Gebr Heinemann is set to open up the Americas market from next year through an office in Miami, thereby establishing a third regional pillar as it prepares to make its operations truly global.

 

The Hamburg-based duty free and travel retail operator, which had retail sales of €1.8bn in 2012, is ready to build an Americas presence from April next year, according to Raoul Spanger, Gebr. Heinemann, Board Member in charge of retail trade and HR.

 

Speaking exclusively to TRBusiness, Spanger (below) says: “This is a major development for the company, not yet in terms of figures, but by approach. It means that Heinemann will be in three parts of the world: Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East & Africa; and the Americas. This is a big step, mid-term, in being a real global player. Right now we are an international operator in a lot of countries, but also with a certain number of gaps where we are not active.”

 

REGIONAL MANAGEMENT CHANGES

The move will also entail a regional management reshuffle with current Heinemann Asia Pacific CEO, Steffen Brandt (below right), moving from Singapore to Miami in April, and Max Heinemann (below left), the fifth generation of the Heinemann family, taking the top Asia job from January.

 

Outlining the reasoning for the Americas entry, Spanger says: “In 2012 we participated in tenders in the US at Seattle, Orlando and Los Angeles airports and we learnt that without a real business based in America, it does not give you too many points when it comes to operations – however experienced you are in Europe.

“Our reaction was that we should build up a company in the Americas, as we are doing in Singapore (for Asia). It is ideal that Steffen is available and ready to go because all the knowledge he has acquired in Asia, he can translate and take to the Americas.”

 

Heinemann is sending a team to Miami to get and ball rolling to build the retail and distribution businesses in tandem in the new unit, with the initial focus on the cruise line business, which is based in Florida. The company’s cruise customers, supplied through Hamburg in Europe and also via Singapore in Asia, have also been requesting direct US supply.

 

As for future airport concession bids in the US, Spanger says: “We will select the right projects to bid for in the Americas, but from 2014 onwards we will certainly be more active in bidding processes in the region.”

 

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

For Gebr Heinemann, the Americas has been on its radar for more than two decades – when the company was a partner with the then DFI which had border and inflight businesses before being sold to the UK’s BAA.

 

The sale was not something that Heinemann, in fact, had wanted and, since then, the region has always been on the agenda. Having gained experience in Asia with building up a division from scratch (since 2010), the company now feels it has the necessary know-how to repeat the process in the western hemisphere.