In The Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

Dutch Logistics Special January 2018

t h g i l t o p S e h t In

2018

FRUIT LOGIS TICA

7|8|9 FEBRUARY BERLIN

fruitlogistica.com Nederlands-Duitse Handelskamer Nassauplein 30 2585 EC Den Haag Tel +31-70-3114 158 g.corbelli@dnhk.org

foreword tlight o p S e h t In

Record In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the export of Dutch agricultural products. Last year, the value of this export segment totalled 85 billion euros - a new record. Also for this sector, Germany is the most important trading partner. More than three quarters of the agricultural exports remain in Europe; mainly tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, meat and dairy are involved. Dutch flowers and plants are traded more outside Europe.

Of the 85 billion euros of agricultural exports, 24 billion is re-exported. These products are imported, processed and then exported. The ‘agri & food’ sector accounts for more than a fifth (22%) of all Dutch exports. Conversely, the Netherlands buys many agricultural products from Germany as well.

19% of Dutch agricultural imports come from our neighbour to the east.

It should be clear that agricultural products generate a lot of activity for the transport and logistics sector.

All modes of transport are essentially used.

In many cases, the transport is conditioned and controlled. Equipment to continuously monitor the conditions during transport plays an increasingly important role in this market segment.

It is these services and technological novelties which you can familiarise yourself with in this Spotlight.

Mels Dees Chief Editor Nieuwsblad Transport

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

3

contents

6

10

Opening: innovation keeps fruit fresh longer

Containerships: fully committed to service and sustainability

8

Thermotraffic: fresh from pick-up to delivery

11

Fresh Park Venlo: fast lane for food into Europe

In the Spotlight Food Logistics is a publication of NT Publishers B.V. Publishing Manager: Arie van Dijk, Sales Manager: Yves Vermeulen Design: Marijke Klos, Coordination: Diana Kamp Editors: Edo Beerda, Mels Dees, Malini Witlox,Translation: Dean Harte Printer: Flyers Online, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Distribution: with Nieuwsblad Transport (Netherlands) and various trade fairs. Š NT Publishers, January 2018 www.ntpublishers.nl Tel. +31 (0)10 280 10 25

4

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

12

Warehousing: safe food

tlight o p S e h t In

9

13

Eurofrigo: expanding for the future

Greenport Venlo: versatile establishment options

14

Stena Line: reliable and punctual routes to the United Kingdom

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

5

intro Because coolness is not distributed evenly throughout a container, things can go wrong when a ship navigates warm areas.

INNOVATION KEEPS FRUIT FRESH LONGER To ensure a constant temperature throughout the entire container, the company Otflow has developed an innovative floor covering consisting of nine pieces of coated cardboard which are joined together by hook-and-loop fastener. The pallets with pre-cooled fruit are placed on top of this. Unfolded across the floor of the reefer, the coated cardboard functions as a ceiling for the cold air. ‘This ensures that the airflow from the cooling installation reaches every corner of the container,’ says Otto de Groot, founder of Otflow. ‘Consequently, the temperature fluctuates much less during shipping than with regular conditioned transport. This can greatly reduce claims for damages.’ According to De Groot, Otflow can bring about a revolution in the shipping and transport industry.

As a damage expert at fruit consultancy firm HDG, De Groot has seen exporters use many tricks to manipulate the airflow over the last 35 years. Often in vain; if the reefer’s temperature recorder indicates an increase, a claim automatically follows. Because insufficient cooling means unwanted ripening. For fragile fruits such as grapes, oranges and kiwis, this results in a shorter shelf life or directly in spoilage. De Groot: ‘The air slots in the floor of a refrigerated container are no longer adequate since transporters of loose boxes have switched to pallets. Otflow restores the pressure build-up that a container needs.’

6

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

Tropics An uneven distribution of cool air mainly leads to problems when a containership travels in tropical regions - where a lot of fruit originates from. In the hold, the reefer will not only have to deal with the warm outside air, but also with the heat generated by other cooling containers.

