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Archives for March 2020

New Managing Director at DACHSER Ireland

March 31, 2020 by

John van den Berg has taken over as Managing Director of DACHSER Ireland since the beginning of this year. He succeeds Albert Johnston, who is retiring.

John van den Berg , Managing Director of DACHSER Ireland

Mr. Van den Berg has been with DACHSER since 2006, joining the Irish country organisation in July 2019. The 49-year-old from the Netherlands began his DACHSER career in Waddinxveen near Rotterdam, where he served as Head of Customer Service and Controlling. In 2011, Mr. Van den Berg transferred to the Zevenaar branch, located on the German-Dutch border, and assumed responsibility of that branch in 2013. 

As part of an intensive induction phase, Mr. van den Berg played a pivotal role during the final integration and rebranding stages as Johnston Logistics became DACHSER Ireland. DACHSER acquired the Irish logistics provider in 2017.

Successful integration into the DACHSER network

Johnston Logistics was founded by brothers Albert and Ivan Johnston in 1979, and within 30 years had established itself as one of Ireland’s leading logistics providers. Following acquisition by DACHSER in 2017, Albert Johnston stayed on as Managing Director and was responsible for successfully integrating the company into the DACHSER network. 

DACHSER Ireland employs 175 people at three locations: Cork, Limerick and its Head Office in Dublin. In 2018, it recorded annual revenue of EUR 23.1 million. In addition to groupage, Johnston Logistics specialised in dangerous goods transportation and warehousing services for their customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, hardware, plastics and packaging industries.

Filed Under: Dachser UK

Dachser announces Executive Board for the future

March 30, 2020 by

The future Executive Board team, to be headed by Burkhard Eling, takes over on January 1, 2021; Bernhard Simon and Michael Schilling will join the Supervisory Board in 2021

Kempten, March 27, 2020 – After 31 years of close cooperation in operational management positions at Dachser, CEO Bernhard Simon and his deputy Michael Schilling, COO Road Logistics, will join the logistics provider’s Supervisory Board in 2021, with Bernhard Simon becoming its chairperson. Burkhard Eling, who joined the Dachser Executive Board as CFO in 2013, will become the new CEO of the family-owned company on January 1, 2021.

The Dachser Executive Board as of January 1, 2021
(l-r)  Alexander Tonn; Michael Schilling; Burkhard Eling; Bernhard Simon;
Edoardo Podestà; Stefan Hohm

“At the end of 2020, Michael Schilling and I will pass on our responsibility on the Executive Board to the next generation of management. This joint move, which has been in the planning for a long time, will create new impetus for the company’s future,” explains Bernhard Simon, CEO of Dachser. “The coronavirus crisis is certainly a great challenge for the entire management team, but it does not call our long-term strategy into question. What’s important now is to pass the company on to a new generation, starting at the top. We are convinced that we can steer Dachser well through the coming months. By keeping our own network stable and the supply chains running, we will continue to serve our customers with reliability and quality.”

New Executive Unit: IT & Development

Also on January 1, 2021, Stefan Hohm will assume responsibility as Chief Development Officer (CDO) for the new IT & Development executive unit, which deals with research and development, innovation topics, IT, contract logistics, and global industry solutions. Alexander Tonn will join Dachser’s Executive Board as COO Road Logistics. The position of CFO will be filled by then as well. Finally, Edoardo Podestà will remain on the Executive Board as COO Air & Sea Logistics.

“Burkhard Eling, Stefan Hohm, and Alexander Tonn have proven themselves over many years in positions of responsibility within the company and have played a decisive role in shaping Dachser’s development during that time,” Simon continues. “Together with Edoardo Podestà and our future CFO, they will form a management team starting in 2021 that will dynamically address the central topics of the next decade: digitalization combined with customer proximity, sustainability, and the lack of qualified personnel.”

Burkhard Eling will assume the position of CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Spokesperson of the Executive Board on January 1, 2021. The 48-year-old joined Dachser’s Executive Board as CFO in 2013. He was responsible for the worldwide implementation of the SAP system and shaped the company’s transition to the legal form of an SE. He also managed the company-wide strategic innovation program Idea2net. Together with Michael Schilling and Bernhard Simon, he orchestrated the post-merger integration of the Iberian logistics provider Azkar (now Dachser Iberia).

Stefan Hohm will head a newly created Executive Unit, IT & Development, as CDO (Chief Development Officer) starting on January 1, 2021. An experienced manager who has been with the company for 27 years, he will be responsible not just for research and development topics but also for the further development of IT, contract logistics, and the global industry solutions business. The 47-year-old started his career in contract logistics at Dachser before taking over management of the branches in Erfurt and Hof, Germany. As Corporate Director since 2016, he has been responsible for the logistics service provider’s research and development work as well as its solutions business.

