Ubbo Hempenius hands over his role as CEO of the H&S Group

Barneveld, 6 September 2018 – CEO Ubbo Hempenius (63) will hand over the management of the H&S Group to Timo Huges (53), currently CCO, per 1 January 2019. As the owner, Hempenius will remain involved by leading strategic projects for the Group, such as acquisitions and property development.

Ubbo Hempenius: “My decision to withdraw from the operational management of the company is the result of careful consideration with the executive board and the advisory board. After 45 years this is the right moment to hand over the leadership, especially now that the company is ready to enter its next phase of maturity. I am looking forward to offering strategical support during this period and to taking on secondary activities within the transport sector.”

H&S Group

The H&S Group, a family business founded in 1946, started as a company transporting milk. Over the years the transport of liquid foodstuff in bulk has remained the core activity, however the ways in which it is done have evolved considerably. Hempenius started working with H&S as a planner in 1973. Led by his entrepreneurial spirit – he became CEO in 1987 – the business has transformed from a traditional road transport company into a modern, dynamic logistic services provider.

Since 2001 H&S Group has focussed on intermodal transport, as Hempenius recognised the need to make less kilometres by road and to transport more in an environmental-friendly way by rail and water. Over time, cleaning stations, cold stores and fruit juice production facilities have been integrated in the Group. Several strong partnerships have been set up, from which H&H Foodlog – a joint venture with the HOYER Group – is the latest.

By focusing on innovation within automation and technology, H&S has always found ways to further support customers in their logistic processes. Recently multiple ‘control towers’ have been established for customers, from where H&S manages the whole supply chain on the customers behalf. Strongly believing in the benefits of digitization, in 2016 Hempenius founded the start-up Uturn, a state of the art matching platform for the transport industry.

Bright prospects

Per 1 January 2019, Timo Huges (CEO) and Matthieu van Tellingen (CFO) will form the executive board. Both will lead the new to be installed management team that will jointly manage the H&S Group. Timo Huges joined the H&S Group in 2008 as advisory board member and became an executive board member in 2017. In 25 years he has gained a wide and in-depth knowledge and experience of the logistics industry, both national and international.

The management change is taking place in a period of growth. The H&S Group has set its name as a leading company in Europe in the logistics of liquid foodstuff. As a result of this growth the majority of the Dutch employees and activities will be centralised in a new head office in Barneveld per January 2019.

Hempenius: “It has been a privilege to lead this company during the past decades and to work daily with dedicated colleagues. Together we have brought this company to where it is today. I have full confidence that the H&S Group is ready for the future.”