photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Line3174_-_Shipping_Containers_at_the_terminal_at_Port_Elizabeth%2C_New_Jersey_-_NOAA.jpg/Intermodal terminal
MFD Rail is a start-up that has great ambitions. In the coming years, the company should become a leading provider of intermodal car leasing. The Oaktree Capital Management fund invested in this emerging company.
MFD Rail considers it an advantage to start from scratch. As a result, it does not have to reorganize outdated structures, it can focus directly on providing cost-effective services for the intermodal market.
The new-born start-up has well-known names around the cradle. The COO of MFD Rail, Mr. Detlef Schlickelmann, previously worked as a COO and CTO at Wascosa, and before as a technical manager at ERMEWA. Fabian Stadler, the CEO of MFD Rail, also worked for Wascosa in the past. Wolfram Bahle, which holds the position of Chief Sales Officer, has extensive experience from Railpool. Another member of the team is CFO Markus Basler, which also worked for Wascosa and AAE in the past.
The project is supported by another experienced partner: KfW IPEX-Bank, which is the only intermediary, security agent and hedging bank for financing which amounts to EUR 105 million. „We have supported the founders of MFD Rail from the outset and are very pleased to be able to play a leading role in this financing through our early support. Together with our partners, we are promoting freight transport’s shift to rail, and are thus providing considerable support for climate-friendly transport infrastructure,” said Andreas Ufer, member of the management board of KfW IPEX-Bank to the media.
„MFD Rail is very proud of the financing partnership we have developed with KfW IPEX-Bank and Oaktree, which is one of the most prestigious partners in lending and private equity. Both companies also have in-depth knowledge of the railway industry. As a start-up company, we are therefore extremely well-capitalized, underscoring not only our ambitious growth plans but also making them possible in the first place,” said Markus Basler, the CFO of MFD.
The popularity of intermodal transport between individual companies is constantly growing. Thanks to this, the volumes of transported material also increase. New intermodal terminals are also being built, the capacity of south-European ports is growing, and, thanks to that, new routes are being introduced. Intermodal transport saves companies in transport costs and is much more environmentally friendly.