PRIME NEWS 5. EDITION, DECEMBER 2012
Social responsibility or social indifference - do we have to take responsibility? page 26
NEW ROUTE between Turkey and Denmark page 10
Shoulden’t there be room for FUN?
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CONTENT Prime Cargo family album Meet Lorrie, Keld, Gary, Oscar and Oscar page 4-6 Business areas What is it that customers demand and we are developing in the right direction? page 7-9 Prime Cargo goes Turkish Delight New route with two weekly departures from Istanbul page 10-11 Online Stores We have one of the fastest growing logistics solutions in the industry page 12-13 F4E Read about Fulfilment 4 Europe and what the network brings to us page 14-15 Ownership and leadership are two very different things Read about the change from Jesper to Morten page 16-21 High:five A helping hand to those who have ended on the wrong side of the law page 22-26 Trainee at Prime Cargo Read about our new team of warehouse and logistics students and hear from William Christensen and Anne Corydon about their experiences as trainees page 27-32 Prime United Are you intrested in football?
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PRIMUS See why Ole wanted to be a part of PRIMUS page 34-35 DROP YOUR PANTS Read about the Red Cross’ Clothing Collection Day, which we sponsor ag ain this year page 36-37 Birthdays and anniversaries
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Welcome to the first edition of the new Prime News EDITORIAL: Prime News is intended to take the reader behind the scenes. We want to provide an insight into the people, the ideas and the spirit of our company. What is it exactly that makes Prime Cargo different in an otherwise very stereotypical sector like the transport and logistics industry? In this edition you can meet our newly qualified trainees and hear about their experiences in what for them is a whole new industry, as well as their vision of the future. We also take a closer look at the new warehouse and logistics training that we now offer in collaboration with EUC Lillebælt, and which currently
has 12 new trainees. The High Five project is about more than just social responsibility. It is about giving young people with a criminal background a second chance and teaching them to take responsibility for their lives. Meet René Aagaard, for whom Prime Cargo is a way back onto the right path to a working life with plenty of exciting content. Finally, we draw a portrait of the man behind it all. One of the founders of Prime Cargo, Jesper Høilund, retired as group CEO on 1 August and is looking forward to becoming chairman of the board. We take a look back to where it all started, and hear about how
he envisages the future for the company. We look forward to welcoming you to our world. Yours sincerely, Morten Høgsberg Nielsen
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Prime Cargo F Age: 31 Position: Bookkeeper Family: Married and gave birth to a daughter in 2011 Leisure interests: Hiking and reading books
Lorrie Lou - shenzhen
I started at Prime Cargo in Shenzhen in April 2008 as bookkeeper. I got married and in January 2011 I gave birth to a lovely daughter. After my birth, the company gave me flexible working hours to give me more time with my daughter. I was very touched by this and I’m very happy to be working at Prime Cargo in Shenzhen.
Keld Kristensen - Kolding Age: 33 Position: Forwarding agent, air freight imports Family: Single & no children Interests: Football, skiing, family & friends I’ve been at Prime Cargo for approximately 10 years with a short detour to Austria as a ski instructor.
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Family Album Age: 31 Position: Sales Family: Married in 2012 Leisure interests: I like to play basketball and go to the beach in the summer
ga ry ch
eung -
hong ko ng
I started as a salesman at Prime Cargo in Hong Kong in 2008. Before that I worked at Hellmann and then at the forwarding agent World Asia for 4 years.
OSCAR XIU - bEIJING Age: 26 Position: Sea freight operator Leisure interests: In my spare time I play football, pool and spend time with my friends. I also love to travel. I have worked at Prime Cargo for more than 4 years and I with my 26 years I am now the oldest employee in the sea freight department. I am responsible for export to the United States and Canada.
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Lasse Stjerne Brøste - Kolding Age: 36 Position: Terminal Manager Terminal 3 Family: Married to Monika. We have the boys Oskar and Viktor of 8 and 5 respectively. Interests: Coach a league 2 team in handball. Also played on this team, but unfortunately had to stop last year due to a slipped disc. Also enjoys taking the boys to the MCH Arena, as FCM occasionally play some good football... My responsibilities are distributed over both terminals 1 and 3. The customers that are now located at T1 were at T3 until the summer of 2010, but as the tasks in this group are still very similar to the rest of the customers at T3, the responsibility was left with me.
