The Kuehne + Nagel Group has posted a net profit of CHF679 million (US$712 million) for 2015, a 5.4% year-on-year increase, according to the company’s annual results.

Approximately CHF676 million (US$708 million) were attributable to shareholders, a 6.8% increase over 2014.

“2015 was a challenging, highly successful but also very emotional year for the Kuehne + Nagel Group,” said Karl Gernandt, chairman of the board of directors. “The fact that a company can look back at 125 years of history is an amazing achievement in itself. And if, after 125 years, it can present itself like Kuehne + Nagel – tradition-conscious yet still young and innovative, with economic success globally despite difficult market conditions – this is something to be proud of.”

Gernandt added that the global economic environment has been challenging.

“So were the targets that we set ourselves, but we met these through the consistent implementation of the strategy we had developed, coupled with hard work and great commitment,” he said. “We can be very satisfied with what we achieved in the anniversary year.”

According to Gernandt, the main factor contributing to the record result was the strong performance of the air and sea freight business units. In air freight, the company increased tonnage by 4.7% and retained its position as the world’s second-largest provider, while in sea freight, the company shipped 3.82 million TEUs with a 5.2% growth in gross profit per TEU.

Gernandt said that the global economy is showing moderate growth in 2016, despite geopolitical risks and market turbulence.

“Growth stimuli will come especially from the ASEAN member states and Greater China due to the demographic development and the fast growth of the middle classes,” he said. “Kuehne + Nagel is increasingly focusing on these regions and intra-Asian trade, which is becoming more and more important. Moderate economic growth is expected in the traditional industrial nations. Despite the tightening of monetary policy and it being an election year I still expect the US economy to develop positively.”

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Kuehne + Nagel send two 40-foot containers on a promotional tour around the world, starting in Bremen and ending in Hamburg.