Alexander Tonn will assume the position of COO Road Logistics on January 1, 2021, with responsibility for the business development of the European Logistics and Food Logistics business lines. The 46-year-old has been with the company for over 20 years. Following his first management duties as deputy branch manager in Memmingen, Tonn moved to Dachser Head Office in 2014, where he was responsible for the international development of contract logistics. Since 2017 he has also led the European Logistics Germany business unit; he will continue in this role after his appointment as COO Road Logistics. Alfred Miller will retain his role as Managing Director of the Food Logistics business unit.

The future management team will be completed by Edoardo Podestà, who has been a member of the Dachser Executive Board since October 2019 as COO Air & Sea Logistics. Podestà is responsible for the global air and sea freight business as well as the rail services business between Europe and China, and he also heads the ASL Asia Pacific business unit.

Solid foundations on which to build the future

Bernhard Simon has been a member of the Dachser Executive Board since 1999, and has headed the family-owned company as the shareholders’ representative since 2005. The company’s strong growth and its internationalization are due in large part to Simon’s efforts. Under his leadership, Dachser has developed into one of the most renowned logistics providers in Europe and worldwide.

Michael Schilling joined the Dachser Executive Board in 2002; since then, he has built up one of the best-performing Europe-wide groupage networks. With these achievements, he has been and remains the driving force and pacesetter for sustainable growth with cross-border transport and contract logistics services. The standardized processes, IT systems, and IT platforms developed under his leadership form the basis for the high level of quality and reliability that distinguishes Dachser in the logistics market.


Brief overview:

The Dachser Executive Board as of January 1, 2021

Burkhard Eling, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board

Stefan Hohm, CDO

Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics

Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics

N.N., CFO

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser offers transport logistics, warehousing, and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Filed Under: Dachser UK

GEODIS Supports Improved Diversity in Logistics

March 26, 2020 by

In an industry which most would characterize as lacking women representation, GEODIS, the leader in global logistics, wants to prove that diversity and inclusion is key to delivering innovative solutions. With the program it is conducting in the Asia Pacific region, GEODIS enables women to open the door on the world of logistics wider than ever before.

The recently celebrated International Women’s Day drew additional focus to the issue of gender equality.  The IWD slogan, ‘An Equal World Is An Enabled World’ encapsulates the thrust of the on-going campaign, which fits perfectly with key elements of GEODIS’ culture. 

“Alignment between the aims of the IWD organization and ourselves at GEODIS lies particularly in championing a hiring process where the most appropriate person gets the role, regardless of gender, because we are focused on delivering what is best for the business and for our customers”, illustrated Anne Tan, Head of HR in APAC. 

“Additionally, we are committed to celebrating our women and men who lead others towards a more equal workplace, distinguishing GEODIS from its competition in an otherwise male dominated logistics industry.”

Onno Boots, GEODIS’ CEO for APAC reflected, “Women now constitute a third of our management board in APAC; up from zero just a little over a year ago,” he said. “It shows our commitment to diversity and inclusion. It is also strong evidence of the range of talented women who are now attracted to the world of logistics.  At our country management level across the region, 40% of the team are women.”

Logistics and the global supply chain it serves are going through a period of rapid transformation.  This time of change is challenging for an industry where the push to digitalise processes is complicated by how interconnected and cross border the global business environment now is. In this context GEODIS believes that a culture of diversity, crucially with an equal commitment to inclusivity, are key to achieving dynamism, creativity and fresh approaches to problem solving that are required to react to such a need for change. 

In terms of practical initiatives employed to advance this policy, GEODIS emphasizes education of its staff about gender neutral policies, localized provision of family care and flexible working hours. A great example is the establishment of an active GEODIS’ Women Network where women (and men) come together to learn about how diversity and inclusion create a better work environment and growth for all aspects of the business and organisation.

In addition, for the whole of March, internal initiatives took place to underscore the messages of IWD and those of GEODIS’ policies.  These included various employee activities in countries where the staff gathered to demonstrate their personal support; upholding the commitment to, and learning about the collective journey GEODIS is on to build an equal and inclusive workplace.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its passion and commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #4 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2018, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.2 billion in sales.

Filed Under: GEODIS

GEODIS establishes additional Air and Rail Services to assist customers hit by Coronavirus distribution

March 23, 2020 by

GEODIS has established a number of air charter services to assist customers with urgent shipments during the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. In addition, rail alternatives are being offered to/from China.

Whilst ocean freight continues to be disrupted and air cargo options severely restricted by established carriers cancelling scheduled flights, GEODIS is providing alternative means to move customers’ cargoes between China and Europe as well as on Transatlantic routes.

