Experts in chemical logistics Haanpaa

EXPERTS IN

CHEMICAL LOGISTICS

Leading liquid logistics provider Haanpaa has a solid grip on the Baltic Sea market and a growing presence in bordering countries. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to business unit manager, Jussi Kares, to find out how this opportunity is being maximised.

Value-added logistics provider Haanpaa specialises in the reliable transportation of chemicals throughout the Baltic Sea region. Established in 1946 when founder Jussi Haanpaa bought his first truck, the company has always been true to its promise of ‘natural growth’, which has resulted in a trusted company that has grown steadily in response to the growing demands of its customers. With a blue-chip client list that includes many of the world’s biggest names in chemical production, Haanpaa’s position has been gained through years of service.

The ‘natural growth’ of Haanpaa reached a milestone in 1976 when its previous transportation focus of timber, dry goods and fuel started to include chemicals, a decision prompted when it acquired a domestic transportation company with activities in this sector. Expansion and strategic acquisition continued, with the 1999 purchase of Sweden’s leading chemical transportation company ADR-Transport AB. Family-owned until 2002 when a lean reorganisation saw it sold to investors, Haanpaa is now the largest chemical logistics provider between Nordic countries and continental Europe. Impressive results

Today, Haanpaa achieves annual sales of around €95 million, with a 20 per cent market share of the Baltic Sea chemical logistics sector, gained through an annual six million tonne transportation roster that utilises its 400 truck and intermodal units. Business unit manager Jussi Kares told Industry Europe, “Our acquisitions have primarily been buying or taking over competitors and small niche players in the local chemical transportation industry, so we have gained considerable additional expertise and local market knowledge as well as increasing in size. We work with road tankers, tank containers and warehousing services to guarantee that our total logistics solution meets the very exacting demands of the large chemical corporations.”

The value-added logistics services provided by Haanpaa also include consignment stock management, warehouse logistics, forwarding and customs services thanks to its fleet of trucks and intermodal transportation units. All the transport units are designed to meet the strictest international regulations for hazardous and non-hazardous chemical logistics, as well as liquid chemicals and various gases.

Mr Kares explained how the ever-growing network of Haanpaa’s transportation provision allows the company to serve its customers better. He said, “The marriage of our acquisitions and thoroughly modern fleet of trucks and intermodal units ensures that we meet the needs of our customers, who usually require a full logistics service from one provider. Traditionally, there were a number of small players in Scandinavia each focused on one aspect of the liquid chemical logistics value chain, but the trend is now for the whole service to be delivered from one hand. All our activities – from acquisition to training to investment – are centred on providing that total liquid chemical logistics service for our customers in a reliable, cost-effective and ecologically responsible manner.”

Responsible delivery

Ecological sustainability is an important element in Haanpaa’s day-to-day activities, with its commitment to delivering all products in the most environmentally considerate way

possible, a promise that has been in place for more than 10 years. The company’s range of sustainability practices includes driving with maximum loads and minimising empty driving. It has a sophisticated IT system that tracks and manages all orders geographically so that good planning of loading points and space in trucks allows the volumes to be transported in the most effective manner. The intermodal transport units support this, with Haanpaa carefully choosing the best logistics solutions in relation to chemical type, timing of delivery and management of complete loads.

With Haanpaa’s Baltic Sea region its strongest market, the company is working hard to actively develop activities in neighbouring countries. Russia in particular represents an interesting market. Mr Kares explained, “For many years the Russian chemical transportation industry has relied on rail, but this system is slow and rather inflexible. Global companies such as the major chemical producers which are our customers demand speed and quality of logistics now, with small shipments according to the demands of their receivers. Rail cannot provide this, so our expertise in road and intermodal transportation, as well as excellent regional knowledge, is perfectly suited to the growing Russian market. We can make deliveries every day, and we have an extended network of subcontractors as well as our 500 employees to meet the global needs of our customers.”

The future of Haanpaa is different from its recent past in that the company is not actively looking to make additional acquisitions, but rather to concentrate on using its existing network to grow organically within its target areas, particularly Russia. Furthermore, it intends to further improve its intermodal logistics provision to continue to guarantee that it is offering the best possible solutions for its customers’ chemical transportation needs, including efficiency, reliability, speed and ecological responsibility. Mr Kares concluded, “We want to be the best and most reliable chemical logistics partner in the Baltic Sea area, with increasingly strong results in Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and western Russia.” n