Damage also occurs in cold areas: here, uneven temperature distribution can lead to freezing. De Groot developed his solution to this problem in collaboration with Wageningen Food & Biobased Research of Wageningen University.

To this end, researchers monitored pre-cooled grapes on transport from South Africa to the Netherlands. On that particular sailing route, the area around the warm equator is the most critical.

According to the measurements, Otflow reduces the temperature differences between the warmest and the coldest spots by approximately 30%. This ensures a lower respiration speed of the fruit, meaning it arrives at its destination fresher. The Otflow has now also been successfully used with a shipment of pineapples from Costa Rica and a shipment of pears from the Netherlands to China.

The Otflow costs 120 euros per container load and is intended for single use.

De Groot: ‘That is less than € 0.01 cent per kilo of fruit. Because your fruit stays fresh, you can immediately recoup this investment.’

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

7

Thermotraffic Fresh from pick-up to delivery Thermotraffic is a globally leading provider of temperature-controlled logistics that offers customers a comprehensive door-to-door service: from pick-up in the country of origin to final distribution in Europe. Clients in the food industry have already been relying on Thermotraffic’s tailor-made solutions for more than 30 years.

Through the use of logistics concepts with a strong focus on customisation and the single-window concept, Thermotraffic is able to completely unburden its clients.

Transporting and handling temperaturesensitive cargo requires a high degree of specialisation and expertise.

Years of experience in cold chain logistics make Thermotraffic uniquely capable to advise clients on the most optimal solution for handling their cargo flows, both in terms of efficiency and costs. ‘Our aim is to deliver top quality,’ says Managing Director Rob Haesakkers of Thermotraffic Holland BV. ‘The customer and food safety come first. Transparency, reliability and visibility throughout the entire supply chain are key to our clients.’

Flexibility Customs clearance, import and export management, quality inspections, cold store services, sea freight and national and international distribution are some of the services offered. A team of professionals arrange the coordination and execution; flexibility and accommodating last-minute

8

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

changes are part of the daily routine at Thermotraffic. Sister company Eurofrigo is among the parties which Thermotraffic works with if goods require inspection, transhipment or storage. With two centrallylocated cold stores in the port of Rotterdam, each with a Border Inspection Post, both companies together offer a joint total solution.

Rob Haesakkers: ‘A further expansion of our company in Europe, as well as in the main food-producing areas overseas, will enable us to grow together with our customers.

Companies like ours have to support our customers to respond to market changes and create flexible, innovative solutions to optimise their supply chains. That is exactly what we do at Thermotraffic.’

Globalisation Thermotraffic is part of Nichirei Corporation, a global market leader in temperaturecontrolled logistics. With 23 Thermotraffic branches across Europe - including in the largest seaports of Belgium, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands - and a global network of group companies and professional partners, the company handles the full import and export of temperature-sensitive products. By combining local presence with extensive European know-how, Thermotraffic is more than able to meet the ever-growing demands of the food industry regarding (product) quality, food safety and supply chain visibility.

THERMOTRAFFIC HOLLAND BV Abel Tasmanstraat 1, Port nr 2783 3165 AM Rotterdam-Albrandswaard The Netherlands T +31 (0)85 040 17 00 E rotterdam@thermotraffic.com I www.thermotraffic.com www.linkedin.com/company/thermotraffic-gmbh?trk=biz-companies-cym www.facebook.com/thermotraffic.logistik/?ref=hl twitter.com/ThermotrGroup

Eurofrigo Expanding for the future With two cold stores in Rotterdam, ‘the Gateway to Europe’, three in Limburg close to the Ruhr area and an expansion under construction at Maasvlakte II, Eurofrigo is ready for the future. Through border inspection points, value-added services, higher temperature ranges, tempering and flexible, tailor-made customer solutions, the company is anticipating the ever-increasing requirements of the food market.

Eurofrigo is part of Nichirei Corporation, a global market leader in temperaturecontrolled logistics. With perfectly located warehouses in Rotterdam harbour (Eemhaven and Maasvlakte), Venlo (two) and Roermond, Eurofrigo provides a full range of logistics services for manufacturers, importers, exporters, traders and other parties in the food sector.