The first of the air charter services departed from Frankfurt (Germany) on a one-way to Shanghai on the 12th February. In order to facilitate the resurgence in westbound freight out of China, GEODIS quickly followed up on the 21st with the first round trip service departing from Liege (Belgium), again with the destination Shanghai Pudong International.  As of the 28th February weekly round trip flights were established from Frankfurt, with Shanghai departures each Tuesday.  This schedule will remain in place throughout the month of March when consideration of a further extension will be made and is being complemented by flights from Hong Kong to Europe.

GEODIS has continued with its newly introduced direct, dedicated service from Hong Kong to Guadalajara, Mexico, through March.  The next flight will depart Hong Kong on the 22nd.

GEODIS also maintains its offering of rail solutions from major cities in China. Two options are scheduled from Xi’an and Chongqing to the German destinations of Hamburg and Duisburg.  The standard services have an 18 day transit time and from Xi’an to Hamburg an express, 12-day solution is provided.  Return routings are also available.

Immediately following the decision by US authorities to close its borders to visitors from Europe and to prepare for the consequent sharp decrease in commercial cargo capacity, GEODIS established a return air charter program linking Amsterdam and Chicago on a four flights a week schedule. The first flight from Amsterdam will be on the 21st March.

Eric Martin-Neuville, GEODIS Executive Vice President of Global Freight Forwarding explains: “On the current global situation, our priority is to provide reliable and secure transport solutions to our customers to ensure connections between China, Europe and America.”

To further assist customers during this period of disruption, GEODIS is issuing a daily Advisory Bulletin on the Coronavirus Outbreak. This can be found on GEODIS’ website here.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its passion and commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #4 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2019, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.2 billion in sales.

Filed Under: GEODIS

SAL Heavy Lift showcases its offshore capabilities with the Greater Changhua Test-Pile Project in Taiwan

March 10, 2020 by

Hamburg, 10 March 2020

2019 proved to be an important year for SAL Heavy Lift when it came to offshore installation projects. As a highlight the Greater Changhua Test Pile Project in the waters off Taiwan stands out – a project SAL Heavy Lift completed over 3 months together with main contractor Per Aarsleff A/S. It was a complex project whereby SAL could utilize its experience in offshore test piling to ensure a successful project. Making use of MV Lone’s large deck space and a newly installed Fly-Jib, the vessel served as the perfect DP installation platform.

It was SAL’s track record in offshore test piling for offshore wind farms that secured the Greater Changhua Test Pile Project from the Danish engineering and construction house Per Aarsleff A/S. The Greater Changhua Offshore Windfarm is an offshore wind site in the Taiwan Strait ca. 50 km off the coast of Taiwan, which is being developed by Ørsted A/S the Danish utility giant and the holder of the largest offshore wind portfolio in the world. 

SAL was subcontracted for the provision of a DP2 installation vessel, the MV Lone, and to perform pile installation and testing work as part of the pre-piling phase of the project. As the soil of the seabed on the project site had to be ensured, a test foundation was installed on designated locations around the project site. In water depths of 35 m – 40 m, six piles with a length of up to 80m were hammered into the seabed though a special Pile Guide Frame.

To realize the project, a substantial preparation phase was set in motion which turned into the largest mobilization of a vessel in the history of SAL. To be able to lift the long piles vertically, a jib extension to one of the cranes of MV Lone had to be designed, manufactured, installed and tested. This resulted in the Fly-Jib installation on crane no. 2 on Lone which provides up to 23m extra jib length.

The vessel had to be equipped with Temporary Living Quarters (TLQs) and additional lifeboats to be able to host up to 100 people that would be onboard during the project execution. To operate as an offshore installation vessel with so many people on board, MV Lone had to also change its certification from cargo vessel to become a Special Purpose Ship (SPS).

The mobilization took place in Singapore during Spring 2019, where no less than 3 additional SAL vessels supplied the necessary project equipment from both Rotterdam, Shanghai and Esbjerg to the MV Lone. This included, in addition to the Fly-Jib and TLQs, the “Pile Guide Frame” and a special “Load Beam”, both designed and manufactured by Per Aarsleff A/S as well as various purpose built testing equipment, lifting- and handling equipment, the pile driving spread, survey equipment and the ROV spread. In the project port in Taichung, Taiwan six piles were collected, before locating the vessel to the offshore site.

The full test campaign comprised two phases with the tests being performed at two locations.

During the first phase between May and July 2019, two sets of three piles, with a unit weight of up to 140t each, were installed through the Pile Guide Frame at target locations to their required depths.

After a standby period, the second phase taking place during August 2019, involved static and dynamic testing on selected piles on the seabed. These tests provided the engineers from Ørsted with the necessary data to optimize pile design for the planned wind farm.

