Willi Betz

The Internationale Spedition Willi Betz GmbH & Co. KG is a German freight forwarding company based in the Swabian town of Reutlingen. It maintains more than 50 locations in Europe and Asia, where more than 4,000 employees. With about 2,000 tractors and 3,000 trailers owned by the also living in Reutlingen founder Willi Betz named businesses to the largest carriers with own fleet worldwide.

The international expansion of the company was made possible in particular by the close contacts that Willi Betz already tied in the 1960s for state transport operation Somat in Bulgaria. The acquisition finally took place in the 1990s, the company has become one of the leading transportation service providers in Southeastern Europe and the Middle East.

The company currently operates in 25 countries and in 2008 reached a turnover of over one billion euros, which represents an increase in the single digit percentage range over the previous year. At year-end 2011, the company divested its subsidiary LGI to concentrate in the future on the core business of the freight forwarding and transport services and the expansion of activities in Eastern Europe. 2012, Wolfgang Bisinger and Martin Rilling appointed as managing director and since then have been the company as a double peak.

Divisions

• Forwarding: The forwarding division employs approximately 400 employees at 54 locations. The services range from General Cargo automotive logistics, refrigerated transport and vehicle transport to special transport and combined transport services.

• Transport: In the international cargo traffic, especially the area Dedicated Fleet with its 2,000 tractors and 3,000 trailers for timely delivery of the cargo makes. The area created for its customers individually tailored timetables and transport concepts, and provides them with a professional driver management and a Europe-wide network of workshops to the side.

• Vehicle Trade: The marketing of vehicles takes place in Eastern Europe at eleven locations with approximately 800 employees. In the countries of Bulgaria and Macedonia Willi Betz distributes the brands Mercedes- Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Smart and Mitsubishi and, in addition to the sale of vehicles and the related after-sales service.

Criminal proceedings

As Willi Betz majority continues with South East European workers, the company is coming under fire. In March 2003, there was due to social security fraud a major raid in the Reutlingen headquarters and in other European locations, were involved in more than 600 officials. On 17 March 2008 was sentenced to five years imprisonment and a fine of EUR 2.16 million for bribery and social security fraud Thomas Betz from the Landgericht Stuttgart. The judgment has become final after the expiration of the opposition period. The prison sentence was suspended after the procedure due to the long detention (2.5 years) on probation.

Moving to Switzerland

On 17 February 2009 was the spokesperson for the Board, Andreas Bunz, announced that the forwarding will transfer its seat to the Swiss St. Gallen. In addition to Thomas Betz as Chairman of the Board of a small team of executives has moved to St. Gallen. Under the name Avelli AG of St. Gallen from the international activities of the group of companies controlled and driven the expansion abroad. The founders, however, still lives in Reutlingen and has an office in the main building, which extends over the entire 4th floor.