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Week of March 27, 2003 |
| Luxembourg logistics firm launches US office in western Miami By Susan StableyA Luxembourg-based international logistics company is opening a Miami headquarters for its launch into the US market. Under the name Thiel Logistics USA, the company has signed a lease for an 85,424-square-foot freestanding facility at Beacon Industrial Park and is already occupying offices there. However, as parent company Thiel Logistik AG undergoes restructuring, the exact name and nature of its North American operations is still being determined, according to a company official. Thiel Logistik AG was founded in 1985 and handles the movement of goods and products, including distribution and transportation. The Miami office is planned to handle those services, plus customs and trade, with many of Thiel's multinational clients in Europe, said Carmela Perris, Miami office vice president. The Thiel Group has more than 350 locations in 50 countries, operating in all European markets. Now, specific announcements about the duties of the Miami office are on hold as Thiel Logistik AG weathers leadership changes. A new CEO for Thiel Logistik AG was appointed March 19, effective April 1. Dr. Klaus Eierhoff replaces founder G¸nter Thiel, who resigned a day earlier due to management differences, according to a release from Thiel Logistik AG. "We don't want to give too much information at this point. We are still on hold on many issues," said Ms. Perris. Thus far, she said, about 14 employees have been hired from the Miami area. According to Wayne Ramoski, senior director of Industrial Brokerage Services in the Miami office of Cushman & Wakefield, the international logistics provider had been considering 10 other locations in major US cities. The Class A warehousing/distribution building at 3200 NW 112th Ave. was owned by AMB Property Corp., a Boston-based real estate investment trust. The Codina Group represented the landlord but did not disclose terms of the lease. "It's a bigger-than-average deal," said Mr. Ramoski, who brokered the deal for Thiel. "With a lot of their business deals with Latin America, it makes sense for them to have a corporate headquarters here in Miami." Thiel's future, including that of the Miami operations, is now less clear. According to Thiel's release, new CEO Eierhoff said: "Thiel Logistik is now in a phase of consolidation and strategic adjustment after the strong growth it has experienced in the past few years. I am looking forward to being able to help shape this exciting and demanding process, so that the extraordinary potential of this company can be exploited to its full." Ms. Perris said she expected more decisions in April about the Miami operations. |
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