ORTEC – in it for the long haul

ORTEC GmbH develops intelligent planning and optimization software and provides related consultancy services to the logistics industry. Towards the end of 2014, the medium-sized business moved from the small town of Wildeshausen in Lower Saxony to Bremen’s Überseestadt district. And the software experts have no doubt that it was the right move.

“The purpose of our move to Überseestadt is to better position ourselves and to increase our share of the market. We are also closer to our customers here and it is easier to access relevant networks and Bremen’s strong logistics sector,” managing partner Stefan Huntemann said in 2014 of his decision to move the business to Bremen.

That year, he left the small town of Wildeshausen, around 50 kilometres from Bremen, and headed for Überseestadt, where he and his staff moved into three floors of a large office building in Überseepark. The ambition – to lay the foundations for the future.

The market leader in logistics software

ORTEC is a market leader in the field of mathematical optimisation algorithms and a developer of intelligent vehicle routing and route optimisation software. This software facilitates route planning for trucks and loading space optimisation, and can help with managing and monitoring personnel and warehouses. The experts at ORTEC use stock management software to bring together a wide range of data sources in order to optimise the entire logistics chain, from warehousing to shipping, for the digital age and make it more transparent. ORTEC GmbH is part of the Dutch ORTEC Group, which has offices around the world. The German offices look after the German-speaking countries, with consulting, sales, marketing and customer services based in Bremen, and software programming based in Heidelberg.

Relocating has been good for business

After almost four years in Bremen, managing partner Huntemann views the move positively: “Relocating to Bremen was definitely the right decision. Our hope that better transport links and the urban location would allow us to reach our customers quicker has been fulfilled.”

After all, direct contact with customers, whether it be in a sales meeting, offering advice or providing support, is still important, even for a digital business. The direct connection to the motorway, the excellent rail links and the proximity of the airport made Bremen the right choice, Huntemann adds. Even the journey to the company’s headquarters in the Netherlands is shorter now.

Strong logistics sector in Bremen is an advantage

The proximity to Bremen’s logistics sector has also enabled ORTEC to gain new customers. “There are many interesting local companies that we hope to do business with. The excellent transport links have also made it easier for us to reach our growing international customer base. Our objective is to make the ORTEC brand even better known,” Huntemann says.

The office in Überseestadt is currently home to 60 of the 884 employees who work for the ORTEC Group. The company’s ambition is to grow the workforce, but the general shortage of skilled workers means the search for new staff members is proving challenging. “We hope that our proximity to the university will give us a competitive advantage in this respect,” Huntemann adds. ORTEC hopes to attract new employees with its attractive, open-plan offices and location in the new Überseestadt district. This will allow ORTEC to write the next chapter in the story of its successful relocation to Bremen.

Bremeninvest offers various services to help you digitalise your business. Click here for more details.

For news, tips and facts about Bremen’s Überseestadt district, visit www.ueberseestadt-bremen.de/en/page/welcome

Further information on setting up a business in Überseestadt and marketing it, please contact Dagmar Nordhausen, tel: +49 (0)421 9600 252, dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de or Jons Abel, tel: +49 (0)421 9600 613, jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de.