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Business areas Welcome to Prime Cargo - what can we do for you? Just as the world is constantly changing, our industry is changing too. What was the latest new thing a few years ago, is now no longer what our customers need. The willingness to change is therefore one of our primary tasks for the future. It is no longer simply a question of being able to ship a product from A to B as cheaply as possible, but more about how we work with our customers to optimize their needs so that we create value for them and their clients. At Prime Cargo, we have several business areas to offer, which helps to make development really exciting because we have the ability to affect our customers’ logistics requirements in a range of areas. It also offers both us and our customers the advantage that we can gather as much as possible under one roof. Imports The basic element of the company since its inception in 1998, has been the transport of goods from the Far East to Europe by sea or air. Over the years we have built up a product that is among the best in the market. From the beginning we have focused on the reliability of the product. We know that the long transport
times is often one of the biggest challenges for our customers. We therefore offer our customers several fixed weekly departures from most of the Far East to Europe, which means that as soon as our customer has placed an order, we can advise them on when the order is scheduled for delivery to their customer.
A B
Our competence lies in the handling of consolidation cargo. This requires a more �hands-on� service than standard container transport and it is important, therefore, that we constantly act as a liaison between our customers and their suppliers. Exports Over the years we became aware of the need to offer our customers an export service, and we now offer a global export solution for both sea freight and air freight. In recent years, the emerging markets of the Far East have also
been interesting markets for European companies. Having our own network of offices means that we can offer customers a unique solution - not least when it comes the complicated customs process that sometimes occurs upon arrival to the Far East. The idea of being able to diversify has always been a core concept at Prime Cargo. Therefore, we decided early on to establish warehousing around the world, where we could offer our customers handling and processing of the incoming goods. This means that over time we have developed a strong expertise in warehousing and logistics. Steamline Steamline offers suppliers of the Fashion and Textile industry the ability to send goods home ”flat packed”, after which we take responsibility for unpacking, hanging garments on hangers, quality control and pressing in the steam tunnel. This is not only an economically interesting solution, but also provides customers with the assurance that the products are always presented to their clients in the best possible way. Storage management The company’s logistics department now offers our customers a wide range of ”business to business” solutions, whether it is assortment picking, single piece handling or cross docking. Previously, solutions were based on the Scandinavian market, but today we offer solutions worldwide through our customs warehouses. The logistics are currently gathered at 5 terminals around the world. From here we
manage the requirements of each customer. Usually we take over after our customer has placed an order with their supplier, and then we manage the process all the way until the order is delivered to our customers’ client. Online Stores The latest addition is the handling of e-commerce solutions, namely our Online Stores. Prime Cargo was among the pioneers in this market, and from the start we wanted to offer Scandinavian companies the opportunity to outsource their ”business to consumer” orders to a logistics partner with vast experience of handling individual pieces. We have great confidence in this market and we anticipate an increasing interest from both European customers who wish to gather their global B2C solution under one roof, but also from overseas companies looking to enter the European market. Later in the magazine you will have the opportunity to read much
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more about the exciting developments that the Online Stores department has undergone and about our expectations for the product in the future. With us, you can combine the skills we have from the various logistics departments and buy a complete solution, or you can choose
the individual product you specifically require. Regardless of what you need, there are many years of experience and industry knowledge behind all of our solutions. WMS It is no longer adequate to offer an exciting solution. We must also be able to gather and present information for our customers. This transparency is one of the most value-creating services that a transport and logistics company can offer their customers. Prime Cargo has therefore developed a unique WMS over a number of years a unique WMS (Warehouse Management System), which provides our customers with the opportunity to continuously monitor their specific order in the system and to see when they can expect delivery to their customer. But the unique feature is that the system is so flexible that we can constantly adapt to each customer’s specific needs, ensuring that we are constantly creating value in relation to our customers. We look forward to serving you - how can we help you?
