New innovative logistics and marketing cooperation launched in Thuringia

Strong partnership for the last mile: Thuringian Products Agency (Agentur Thüringer Produkte) and LEAFR want to improve B2B food logistics in rural areas of Thuringia.

Gotha, 29 October 2025. A new partnership between the Thuringian Products Agency and LEAFR, Nagel-Group’s first corporate venture, marks a milestone in small-scale food logistics to support the marketing of regional products in Thuringia. The aim is to install collection solutions at the manufacturer’s premises and then carry out the final transport via an existing logistics centre to B2B customers, thus making the logistics sector more economically viable as a whole.

In rural areas of Thuringia in particular, the reliable and economical delivery of regional food products has been a major challenge to date. Small and medium-sized producers often have no access to professional logistics structures – deliveries to restaurants, retailers or tourist facilities involve a great deal of effort, expense and time. At the same time, demand for high-quality regional products is growing in urban areas of Thuringia, such as Erfurt, Weimar and Jena – but there was no bridge between supply and demand.

Kick-off for new cooperation at the end of September 2025: Thuringian Products Agency and LEAFR to collaborate in Thuringia in future. From left: Elisabeth Eberlein (Thuringian Food Network Association), Thomas Rockstroh (Nagel Group), Jörg Seifert (Thuringian Products Agency), Nico Lerch (Nagel Group), Max Klostermann and Sören Loeck (LEAFR)

With the launch of the partnership between the Thüringer Produkte agency and LEAFR, a start-up specialising in modern and digital logistics solutions, efforts will now be made to close this logistics gap step by step. LEAFR brings modern technology, an infrastructure specialising in foodstuffs and an innovative concept for micro-hubs and consolidated supply chains. As a collaboration between trade associations and marketing initiatives, the Thüringer Produkte Agency ensures close links with regional producers, marketing partners and businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (TMWLLR) supports the project through the Thüringer Aufbaubank as part of the Cooperation Promotion Scheme (ZFL) in the agricultural, forestry and food sectors, which promotes collaborations aimed at strengthening regional value chains.

‘We create solutions for regional value creation – efficient, digital and future-oriented,’ says Jörg Seifert, project manager at the Thuringian Products Agency. ‘Our producers gain access to marketing and logistics structures that open up new markets for them – in both urban and rural areas.’

The new partnership will implement a platform-based logistics solution that coordinates collection, temporary storage and delivery. Bundled delivery routes will enable food to be delivered to restaurants, farm shops, hotels and regional retailers through coordinated deliveries. At the same time, recipients will benefit from fresh regional products that are now reliably available.

Benefits for businesses throughout Thuringia:

• Regional producers gain access to new sales channels without having to bear the logistics costs themselves.
• Tourism and catering businesses can work more easily with regional specialities – a clear competitive advantage in terms of profiling.
• Marketers benefit from reliable supplies of products from the surrounding area.
• The planned use of electric vehicles and the consolidation of deliveries are key elements of the proposed logistics concept.

‘LEAFR does not see the last mile as a problem, but as the key to effective regional value creation,’ emphasises Max Klostermann, Venture CEO of LEAFR. ‘Our business concept enables regional products to be delivered where they are needed.’

The pilot project will start as soon as the new vehicles arrive and suitable drivers are on board. The plan is to start around Gotha, i.e. in the Erfurt and Weimar areas and towards the Thuringian Forest. There are plans to expand the project to cover the whole of Thuringia. The first partners from the catering, retail and direct marketing sectors are already on board.

With this cooperation, the parties involved are sending a strong signal for the future viability of rural areas, which can participate in urban developments through smart solutions in logistics and marketing – and vice versa.

updated on 22 September 2026

About the Thuringian Products Agency

As a project funded by the Free State of Thuringia, the agency supports regional producers, artisans and food companies in the development, marketing and distribution of their products. It acts as an interface between producers, retailers, restaurants and tourism. The main project manager is the Thuringian Forest Landscape Conservation Association.