Thermotraffic is a sister company, the expert in cold chain transportation solutions, together Eurofrigo and Thermotraffic deliver door-to-door logistics solutions.

Through multiple border inspection points in Rotterdam, Eurofrigo facilitates a range of border inspection activities. The Rotterdam locations facilitate EU Border Inspection Point (BIP) for human and non-human consumption and phytosanitary inspections.

Expansion capacity Maasvlakte Due to the increasing demands of the market in terms of volume and value-added services, Eurofrigo decided to build an expansion at Maasvlakte in Rotterdam which will be operational early 2019.

Tempering and (re)packing rooms, wider

temperature ranges, more capacity - also for the BIP - will bring more flexibility to meet increasing demands of the fastmoving food market. ‘The new cold store also gives us the opportunity to increase our efficiency at our locations at Maasvlakte and Eemhaven,’ says Jeroen Tempels, the new Managing Director of Eurofrigo. Tempels has many years of experience in the logistics sector and succeeds Derk van Mackelenbergh, who is retiring and will continue to work as an advisor for Eurofrigo until mid-2018.

imported from South America to fish from Vietnam and from French fries from Holland to bakery products from France.

Jeroen Tempels: ‘The market is becoming more and more international, the Internet is developing extremely rapidly increasing our customer demands. Companies like ours have to support our customers to respond to these changes and create flexible solutions to optimize their supply chains. That is exactly what we do at Eurofrigo. The future is coming and we are ready for it.’

Well-established player Eurofrigo has been a well-established player in the market for temperaturecontrolled storage for many years.

The company mainly owes its success to the know-how, flexibility and dedication of the Eurofrigo team as well as to the strategically located cold storage facilities in Rotterdam. Eurofrigo offers extended opening hours, quality inspections, storage and shipment activities which bring much more flexibility. Eurofrigo handles a wide range of food products: from meat

EUROFRIGO BV HEADOFFICE Abel Tasmanstraat 1, Port nr 2783 3165 AM Rotterdam-Albrandswaard The Netherlands T +31 (0)10 491 31 09 E cz@eurofrigo.nl I www.eurofrigo.nl

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

9

Containerships Fully committed to service and sustainability Containerships Rotterdam arranges container transport from door-to-door, mainly focusing on destinations around the Baltic Sea. Speed, sustainability and reliability are key in the company’s service rendering. Among other things, the latter is reflected in the reliability rating of the sailing schedule: 93%.

Containerships Rotterdam is part of the Containerships Group, which is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. The shortsea container shipping line offers standard and tailor-made solutions for transporting containers door-to-door using seagoing vessels, trucks, trains and inland barges. Besides routes to the Baltic Sea, the e­xpert in full-service logistics also arranges the transport of containers to destinations around the North Sea and the Mediterranean.

‘In principle, customers can call on us to transport their containers to any destination, also from quay to quay’‚ says Operations Director Robert Venema of Containerships Rotterdam. ‘But with four departures a week from Rotterdam, our main activity is the full-service transport of containers to ports on the Baltic Sea. Via Teesport, Thamesport, Zeebrugge, Lübeck and Aarhus, this scheduled service for example serves the Baltic States, Russia and Finland.

Since August, our group has also been offering a liner service that mainly sails between Poland and the United Kingdom.’

10

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

With key accounts such as Unilever, Mars, Danone and Inex, Containerships is highly experienced in the transport of food and fresh products. For this purpose, the logistics service provider among other things has many 45-foot pallet wide containers and reefers at its disposal.

Due to the growth of the company, the group is investing 9 million euros in the expansion of its container fleet, which currently consists of 15,000 units.

‘Speed a​​ nd punctuality are extra important for food customers’‚ says Venema. ‘And it is exactly in these areas that we stand out. For example, 96% of our shipments arrived on time in 2016.

We also offer our customers a great deal of flexibility. For example, it is still possible to deliver cargo whilst a ship is already loading.’

