GLS Group
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Industry | Parcel service |
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Founded | 1999 |
Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Area served | Europe, United States, and Canada |
Key people | Dr. Karl Pfaff, CEO |
Services | Postal/Parcel delivery/Collecting |
Revenue | ![]() |
Owner | International Distribution Services |
Number of employees | about 23,000[1] |
Website | www |
General Logistics Systems B.V. (GLS) is a parcel services provider operating in Europe and North America.
History
[edit]The company was known as German Parcel when it was founded in 1989 by Rico Back, formed by bringing together twenty-five freight forwarders.[2] Ten years later it was acquired by Royal Mail Group, which used it to form a new holding company: Global Logistics Systems (GLS). Between 1999 and 2002 a Europe-wide network of couriers was formed 'through acquisitions and the founding of companies in numerous countries', and in 2002 GLS was launched as a parcels delivery brand.[2]
In 2012, Global Logistics Systems B.V. was described as a subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd: 'a holding company incorporated in the Netherlands which has investments in other operational companies based in Europe'.[3]
Between 2016 and 2020 GLS Group began to expand into North America:[2] In 2017, GLS acquired the California-based parcel delivery company Golden State Overnight (GSO) Delivery Service, as well as Postal Express.[4][5] GSO was renamed GLS-US in December 2019.[6] In September 2018 GLS acquired the Canadian parcel delivery company Dicom, expanding operations in North America and Europe.[7] In October 2021 GLS acquired the Canadian logistics company Mid-Nite Sun Transportation Ltd, operating under Rosenau Transport, further expanding into the Canadian market.[8]
In 2022 Royal Mail plc was renamed as International Distributions Services plc; together with Royal Mail Group Ltd, GLS Group became a subsidiary of IDS plc.[9][10]
Criticism
[edit]In 2010 the parcel service was 'passed' a review by the German Consumers' Organization. The handling and wrong parcel pick-ups were criticized. The review was repeated in 2014 with similar results. In November 2019 the German magazine Stern published statistics with a 'shock indicator/goods damaged' value of 44,4%.[11]
In mid-September 2016, hundreds of parcel delivery workers took strike action in the Italian cities of Bergamo, Brescia, Piacenza, Bologna and Parma against GLS and its subcontractors to protest against poor working conditions. On the night of 14–15 September 2016, a van broke through a picket line formed by workers in front of the plant operated by GLS subcontractor SEAM in Piacenza. The van struck and killed Egyptian worker Abd Elsalam Ahmed Eldanf. It was reported that eyewitnesses heard the plant's Chief of Staff ordering the driver to break through the picket line.[12] The Piacenza Prosecutor's office concluded that no strike or protest was taking place at that moment and therefore ruled the death was a car accident. The driver was subsequently released, prompting 7,000 workers to take to the streets in Piacenza and at other GLS offices in Italy, as well as from other firms.[12][13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "GLS facts". gls-group.com. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "About us: History". GLS Group. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Royal Mail Group Ltd Annual Report and Financial Statements 2011-2012". Companies House. p. 36. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "GLS buys Postal Express". Post & Parcel. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "GLS buys Golden State Overnight Delivery Service for $90m". Post & Parcel. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "GSO completes name change To General Logistics Systems US, Inc". GLS-US Website. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Royal Mail buys into Canada with $276 million courier deal". CNBC. 2018-09-03. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "GLS buys Rosenau Transport". insidelogistics.ca. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
- ^ "Our businesses". www.royalmailgroup.com.
- ^ "GLS history | GLS Group | GLS Parcel Service". gls-group.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "Paketdienste im Test: Wer Päckchen am sichersten ins Ziel bringt". stern.de (in German). 28 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ a b "Logistics worker killed while on strike". Labournet TV. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ Arens, Marianne (4 October 2016). "Italy: Strikes and protests against the Renzi government's "Jobs Act"". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
External sources
[edit] Media related to General Logistics Systems at Wikimedia Commons