The Hermes Logistik Gruppe (HLG) and DPD are currently examining ways of intensifying their previously intermittent alliance. At present, the two companies are looking into ways of providing common services and into leveraging synergies arising from the cooperative exploitation of the available infrastructure and transport capacities.

The Hermes Logistik Gruppe (HLG) will be extending its executive board with effect from 1 March 2009. The new senior manager with responsibility for finance, IT, HR security and facilities will be Dr. Philip Nölling (42), who will be joining Hermes from within the Otto Group. In his current position as financial vice president, he is centrally responsible for the finances of the worldwide-operating Otto Group.

In the course of 2009, the transport logistics division of the Hermes Logistik Gruppe (HLG) will be unveiled on the market under the name of Hermes Transport Logistics to take up the competition for new customers on the European market. Besides the swap bodies the company has deployed to date, up to 2,500 trailers will also be used for international FTL transport. The integration of Otto International Logistics into the company enables it to add sea and freight to its FTL business in 2009.

Hermes CEO Hanjo Schneider has been appointed to the executive board of the Otto Group with responsibility for Services from 1 February 2009. As a result, there will be changes at the top at the Hermes Logistik Gruppe (HLG). In addition to his board activities, from 1 July 2008 Hanjo Schneider will also be responsible for developing a European consortium within the HLG. New chairman of the HLG executive board will be Harmut Ilek. The transport logistics unit headed by Frank Rausch will be positioned on the international market as an independent company.

In a to-date unique project, the Hermes Logistik Gruppe analysed the environmental compatibility of its logistics services across Germany. The ParcelShop study shows that through the continual expansion of the now 13,500 acceptance points in the Hermes ParcelShop network, car miles and the related emissions of damaging carbon-dioxide have been reduced. As this externally verified study showed, carbon-dioxide emissions per parcel dropped significantly between August 2006 and August 2007. In total, the company cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 5,700 tonnes.