Germany: The freight operator, which offers a unique service for transporting semi-trailers, has filed for preliminary insolvency with the court in Frankfurt-am-Main. According to media DVZ, the founder and CEO of the company, Roman Noack, stated that the company encountered a shortfall in shareholder equity, which resulted from the non-receipt of planned financing.
Roman Noack did not specify the funds concerned. For example, in May, the French bank Société Générale and the company Deutsche Leasing Finance approved a seven-year loan of €32.9 mln for Helrom. The funds were intended for the production of a further 120 Trailer Rail piggyback platforms.
Helrom designed such platforms, the Trailer Rail, using its proprietary technology. They are fitted with a special module for the transportation of semi-trailers, which opens sideways with a hydraulic system. This enables semi-trailers to be conveniently loaded onto the platforms by the tractors themselves, thus avoiding the need for investment in loading terminals. The production of Trailer Rail is outsourced to third-party manufacturers, such as Greenbrier Europe.
Trailer Rail technology by Helrom. Source: Helrom/vimeo
Helrom representatives emphasise that the insolvency procedure marks the beginning of a restructuring process, and not the end of operations. The company’s development will be suspended for approximately three months. The manufacturer will focus on stabilising its core business and providing services on existing routes. According to the company’s website, Helrom offers transport services on six routes between Germany, Italy, Austria, and Hungary.
In February 2023, Germany’s Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure approved a grant of €15 mln for the project’s market launch. In June 2023, Helrom also secured a loan of €34.5 mln for increasing manufacturing capacity.
