: Logistics remains a people business. Digitalization and AI will make our processes more transparent and efficient, but in the end, we always need employees who maintain customer contact and cultivate relationships. It is crucial that our IT, process, and personnel structures can keep pace with growth. We do not think in terms of rigid revenue targets, but in the capacities of each unit of our group. This ensures that we remain flexible and can grow sustainably even in a volatile market.
Fels: The future lies in the intelligent linking of our business areas. When Personnel Logistics and Contract Logistics, Transport Logistics and fleet management seamlessly interlock, unique solutions emerge that no competitor can quickly copy. And that is precisely our DNA: not size at any cost, but intelligent networking. Internal networks between colleagues, external networks with customers and partners, international networks for new markets – all of this makes us more resilient as a company and ultimately enables continuous and sustainable growth.
Learn more about the L.I.T. Group in the current issue of our company magazine »L.I.T.ERATUR«.
The firm anchoring of family-friendliness in corporate practice became particularly clear in recent months. For example, employees at the Brake Location were able to use the holiday care offered by the municipality of Ovelgönne for the first time in summer, an offer whose costs were partially covered by the L.I.T. Group. Due to the positive response, this support will be continued and further expanded in the future.
Since 2024, the L.I.T. Group has been a member of the association of family-friendly companies Wesermarsch/Friesland e. V. Since 2025, the company has also been part of the nationwide network "Success Factor Family". These memberships enable an intensive exchange of experiences with other companies and provide valuable impulses for a modern and employee-oriented personnel policy.
Irina Schwarz, Head of Human Resources Management, emphasizes:
»Family-friendliness is not only a social responsibility but also a real success factor. Employees who can balance work and family well are more motivated, healthier, and more strongly committed to the company in the long term. I know from my own experience how crucial this balance is, and I want us as an employer to offer the appropriate framework conditions for it.«
For the L.I.T. Group, this award is an important milestone. The company sees it as an incentive to develop further offers together with employees that ease daily life and promote a sustainable balance between work and family. Family-friendliness should remain a natural part of the corporate culture and continue to grow continuously.