DOOR2LNG Project Containerships also aims to differen­ tiate itself regarding sustainability; the company is fully committed to LNG. The group aims to be Europe’s first shortsea container shipping line with a predominantly LNG-powered fleet.

‘To achieve this, we are expanding our northern fleet with four new, large vessels of 1,400 TEU that sail entirely on LNG. The first of these vessels will be commissioned by us in the second quarter of 2018.

Furthermore, we will significantly increase the number of LNG-powered trucks over the next two years.’

Co-financed by the European Union.

Connecting Europe Facility.

CONTAINERSHIPS ROTTERDAM BV Den Hamweg 30, 3089 KK Rotterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)10 428 31 43 E salesrotterdam@containerships.nl HQ CONTAINERSHIPS PLC Linnoitustie 6 C, 02600 Espoo Finland T +35 8 207 441 441 E info@containershipsgroup.com

Fresh Park Venlo Fast lane for food into Europe

Fresh Park Venlo has transitioned from a business park for companies active in fruit and vegetables to one for the entire food sector. What has not changed are the flexible options for commercial real estate and the fast multimodal connections with Rotterdam, Antwerp and the European hinterland.

‘Due to its strategic location, Fresh Park Venlo is the fast lane for food into Europe’, says Jan Vorstermans (Business Development Fresh Park Venlo). ‘That makes it an attractive location for international food companies. Venlo offers quick and easy access to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp and the European hinterland; by road, by rail and by water.

Venlo is connected to the A67 and A73 motorways, has two rail terminals and an inland port with barge and (reefer) container facilities.

Furthermore, the region has four international airports, including Düsseldorf, Maastricht/Aachen and Liège. From Fresh Park Venlo, any destination in Germany can be reached within 24 hours.’

Private dedicated food park The favourable location and excellent facilities have already attracted more than 100 food companies to the 130-hectare business park. Fresh Park Venlo initially housed mainly fruit and vegetable companies, but in recent years it has developed into a thematic park for the entire food sector.

Vorstermans: ‘Fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy, anything food-related are present here, but also floriculture.

Among other things, there are grower groups, processing and packaging companies, logistics service providers and trading companies; big companies, small companies and everything in between. The fact that only companies active in food and fresh products are established here makes it a safe and inspiring environment for companies in these sectors. There is a lot of know-how, all sorts of innovations take place - the food and health researchoriented Brightland Campus Green Port Venlo is nearby - and logistics activities to the European market continue 24/7.

Factors which benefit every company.’

which can be realised here super fast.

A new building can be erected within 10 months. Launching a business or startup, expansion, developing e-commerce activities: everything is possible here.

And as a flexible real estate provider, we are at your service 24/7.’

Fresh Park Venlo works together with Brightland Campus Greenport Venlo (R&D) and LIOF (investments).

Flexible premises Fresh Park Venlo also distinguishes itself with its flexible options in terms of business premises. ‘We can facilitate every party. From cold stores of 100 m² (for a week) to locations in excess of 10,000 m². In addition, there is ample space for new developments,

FRESH PARK VENLO Venrayseweg 102, 5928 RH Venlo The Netherlands T +31 (0)77 323 95 88 M +31 (0)65 323 40 04 E jan.vorstermans@freshparkvenlo.nl I www.freshparkvenlo.nl

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

11

warehousing

SAFE FOOD In 2017, Herbalife Nutrition was runner up of the Safest Warehouse Awards in the Netherlands.

Previously, the company won the Supply Chain of the Year Award and the Great Place to Work Award for the Netherlands in 2015 and 2017.

Herbalife Nutrition is a supplier of food and care products. It has four major distribution centres worldwide: two in the United States, one in Asia and one in Venray in the Netherlands. When the distribution centre in Limburg was opened in 1998, it mainly served Europe. Nowadays, it serves the entire EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), says manager distribution compliance Anthio Straten. The warehouse in Limburg covers 23,000 square meters, almost five soccer pitches. 250 people work in Venray, 160 of whom in the warehouse, explains Martine Christians, health & safety coordinator EMEA. In terms of employee training, the emphasis is on safety. New employees are not allowed to work until they have passed a digital safety test. They also participate in safety quizzes during work meetings.