At the end of the project phase, the installed piles had to be decommissioned from the seabed, making use of a special cutting tool and then lifted back onto the deck of MV Lone transporting them back to shore for recycling.   

With a successful execution completed Project Manager, Peter Munk, Per Aarsleff A/S stated; “The crew of Lone and the SAL Project Team did an outstanding job. We are very impressed with the performance and the results we obtained. It has been a great pleasure to work with the SAL team on this challenging project. Arguably of more importance is the HSE performance which has been excellent”.

ENDS

A video promoting this project can be viewed HERE

About SAL Heavy Lift

SAL Heavy Lift, a member of the Harren & Partner Group, is one of the world’s leading carriers specialized in sea transport of heavy lift and project cargo. The modern fleet of heavy lift vessels offers highly flexible options to customers both within project shipping as well as in offshore projects. With travel speeds of up to 20 knots, up to 3500 square metres of unobstructed main deck space and combined crane capacities ranging from 550 to 2000 tons the fleet belongs to the most advanced in the heavy lift sector.

With the Type 183 fleet, equipped with dynamic position systems and an optional mountable Fly-Jib for greater crane outreach, SAL offers offshore services to multiple sectors. With the Type 171 and 116, SAL holds a fleet of heavy lift vessels with 1A ice class, capable of trading in arctic waters and northern sea route transits. 

As a leading global company in the heavy lift and project cargo segment, SAL meets the highest standards with regard to quality, technical innovation, health, safety and environment. SAL’s latest investments in advanced hydrogen/methanol power generators, takes an industry leading step in applying green technology to its fleet. The global outreach of SAL is ensured via own sales offices and exclusive agents spread across more than 20 countries.

www.sal-heavylift.com  
Filed Under: SAL Heavy Lift

Dachser Expands Facilities in the South East

March 10, 2020 by

Dachser UK has opened an additional site near to its existing 2,500m2 transshipment terminal based in Dartford, Kent on February 24th.

Dartford, UK – 10 March 2020 : Dachser established its first branch office in the South East in 2005 and has now extended this capability by acquiring a fit for purpose 2,700m2  new cross-dock terminal with 25 docking stations and five-level access doors. The combination of the two sites on Crossways Business Park now enables opportunities for production and service improvements for both cross-dock activities and contract logistics.

On top of Dachser’s main import and export activities, there are many additional benefits for customers in the region including contract logistics and value-added warehousing, customs clearance and customs warehousing as well as optimising UK domestic distribution and providing a UK Gateway for North Africa, Turkey, and CIS traffic.

“This investment represents a unique development for our southern UK organisation, the Dachser European network, and all our customers,” commented Mark Rollinson, Managing Director of Dachser UK. “After 15 years of successful growth, we are now even better equipped to adapt and react to any future market challenges and maintain the service levels that our customers have come to expect.”

“By offering our customers a full range of integrated services through this new ‘Dartford Logistics Centre’ we continue to fulfill our mission to create the most intelligent combination of integrated logistical services.” Patrice Ollivier, General Manager – South of Dachser UK, concluded.

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2018 generated total sales worth EUR 5.6 billion. 30,609 staff working in 399 locations worldwide handled 83.7 million consignments comprising 41.3 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics, value added services and international sea and air freight forwarding. 

For more information, please visit   www.dachser.co.uk

Filed Under: Dachser UK

DACHSER celebrates long-service milestone for Rochdale employee

March 9, 2020 by

Rochdale – 9 March 2020  :  Staff at Dachser Rochdale were very happy to celebrate a significant milestone recently when one of its longest standing employees, Les Holdsworth, received a Certificate acknowledging 35 years’ service as an HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driver.  Since joining J.A. Leach Transport Limited, Rochdale, in 1985, Les has worked as a transport driver, continuing his service with Dachser UK, after it purchased Leach in April 2010. 

Les Holdsworth receives a Certificate for 35 years’ loyal and dedicated service.
(l-r)  Gary Atkinson, Branch Manager, Dachser Rochdale; Les Holdsworth; Jon Harrington, Fleet Manager, Dachser Rochdale  

In addition during his many years of loyal service Les achieved a remarkable feat by never taking a single day’s sick leave, an accomplishment acknowledged by Gary Atkinson, Branch Manager at Dachser’s new premises on Kingsway Business Park, Rochdale.

Presenting Les with his certificate, Gary said, “We know that our employees are the company’s greatest assets, and we are delighted to honour Les’ dedicated service and extraordinary commitment. It is with pride and admiration that we congratulate him on this service anniversary milestone.”

ENDS

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser offers transport logistics, warehousing, and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Filed Under: Dachser UK