In 2025, Messaggerie del Garda S.r.l. celebrates its 70th anniversary as a reference point in the Italian logistics landscape. With long-standing experience in transportation and distribution and a strategic position in Northern Italy, the company has become a trusted partner for numerous national and international clients. Thanks to an extensive network, a modern fleet, and an organization focused on flexibility and efficiency, Messaggerie del Garda offers tailored logistics solutions that evolve with the times.
Under the leadership of Mr. Mario Beschi, President of Messaggerie del Garda, the company continues to grow while remaining rooted in strong family values, operational excellence, and a vision for sustainable innovation. In this exclusive interview for Manufacturing Journal, we delve into the company’s rich history, development milestones, strategies, and future outlook – portraying a dynamic business celebrating seven decades of logistics excellence.
Could you briefly tell us the history of Messaggerie del Garda? When and with what vision was it founded?
After World War II, a member of the Beschi family received a license as war compensation to conduct “transport from Brescia to Milan and back,” as documented in a photograph of the Brescia office near the station.
Messaggerie del Garda was later founded in 1955 by Gino Beschi and his wife Maria (Mariuccia) Bettinelli, who was also born into the transport industry. The company was established with the goal of connecting Castiglione delle Stiviere (and the Garda area) with Milan.
The first client foundational to our company and a key driver of development was a multinational chemical company for which we supported the start-up of the production plant in Castiglione delle Stiviere (still operational today and owned by Innospec Ltd, which remains one of our clients).
What have been the main growth and development milestones over the years?
- Construction of the first building in Castiglione in the 1970s
- The first third-party building, still rented today by Wella (multinational in hair care), in the early 1990s
- Building of a facility for our activities in Milan (Truccazzano)
- Entering the third-party warehouse management business for Henkel near their production site in Bergamo (Zingonia)
- Full management takeover of Henkel’s national hub for the Adhesives division in Milan (Calvignasco) in 2016
What logistics services do you currently offer and in which geographic areas are you most active?
The Messaggerie del Garda Group (MDG) is recognized as a leader in integrated logistics in Italy. Founded in 1955 as a transport company, it has strengthened its presence in core markets, particularly in Lombardy, and expanded its range of services.
MDG positions itself as a strategic, single partner for managing its clients’ logistics operations. Our services include road freight transport, international shipping, warehouse management, transportation of dangerous goods in compliance with ADR regulations, and value-added services such as co-packing, re-packaging, e-commerce logistics, and product decanting.
We also manage customs clearance facilities, customs warehouses, and bonded warehouses. Thanks to a nationwide presence, we manage the entire reverse logistics process, responding flexibly to clients’ needs and optimizing their supply chains.
Which industries or customer types do you primarily serve?
We specialize in B2B and were born and grew primarily in the chemical sector, particularly in the handling of hazardous materials. Today, we serve many sectors so it might be easier to say that the only services we don’t directly handle are food (fresh and frozen) and car carrier transport.
Messaggerie del Garda also stands out for its connections with Serbia. How did this relationship begin, and what specific services do you offer on this route?
This initiative arose from our clients’ needs. Many hosiery and later fashion companies moved their production to Serbia, creating an outbound and inbound flow of raw materials and semi-finished goods. We established a company with a Serbian customs operator to meet this new demand.
How important is technological innovation in managing logistics flows and customer communication?
Technological innovation has always been essential for us. From the first legendary Olivetti machines to the recent transition of all our servers to the cloud, we have continuously evolved to provide definitive solutions especially to major challenges like cybersecurity.
What infrastructure do you currently operate (warehouses, terminals, logistics platforms), and what are their distinguishing features?
We have several warehouses in the Lombardy area. Some focus solely on logistics, others serve as cross-docking hubs for our transport operations, and some do both. One of our most important sites manages highly hazardous chemicals over 26,000 square meters operated in compliance with Seveso III regulations.
Can you briefly describe your fleet? What types of vehicles do you use and what technologies are they equipped with?
Our fleet includes all necessary vehicle categories: vans, rigid trucks, articulated lorries, and semi-trailers many of them with tail lifts. We use digital tachographs and advanced planning software to optimize routes based on drivers’ locations.
Do you offer value-added services such as labelling, repackaging, or customs management? How in-demand are these services?
All the mentioned services are part of our offering, designed to make the client’s experience simpler and more complete. Co-packing has become particularly significant, along with reverse logistics.
We operate a bonded warehouse, handle excise goods like mineral oils, and have approved customs clearance locations in Mantua and Brescia to streamline our clients’ import/export processes.
How do you ensure efficiency and punctuality in deliveries, especially on international routes?
We founded a new company several years ago to consolidate small shipments through a network of partners that exchange freight overnight and distribute it the following day in their respective regions.
We also participate in Italy’s largest pallet network to ensure 24-hour delivery. For international shipments, we use trusted direct carriers with specialized regional expertise. We have had reliable partnerships with Chinese companies for over 20 years, ensuring safe and efficient services.
Have you made any significant investments in recent years? If so, in which areas and with what goals?
We have invested heavily in IT, updating both our infrastructure and management software covering everything from accounting and transport to warehouse operations. Cybersecurity has been a major focus. We have invested not only in hardware and software, but also in skilled personnel.
Are you planning any new openings, partnerships, or expansions in other European countries?
At the moment, we do not have any immediate expansion plans, but if one of our clients raises their hand we are ready.
How important is environmental sustainability to your company? Have you adopted or planned any green initiatives?
It is one of our guiding principles but we aim to go beyond empty declarations and implement concrete, consistent actions.
Our vehicle fleet is exclusively Euro 5 and Euro 6; we use HVO fuel, and we have CNG and LNG vehicles. We have switched to electric heat pump systems, insulated our offices with new windows, practiced near-100% waste separation for years, and installed LED lighting in all our facilities.
We continuously monitor fuel consumption to provide drivers with eco-driving benchmarks, run safe and eco-driving training courses, and reduce paper usage through digital processes. Solar panels are among our next initiatives.
How is your team structured, and what role does capital play in the company’s success?
We have over 120 direct employees, and around 200 including indirect collaborators. Management is hands-on, and we maintain a flat hierarchy to ensure quick decision-making. Each team member is encouraged to be autonomous and professional, supported by continuous training.
Capital is essential to our growth, which is why we reinvest profits into the company’s development. We also seek available grants and maintain long-standing relationships with local banks.
Finally, what are your priorities and most important projects for the coming years?
We are currently drafting our first voluntary ESG report for the 2024 fiscal year to clarify our goals and align better with our stakeholders.
We are also adopting the Organizational Model 231 and pursuing Gender Equality Certification.
On the commercial front, we are investing in expanding our logistics and international transport presence. We also have land available for the construction of a new logistics facility and continue to invest in data security, employee safety, and local community responsibility.
