trailer world Issue Two 2013

Issue Two 2013 33 Portrait ers of the area told them quite clearly what they expected from their successors or future husbands of their daughters and that was not on the cards for the self-conscious brothers. Instead, in 1948, they started to bring region- al products - at first mainly eggs, poultry and potatoes - to where they were required, for in- stance the market in Hamburg. Driving sugar was the breakthrough, as many of the confectionery firms in the area found that this type of transport was a lot cheaper and easier. “Quickly, a second, third and fourth lorry was bought and this was how father came into the food industry”. The regional basis of the business When Hubertus Kobernuss came into the business after finishing secondary school education and apprenticeship, the fleet consisted of eleven vehicles - seven silo wagons and four curtain siders. Now the fleet comprises more than 50 silo wagons and also 50 refrigerated vehicles / curtain siders, which are used mainly for trans- porting foodstuffs. Hubertus Kobernuss stresses that the basis of the firm is the regional business, hardly surprising con- sidering the neighbourhood. A stone’s throw away is the sugar factory Uelzen and also Germany’s biggest potato deal- er, Heilmann AG. The headquarters of Germany’s second largest marzipan man- ufacturer are in Lüneburg; in the greater area of Hanover are several chocolate pro- ducers and the mills situated close to the motorway A2 produce about half a mil- lion tons of flour every year. Apart from this, the region of Uelzen has also developed into a showcase for eco- logical farming, explains Kobernuss. Be- sides the loose goods like sugar, salt and flour, his fleet also transports meat, fish, potatoes, chocolate and deep-frozen food in refrigerated vehicles - a business which developed itself from order to order, not only in the region but also in Western Europe. Quality instead of quantity A great challenge is to keep in step with custom- er growth and meet the ever-changing demands. In order to be able to trans- port the increasing amounts of sugar at the requested speed, he has formed a group with three colleagues. The im- provements in product quality resulted in some goods being transported in a purer state than they would be in naturally. The semi-trailers used must be equipped ac- cordingly. Requirements evolved from the demands of the customers’ quality man- agement and the certifications, which, if technically possible, are realised by the manufacturers. Now the point is not only to transport a pallet from A to B by put- ting it on a lorry: “We need the heads that can create logistic chains and develop ide- as on how we can transport the increas- ingly delicate goods safely to the destina- tion. And that under the watchful eye of our customers as they want to follow the trail of their products ‘live’. Keeping it in the family One thing that fills Hubertus Kobernuss with glee is that his children are interested in the business: “I am so lucky that two mem- bers of the family will enter into the busi- ness”. The oldest of the three daughters, Astrid Kobernuss, is already working in the firm, the youngest will enter into the business after finishing her studies of logistics in Autumn 2014. Kobernuss re- marks that all three have a much better training than he had at the time when he entered the firm. His father gave him the choice between farming and delivery at the age of 16. When he decided on delivery, it meant that the summer holidays were a thing of the past: when other children went on holiday, he spent the time at his father’s side in the business. Photos:StefanBungert »We need the heads that can create logistic chains and develop ideas on how we can transport the increasingly delicate goods safely to the destination.« Hubertus Kobernuss

trailer world Issue Two 2013

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