QCS Rated Best in Class

“I am delighted to present Quick Cargo Service with its accreditation as Best in Class. I have worked very closely on the research which resulted in our decision and am in no doubt that in QCS the Institute has identified one of the world’s leading independent freight forwarders,” enthused CEO and founder Kieran Ring of GIL in his introductory remarks.

Fighting the idea of being eaten up
Quite a statement! However, when taking a closer look the institute’s decision becomes apparent. To remain competitive and prevent suffering the fate of being pushed aside sooner or later by big boys like K+N, DHL-GF or Panalpina, QCS very early came up with the idea of pooling air freight volumes with fellow agents on major intercontinental trade lanes. Thought through and actioned. Therefore, under QCS’s stewardship, in 2000 the pioneering strategic move of an association of common interests was born, resulting in 22 mid-sized forwarding agents that formed the umbrella organization IGLU. Since then, the club bundles exports contributed by its individual members, flown on trunk routes like Frankfurt-Hong Kong to get better rates from cargo carriers for the benefit of all. A plan that worked out well. Meanwhile, IGLU ranks 15th among the hundreds of cargo agents doing business in Germany, turning over €30.2 million in 2015.
IGLU, said GIL’s helmsman Kieran, is meanwhile regarded globally as the benchmark in co-purchasing.

Creating global networks
Another trend-setting innovation QCS owner Dieter Haltmayer and his son Stephan pushed up front was the international grouping of interests. This resulted in associations like the ‘Air Service Group’ followed by the ‘Aerospace Logistics Group’ or the ‘China Cargo Alliance’. All of them are networks of independent forwarders attempting to secure their market activities, expand their global reach and develop new business relationships to mutual benefit. 
Mr Ring in his laudation applauded further: “It is impossible to quantify what effect QCS has had on the building up of best practice in this sectors. Their pioneering work in network and alliance development has been copied time and time again the world over.” He went on to say, QCS together with similar acting independent forwarding agents prove day after day that they can not only survive but also thrive in the global market place. 

Simply the best
In his acceptance speech QCS owner and president Dieter Haltmayer emphasized that it was former Lufthansa Cargo CEO Wilhelm Althen who was the spiritual father of the IGLU association. “In the late 90s he scared me to hell when predicting that mid-sized agents won’t have a future much longer but will be taken over by the giants or go to the wall.” That sparked the idea of co-purchasing with fellow agents to stay in business, he said.
Rounding up things Dieter ended his short speech by saying that being the best as acknowledged by Kieran’s GIL “will always remain our mission at QCS. We endeavor to be the best in every aspect of our business, including Germany’s best freight forwarder, the best partner for our network members and for our staff as their best employer.”
Having said this he announced that his son Stephan Haltmayer will become CEO of Quick Cargo Service as of 1 January, 2017 while he will remain being QCS’s president but reduce his commitment due to age reasons.

Heiner Siegmund