Every year, a Safety Day is organised for employees, focusing on a specific safety aspect. ‘Safety vests, pictograms, safety demarcations, emergency stops along the pick lines, wheel blocking for trucks, eye wash facilities: I consider these standard’, says Straten, who among other things bears responsibility for inventory

12

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

control, data maintenance, customs, health & safety and supply chain security.

Warehouse management Order pickers constantly come and go.

They collect their products with a pickto-light system. The margin of error is 0.4 percent. Checking for errors is done by weighing the boxes in different locations. The Warehouse Management System (WMS) knows the exact weight of the products and can consequently detect any deviations. The warehouse contains 7,600 different products (with varying ingredients and in various language variants). The shelf life and temperature sensitivity of the products must be taken into consideration as well. Orders of more than 20.8 kilogrammes are systematically distributed over several boxes. The stock at the picking line is continuously supplemented from the bulk warehouse, where the boxes are stored on pallets.

The reach truck is fitted with a camera, enabling the driver to see the exact position of the pallet in relation to the pallet racking. Fast moving items and slow movers all have their own zones, as

do heavy and light products. Air freight has its own closed-off area. Two cargo flows are moved from Venray: products that are packaged on pallets and are transported to local warehouses in the region (for example Madrid, Moscow and Milan) in containers and boxes with products for the so-called members, who are distributors of Herbalife Nutrition. This is because the products are not available in stores, but only through direct sales. Straten: ‘The container flows cannot be combined with the member flows; the latter involves a highly intrinsic distribution system to any imaginable village and city in 13 European countries.

The container flows change in size and are voluminous. In addition to road transport, we also use sea and air transport.

Depending on the final destination, these shipments can be in transit from a few days to a few months. For member shipments, this is one to three days. We pick 3,500 to 8,000 member orders daily, which are delivered to people's homes as quickly as possible via the distribution network.

In the Netherlands for example, we use DPD, and in Scandinavia Bring. Orders that have been confirmed before noon are dispatched the very same day.’

Greenport Venlo Versatile establishment options Greenport Venlo presents a wealth of opportunities for companies active in agro and food looking to develop a new location. ‘Europe's most desirable logistics location’ offers many attractive plots for small and large companies and everything in between.

Development Company Greenport Venlo (DCGV) will gladly assist entrepreneurs looking to set up operations in this hotspot.

With the province of Limburg and the municipalities of Venlo, Venray and Horst aan de Maas as its shareholders, DCGV manages and develops this 5,400-hectare area. Greenport Venlo among other things comprises greenhouse horticulture areas, natural landscapes, a campus and three business parks. ‘Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, with the adjoining working landscape Klaver 14, Agri Business Park Horst and Trade Port Noord all have their own distinctive profiles’, says commercial director Christian Heerings of the development company. ‘Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo is geared to nutrition and healthy food; SMEs, start-ups, knowledge institutions and government organisations active in this field work on innovations here. As a result, the Campus is ideal for establishing and further expanding research and development activities focused on healthy nutrition.’

companies supplying or rendering support services to the greenhouse horticulture sector, which has a strong presence in the region’, explains Heerings.

‘Several plots are available here which lend themselves to flexible use.’

and supports companies looking to set up operations in the area; from the first intake to the construction phase.

‘We can facilitate companies in that process, thus contributing to the rapid realisation of their plans.’

Triple-A location

Innovation At Agri Business Park Horst and Klaver 14, the emphasis is on agrofood and technology.

Due to the location near Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo and Fresh Park Venlo, these business parks are ideally suited for innovative food and agro companies. ‘Furthermore, these locations are perfect for manufacturing and tech­nology companies and for

With plot sizes starting from five hectares, Trade Port Noord offers ample room for large-scale activities and growth. Its strategic location and proximity to two rail terminals and a barge terminal make it a triple-A location for logistics service providers and shippers. ‘Furthermore, work is currently underway on the largest inland rail terminal in the Netherlands, which is planned for completion in late 2019.

