As of August 1, 2025, a new company for project logistics will be launched in Mönchengladbach: Overseas Projects GmbH. The joint venture of Fr. Meyers Sohn (FMS) and the ThielemannGroup will, in the future, handle complex logistics projects worldwide. The ThielemannGroup holds the majority of the shares. According to a statement from the ThielemannGroup, the joint venture emerges from a successful project logistics department of Overseas Logistic Services GmbH (OLS). This department will focus on the container business in the future.
The background for the new establishment is the growing demand for specialized solutions for large, heavy, or particularly time-sensitive transports. The shifting of global supply chains, the expansion of energy and infrastructure networks, as well as industrial relocations, create complex
requirements that necessitate an independent organization with a clear focus.
FMS Managing Director Heiko Voigt describes project logistics as a "key competence for global value creation" and sees the joint venture with the ThielemannGroup as "a great opportunity to accompany complex customer projects efficiently, reliably, and sustainably." Both partners bring many years of experience and international networks to the new company.
FMS, with over 60 locations, is among the ten largest sea freight forwarding companies worldwide. The ThielemannGroup, based in Mönchengladbach, holds stakes in various logistics and industrial companies. Overseas Logistic Services GmbH – a joint company of both partners – will focus on the FCL (Full Container Load) business in the future, while the new Overseas Projects GmbH will take
over all services of global project logistics.
Navid Thielemann, managing partner of the ThielemannGroup, emphasizes the combination of medium-sized agility and global reach: "With Overseas Projects, we are creating a specialized company that focuses entirely on complex project shipments worldwide."
The service portfolio ranges from break-bulk shipments, flat rack and open-top containers to non-containerizable heavy goods weighing several hundred tons. The offer is complemented by RoRo shipments, partial and full charter solutions, and multimodal land transport with trucks, rail, and inland vessels. A worldwide air freight service is available for time-critical transports.
Management will be taken over by Hans-Bernd Effing, who previously led OLS. Malte Spöntjes, previously responsible for the project logistics department at OLS, is given power of attorney. The
existing team will fully transfer to the new company. If further growth occurs, personnel will be expanded.
"Our focus is on developing individual solutions together with our customers that not only meet today's requirements but also anticipate future challenges," explains Effing.
Both shareholders are also focusing on long-term development economically. Dominik Lucius, CFO of FMS, regards the involvement as a strategic investment in a growth-oriented logistics sector.
"The joint venture combines financial stability with operational excellence – a combination that provides us and our customers with planning security and scalability."
The ThielemannGroup employs around 600 staff across various stakes in the logistics and real estate sectors. In 2024, the corporate group reported a turnover of over 400 million euros, according to
