Founder Members of F&L in 1994

Myself and Giuseppe Pinna, former freight director of the Italian Railways, were, amongst a few others, first the creators of FLC the Italian Freight Leaders’ Council.  We are celebrating here in Milano on October 20th the 30th anniversary of FLC.  I am one of the few historic memories from the very beginning.

It was from an FLC meeting in Saturnia near Rome (fantastic thermal place known by the antique Romans with natural hot water coming from the mountains at 37°), that it was decided to entrust myself and Franz Von Planta (Swiss) Managing Director of Danzas having the international experience and network to form a similar organization which later become known as F&L (originally the Freight and Logistics Leaders’ Club).

For F&L, myself and Franz decided to form a steering Committee which became 11 members representing 11 different European nationalities. From the UK we had IDV International Distillers and Vinters. From Germany – DB, from France – SNCF, from the Netherlands – KLM, from Sweden – Volvo, from Spain –  Transfesa and few others. Each one was given the task to get two or three members. One vital strategic member was Mr Rune Swensson President of Volvo Transport who was very active in getting all the Nordic countries involved (Stora and Enzo Guzeit, later Stora Enzo) and Volkswagen (Johannes Fritzen later become President). KLM involved Wibo Aris, who brought Phillips and Geest Line in addition to himself. We had from Belgium Jenssen Pharmaceuticals which is now famous for the Moderna vaccine. So we arrived at the Constitution meeting in Brussels in November 1994, with about 32 members if I remember correctly and I was elected President.

It was very difficult at first with such a small budget and originally the secretariat was shared with FLC to minimize costs. But we made it!  F&L was immediately successful with the first meeting in Madrid organized by Transfesa with more than 100 attendants and socially exceptional with a dinner in a fazienda near Madrid and flamenco. The second in Venice with the one meeting in the “Scuola dei Frari” with paintings of Tintoretto, Canaletto, and a concert in the end. Dinner in an antique Palladio Villa with torches in the grand entrance to lead the way from the buses. We had about 150 attendants. Fantastic! The EU Commission was represented by Gert Jan Koopmann, secretary to Neil Kinnock Vice President to the EU Commission and Transport Commissioner.  I remember we spent 100 Million Lira (about €50K) for the event but I do not know how I managed to find the sponsors.  Gert Koopman made a great career in the Commission and now is the Director General of Margareth Vestager Portfolio; very influential of EU Commission policies.

Some of our original colleagues  of the first hour are no longer with us but I want to say “thank you for looking after F&L”.  Take it as written.

Best regards
Franco
Franco Castagnetti

Founding Members of F&L

• E. MARTINAVARRO now part of citrus giant Citri&Co, Enrique Martinavarro Ferrer (Founder)
• ANECOOP, José María Planells (Managing Director)
• VOLVO TRANSPORT, Rune Svensson (President)
• DISTRILUX INTERNATIONAL former logistics and distribution Electrolux, Sven-Gunnar Ericsson (Managing Director)
• JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, Staf De Gruyter (VP)
• ENSO GUTZEIT now Stora Enso, Antti Vehviläinen (VP)
• SOLLAC (steel), Yves Morin (Director)
• IDV, INTERNATIONAL DISTILLERS & VINTNERS, F Johnston (Director)
• MAYR-MELNHOF KARTON now MM Group, IA Fokke (Director)
• ENICHEM, Franco Castagnetti (Director)
• PARMALAT, Mr G Convalle
• PHILIPS INTERNATIONAL, Dirk Goedhart (Managing Director Corporate Forwarding)
• WĘGLOKOKS (coal), Mr B Krzton (Director)
• ROLIMPEX (Polish agricultural and trading enterprise), Andrzej Budziński (CEO & General Director)
• PORTUCEL INDUSTRIAL, José Vinagre (Director)
• TRANSFESA, Emilio Fernández (President)
• LKW WALTER, Dr Horst Kubek (Board)
• GEBRÜDER WEISS, Paul Senger-Weiss (Founder)
• STATENS JÄRNVÄGAR Swedish Rail Company now Green Cargo, Christer Beijbom (Director, and later CEO of IKEA Rail)
• BILSPEDITION later BTL, Håkan Larsson (CEO)
• SBB Swiss Federal Railways, Erwin Mauron (Head)
• SNCB National Railway Company of Belgium, Mr. Louis Devillers (Board)
• RENFE National Railway Company of Spain, J M Chavarrias (Director)
• SNCF National Railway Company of France, Alain Poinssot (Deputy Managing Director)
• GEFCO (owned by Peugeot), Claude Le Minor (Head)
• BRITISH RAILWAYS, Ian Brown CBE (Managing Director)
• DEUTSCHE BAHN, H. W. Hoeller (Director)
• GYSEV Railway Austria, Dr. István Fullér (Director)
• BELL LINES, Michael Marnet (Director)
• DANZAS, Franz von Planta (Chairman of the Board)
• FS Italian State Railways, Costantino Bagnai (Director)
• KLM CARGO, Jacques Ancher (Executive VP)
• TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL, Wibo Aris (President & CEO)
• PKP Polish Rail, Mr J Zabecki (Director)
• RENFE combined transport, María del Sagrario known as Sagrario López Bravo (Director General)
• KONINKLIJKE FRANS MAAS, Hendrik Benjamins (Director)