“Even a Challenging Market Environment Offers Opportunities for Cash-in-Transit Providers” – Dr. Markus Lehnert of Beck Sicherheitsdienst in Interview
Cash Is Changing – and so are all industries involved in the cash cycle. Topics such as digitalization, increasing regulation, and structural shifts are shaping the market. As a result, many cash-in-transit and value service providers are asking themselves how they can remain competitive and, if necessary, reposition themselves.
At the turn of the year, we spoke with Dr. Markus Lehnert, Managing Director of BS Beck Sicherheitsdienst GmbH & Co. KG. His outlook for 2026: positive!
Tradition Meets Modernity
ALVARA: Dr. Lehnert, you have been Managing Director of the UGL Unternehmensgruppe Gregor Lehnert since 2009. For more than 100 years, the company has been dedicated to protecting its customers’ assets. Could you briefly outline the history of BS Beck Sicherheitsdienst GmbH & Co. KG as a cash and value service provider and as part of the UGL Group? How has the company developed in recent years?
Dr. Markus Lehnert:
With pleasure. BS was founded in 1992 by Diether Beck – initially as a traditional provider of plant and property protection services. Since 2002, the company has also been active as a cash and value service provider. In 2009, the three locations in Simmern (Hunsrück), Kaiserslautern, and Quierschied became part of the UGL Group.
Today, we consider ourselves a full-service cash and value service provider for banks and retailers, as well as for municipalities, gastronomy, museums, amusement arcades, car washes, event service providers, and many others. Wherever cash is generated or change in the form of coins is required, BS is a reliable partner. The company has developed very positively in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to further ensure quality, reliability, and flexibility. We achieved this thanks to our number one success factor: our outstanding team. Our colleagues, who deliver our services day in and day out with reliability and flexibility and who are loyal to our corporate values, are ultimately the decisive factor.
What differentiates you from the large national players?
As an owner-managed family business with a long-term orientation, people are at the center of everything we do. We care deeply and passionately about our customers as well as our employees – an approach shared by many medium-sized companies. In addition, our services are based on three pillars: quality, reliability, and flexibility, which are not always guaranteed by large cash-in-transit providers.
What role does your regional roots in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate play for your business and corporate culture?
We are from here – and we are here for the people. Our regional proximity creates personal relationships with customers and partners. We know the local conditions, which fosters a high level of trust that is essential in a sensitive area such as secure cash and value transport.
Our employees also all come directly from the region and strongly identify with the company. This leads to lower turnover, greater loyalty, and a stronger sense of responsibility for their tasks.
Short distances also allow us to keep our ears open to the concerns and needs of both customers and employees – and to respond quickly.
Change as an Opportunity
Your company has a long history marked by significant change. The current market environment presents new challenges. What does this mean for cash and value service providers?
First and foremost: even a difficult market environment offers opportunities for cash and value service providers. I would go even further and say that periods of transformation hold particular potential for development. We should not constantly look to the past – references to cases like Heros or earlier scandals do not help anyone. What matters is developing pride in our industry and confidently positioning ourselves as an indispensable part of the cash infrastructure. Good ideas also help overcome hurdles.
Which trends are you currently feeling most strongly?
For several years now, the number of ATMs has been steadily declining. From the banks’ perspective, the arguments are understandable: rising costs for cash logistics, increased security risks due to ATM attacks, and changing user behavior make ATMs less economically attractive. As cash and value service providers, we naturally feel the effects of this dismantling of the cash infrastructure.
Reliability is key for a value service provider serving multiple industries. How can this role be fulfilled in a rapidly changing market?
For our family-owned group, reliability means ensuring stability even in a dynamic environment. This is precisely the challenge today: the planned digital euro, the continued reduction of ATMs, and the increasing availability of cash withdrawals at supermarket checkouts are changing established structures. We are facing a profound transformation of the cash cycle. Our task is to actively shape this change – through efficient processes, modern technology, and close cooperation with our customers. Only in this way can we continue to offer security and predictability in the future.
A concrete change: At the beginning of the year, the National Cash Forum founded by the Bundesbank proposed abolishing one- and two-cent coins and rounding cash payments to five cents. How do you assess such proposals?
These proposals are certainly understandable. From a purely logistical perspective, small coins generate high costs in transport and counting. At the same time, we must ensure that cash is not gradually made less attractive. Cash represents lived freedom, and the industry should collectively advocate for preserving its importance. This also means making processes more efficient and offering new services to ensure that cash remains practical.