Also, a further 50 hectares of business sites will be added to Trade Port Noord in the first half of 2018.’

Facilitation Besides bearing responsibility for land allocation, DCGV also assists

ONTWIKKELBEDRIJF GREENPORT VENLO Innovatoren 9A, Sint Jansweg 15 5928 RC Venlo, The Netherlands T +31 (0)77 850 34 50 E info@greenportvenlo.nl I www.greenportvenlo.nl twitter.com/greenportvenlo linkedin.com/company/ greenport-venlo nl-nl.facebook.com/ greenportvenlo

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

13

Stena Line Reliable and punctual routes to the United Kingdom Reliability and punctuality are two of the many factors that distinguish Stena Line’s daily services between Hook of Holland and Harwich and/or Killingholme. The ferries the shipping line deploys on these routes are fully geared to the transport of fresh products.

With its transport services between Hook of Holland and Harwich and Killingholme, Stena Line connects northwest Europe with England and Ireland.

‘Regarding freight transport on these routes, our focus has been on conditioned cargo for many decades already’, explains Area Sales Manager Nell Eichhorn of Stena Line’s freight division.

‘Consequently, the services we offer to these destinations are completely geared to optimally facilitating both accompanied and unaccompanied refrigerated transport. The ferries for example have many connection points for fridge units and a comprehensive range of facilities for drivers, such as comfortable cabins with showers and toilets and a designated restaurant.

The ferries are frequently used for transporting vegetables, fruit, flowers, plants and meat to retailers in the United Kingdom. The fact that our Killingholme service has good onward connections with the ferry services between Holyhead and Dublin also

14

In the Spotlight Food Logistics 2018

makes it ideally suited for serving the market in (Northern) Ireland.’

Speed ​​and efficiency With Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica, Stena Line offers two departures a day from Hook of Holland to Harwich and back. The shipping line uses the ferries Stena Transit and Stena Transporter for daily services to and from Killingholme.

‘Speed is key in the transport of fresh products’, says Eichhorn. ‘This means the departure times are specifically connected to the needs of our customers, both for inbound and outbound freight. The check-in and inspection processes fully revolve around speed and efficiency as well.

Since it is so essential for our customers that the ferries arrive on time, punctuality and reliability play a central role throughout our entire service provision.’

Rest time According to Eichhorn, a major advantage of ferry transport is that the crossing time ‒ the Hook of Holland-Killingholme route, for example, takes roughly eleven

hours ‒ qualifies as rest time for the driver.

‘While the transport continues, the driver is resting, meaning he is fully ready to resume driving again upon arrival in the port.’ In order to serve its customers even better, Stena Line among other things invests in the further automation of processes. A good example of this is the recently introduced Freight Planner app that allows for freight to be booked aboard the ferries 24/7.

STENA LINE T +31 (0)174 389 456 E salessupport.nl@stenaline.com I www.stenalinefreight.com www.linkedin.com/company/stena-line twitter.com/stenaline

Project cargo operations are extremely complex and depend greatly on precision, know-how and insight in current trends and technologies.

That is why both information and networking opportunities are in great demand in this segment of the transport and logistics industry.

A NEW PLATFORM Existing trade fairs are not only expensive, but also difficult to reach for companies connected with the major project cargo ports of Northern Europe: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zeeland and Antwerp.

On April 24 and 25, the PROJECT CARGO SUMMIT 2018 offers a fresh approach to B2B-networking.

Located in one of Rotterdam’s distinctive heritage venues, this platform provides a combination of in-depth information, business opportunities and networking experience.

CONFERENCE

|

EXHIBITION

|

WORKSHOPS

|

NETWORKING DINNER

www.projectcargosummit.com

NT Publishers B.V. P.O. Box 200, 3000 AE Rotterdam The Netherlands

www.ntpublishers.nl