Start a Transporting and Storage Company in Germany
A transport and storage company provides a series of interconnected services that suit the needs of companies that are involved in one or more steps along the transport and logistics chain. Freight forwarders, as well as manufacturers in Germany, will request these types of services.
Investors who start a transporting and storage company in Germany will need to follow the general guidelines on company formation, according to the chosen type of legal entity. In most cases, the business will take the form of a private limited liability company and our company formation lawyers in Germany can provide the needed assistance to open this business form as well as others.
This business can be incorporated in any of the large German cities, with more headquarters being opened in other locations as the business evolves. Our team can assist investors with company formation services in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich as well as other cities.
Services offered by transport and storage companies in Germany
Transporting and storage companies in Germany can provide a wide range of services that will include, as the name suggests, those related to the actual transportation and storage of items or products. Some examples of services include the following:
- • Transportation: road freight transport, as well as sea and air freight transport in some cases.
- • Storage: warehousing as well as refrigerated warehousing and other storage solutions according to product type.
- • Logistics: planning and implementing the transport as well as the storage of goods according to the points of origin and the destination.
- • Packaging: services related to blister and clamshell packaging, overwrapping, sealing, bagging, and other packaging solutions.
These types of services can be offered at a national level or can include cross-border transportation. An example of a national distribution service can include Germany-wide deliveries, with online booking services as well as track and trace messages and delivery details. Most companies will also offer express cargo services. As far as storage services are concerned, companies operating in this field will own large storage space at their location as well as have a modern and reliable safety system. The storage location is where the packaging and labeling services can be located when included.
When they open a German company in this business sector, investors will need to apply for and obtain special permits and licenses for exporting and importing products, as needed. In addition to these, each company will need to be registered and function according to the ongoing legislation. Below, we detail the main steps needed to start a transport and storage company in Germany. Investors interested in starting a business in Germany in this sector can reach out to our German lawyers.
How to open a transport and storage company in Germany
Investors who are interested in company registration in Germany will need to follow a few key steps in order to start a transport and storage company:
- Choose a company type: as previously mentioned, the GmbH or private limited liability company is preferred by investors; the minimum share capital is 25,000 EUR.
- Choose a company name: this is important as the name needs to be unique; we recommend having several options and checking with the commercial register.
- Prepare the company documents: these are the Articles of Association which will also state the object of the company.
- Register: the actual registration of the company is performed with the Company Register and investors will need to fill in an application.
- Other steps: notarizing the company documents and signing them in front of the notary as well as opening a bank account are subsequent steps.
One of our attorneys in Germany specialized in company formation can give investors more details about these steps.
Investors who open a German company in the field of transport and storage can take advantage of the country’s geographical position in Europe for attracting clients. When they base their business in one of the large German cities, investors have access to a large pool of potential clients.
Germany is an attractive location for investors in the transport sector. The following statistics presented by our attorneys in Germany briefly highlight this:
- • approximately 35 billion dollars in foreign direct investments in Germany in 2017 according to the World Investment Report 2018.
- • the value of exported goods in 2018 reached 1,317.9 billion euros, while the value of imported goods 1,090 billion euros; companies involved in this business field, that has increased in 2018 compared to 2017, have required transport and storage services; Germany’s foreign trade balance indicated a surplus in 2018.
Opening a transport and storage company in a German city can be advantageous. Investors can contact our law firm in Germany if they are interested in starting this business.
