GEODIS, ROHDE & LIESENFELD FORM ALLIANCE

GEODIS, ROHDE & LIESENFELD FORM ALLIANCE    Geodis Overseas, the French transport and logistics group, and Rohde & Liesenfeld, the Hamburg-based international forwarder, have formed a global strategic alliance.
   The companies said the alliance uses the Star and oneworld airline alliances as 'raw model,' from which 'customers will be able to derive significant benefits and add value to their supply chain.'
   Geodis and Rohde & Liesenfeld said they intend to develop a global brand name for the alliance and will welcome future alliance partners. The alliance will target services including freight forwarding on all continents, contract logistics, centralized purchasing of services and joint development of information technology services.
   Rohde & Liesenfeld, established in 1954, has 850 employees in 72 offices in 34 countries. The company reported 443 million euro ($) in revenue in 2001. Besides sea and air freight logistics and forwarding, the company has specialized in global project activities.
   Geodis has about 2,400 employees in 40 countries, and generates about 500 million euro ($) in annual revenue. The company's logistics efforts are focused on five market segments: engineering, electronics, health care, automotive and consumer goods.