Marc Geerts definitively stepped aside as CEO of Wijnegem-based Corneel Geerts Transportgroup at the start of the new year. His three sons will take over the daily management of the company. Geerts will, however, stay on as sales manager.
As the third generation, Sven, Kevin and Kenneth Geerts will now do the honours of the family business. Marc Geerts looks back with satisfaction on a 40-year career with the company founded by his father Corneel Geerts.
“I am confident that my three sons have the capabilities to take charge of our company. It has three strategic hubs – in Wijnegem, Maasmechelen and Beernem – and employs two hundred people. We also have a logistics base in Venlo in the Netherlands,” says Geerts.
Geerts himself made every effort to make the family business future-proof. “We have adapted to the rising demand for intermodal transport, but although longer distances can be covered by rail, trucks will always be needed for the first and last kilometres.”
Additional services
Geerts points to the new role the family-owned company took on in an evolution from pure transport player to logistics service provider. “We have experienced annual growth of 10-15% thanks to the value-added services we now offer. These include warehousing, packaging and labelling and order picking.”
Digital era
On the digital front, Corneel Geerts has also already made considerable strides. “Thanks to my three sons who are the third generation to have grown up in the digital age. Thanks to their efforts, they have been able to align our internal IT department with our transport management and planning.”
Completely closing the door behind him from the family business, Geerts does not, by the way. “I am now going to indulge in a role as sales manager, because sitting still is nothing for me,” concludes the experienced transport entrepreneur.