Moreover, cash – together with the girocard – is considered the most cost-effective payment method for retailers. This was shown in the Deutsche Bundesbank’s study “Costs of Payment Instruments in Retail” published last year. Fees, charges, equipment and transport costs, as well as non-monetary costs such as time spent handling payment methods at the checkout and in the back office, were lowest for cash and girocard payments.
Note: Further results of the study can be found in the Deutsche Bundesbank’s press release.
Customer Needs, Technology, Processes
You mentioned new processes – what role do cash deposit solutions in the back and front office play?
A very significant one. Modern cash deposit systems make it possible to secure cash where it is generated – directly at the point of sale or in the back office. This saves time, reduces security risks, and significantly lowers the effort required for cash closing and collections. Solutions such as ALVARA Interactive Cash Control (ICC) for retailers create transparency regarding cash holdings and provide both merchants and service providers with a precise overview of daily cash flows. Especially in times of tight margins, these efficiency and effectiveness gains deliver immediate value.
The reduction of bank branches and deposit systems is forcing many retailers to rethink their cash processes. What role can value service providers play here?
The withdrawal of banks from local areas is fundamentally changing the cash cycle. When branches close and cash recycling systems are reduced, companies must find alternative ways to safely and efficiently deposit their cash takings and obtain change when needed. This is where value service providers can step in with tailored deposit and collection concepts. For retail and other cash-intensive industries, this creates sustainable solutions that combine security and convenience.
You speak of efficiency and customer proximity – what opportunities do you see for medium-sized value service providers within the BDGW to jointly future-proof the industry?
A key point is the standardization and harmonization of processes. Today, many companies still use very different systems, formats, or workflows for deposits, collections, or communication with value service providers. This reduces transparency and ties up resources on both sides.
The goal should be to standardize interfaces and establish digital platforms through which all parties – from retailers to value service providers and banks – can collaborate securely and efficiently. This is where major opportunities arise: those who standardize processes create not only efficiency, but also trust and traceability.
2026 – What Lies Ahead
What role does digitalization play in your operational business – for example in route planning, customer communication, or cash management? And will this change in 2026?
Digitalization is becoming increasingly important in operational business – both in the front office and back office. Today and in 2026, our focus is particularly on administrative processes, as well as customer communication and employee support and retention.
In the back office, this means that processes such as route planning, vehicle and driver deployment, billing, and logistics are increasingly digitally supported. This helps avoid media disruptions and manual processes, while enabling automated, real-time data flows.
In the front office, customers, partners, and employees benefit from digital communication channels, self-service portals, transparent status updates, and automated workflows – for example in cash management or value services.
Sustainability is becoming more important in the security and logistics industry. What measures has BS Beck already implemented – for example regarding fleet, energy, or social engagement?
Sustainability is gaining importance for us both operationally and strategically. One central topic is our vehicle fleet. Our service teams in cash and value services – particularly in intervention services – are increasingly using electric vehicles.
In the area of energy, we are also actively working to improve our environmental footprint. At our sites, we rely on photovoltaic systems to generate our own electricity and reduce the consumption of conventional energy sources.
In addition, we are certified according to ISO 14001. This environmental management system provides a binding framework for systematically pursuing ecological goals, reducing risks, and ensuring continuous improvement.
How do you approach employee safety and retention? Which values are particularly important to you as an employer?
As mentioned earlier, our employees are crucial to our success. Therefore, respectful interaction, individual development opportunities, and involvement in company matters are a given. Financially, we express this appreciation in part through above-tariff pay and a bonus system. We also support our team through corporate benefits, job bikes, company pension schemes, and much more.
What message would you like to pass on to readers – especially to other medium-sized companies in the industry?
Remain optimistic. Even though the payments landscape is changing, cash remains an important part of everyday life. The key lies in innovation and collaboration. Cash stakeholders should actively involve software providers in the equation, because digital cash management opens new doors. Those who understand the cash business as a service that combines efficiency, security, and customer proximity will continue to be successful in the future.
Thank you very much, Dr. Lehnert, for taking the time to share your insights with us.
My pleasure.
About the Person
Dr. Markus Lehnert has been Managing Director within the UGL companies since 2009 and is responsible within the executive management for cash and value services. He has also been a member of the board of the BDGW – German Association of Cash and Value Services since 2018.