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Prime Cargo goes turkish delight! From January 2013 we begin our new road route between Turkey and Denmark together with our Turkish partner AS-AV Transport. We will begin with our own trailers and with two weekly departures from Istanbul. There will be departure Wednesday with delivery of goods in Denmark the following Tuesday and a Saturday departure from Istanbul with delivery in Denmark the following Thursday. - Turkey has for many years been a very interesting market for Danish companies, says CEO Morten Nielsen, Prime Cargo. - Especially the last few years, interest has increased as the companies have shifted some production back to Europe from the Far East. Therefore, we have high expectations for our new service with AS-AV Transport, who has many years of experience in road transport throughout Europe.
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Online Stores We have one of the fastest growing logistics solutions in the industry
Since its inception in 1998, it has been Prime Cargos primary task to follow our customer’s development and offer them the latest logistics solutions in the industry. We didn’t hesitate, when in 2008 we received an inquiry from a customer about whether we were interested in assisting them with the development and management of their webshop. We had over several years built up a vast experience in handling single piece orders for business to business. With this experience, the task seemed well suited for us and we committed ourselves enthusiastically to the task.
“we have one of the fastest growing logistics solutions in the industry” Now, 4 years after the start-up of our Online Stores concept, we have one of the fastest growing logistics solutions in the industry. Online Stores currently covers more than 12,000 m2 in Kolding, and we handle orders both from some of the industry’s largest retail customers as small niche shops online. Our solutions include the handling of orders and delivery to most of the world and everything from reception and regi-
stration to returning of orders. In fact, most of Online Stores’ customers now allow Prime Cargo to handle their orders all the way from the supplier to their customer’s door. Part of the success is due to being in constant dialogue with our customers. This, combined with a close dialogue with the consumers, ensures that we can always offer our customers the latest and best solutions on the market. For a long time, the return of goods was a challenge for many companies, but our pre-defined return solution and detailed input control means that we ensure that our customers and their clients experi-
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ence a painless and easy handling of returns. The latest addition to our product range is that we can now offer our customers evening delivery to the door. We want to deliver the goods when our customers’ clients are at home. We also offer our customers, in collaboration with our in-house partner, Packshoot, that after receipt of goods, we can prepare the goods for photographing. This saves customers valuable time and the goods can quickly be displayed on the web and shipped to the consumers.
We have a clear objective with Online Stores: We want to be Scandinavia’s leading logistics solutions partner for web-shops! We have already made great progress. However, our ambitions don’t stop there, and we have already begun to keep an eye on new markets, which could be interesting for Online Stores’ solutions. Among them is our second home-market, China.
*Pre-defined return solution Prime Cargo has from the outset focused on ensuring that the return process is also prioritised when consumers shop online. A well-explained return process for the consumer, starting from the terms and conditions on the website and a functional and useful return form in combination with a variety of return options that are pre-paid, provide the consumer with the greatest possible ”convenience”, which is what it’s all about when shopping online. We are also testing a solution in Denmark where we collect returned goods from the consumer, in order to ensure that we are at the cutting edge of future requirements.
F4E - A pan-European network of fulfilment companies In May, Prime Cargo was host for the first time since we became a member in 2011 of Fulfilment for Europe, or F4E as it is known. The idea behind the network is to establish a pan-European network of fulfilment companies, which can then be better equipped to collaborate with major international companies from e.g. the USA or China, who wish to enter the European market.
to show off our business - from warehouse to office and sea freight to customs clearance before we started the workshop, which was held at Trapholt. We achieved our goal and once again we were praised for the incredibly professional set-up we have here in Kolding.
The network also has an additional attraction for Prime Cargo, since we are the only member with practical experience in shipping and come from that industry. For our Online Stores department, the network is also particularly interesting because we have no real competitors in the Scandinavian market. We therefore wish to develop with inspiration from our European neighbours and the United States. We can see that this inspiration is something we can find in the network. First mover in e-commerce We are certainly a ”first mover” in ecommerce logistics in Scandinavia, but we are also fully aware that we don’t have to move very far south of the border before we meet highly competent competition from companies whose approach, volume and experience are well advanced. Our ambition is therefore to learn from these players, and thereby ensure the necessary development in our ”home market”, which is essential in order to continue to be a ”first mover” into the future. We therefore pulled out all the stops
From left to right Front row: Lars Ole Henriksen (Prime Cargo), Søren Miené (Prime Cargo), Andr mas Brugge Grarup (Steamline) and Rob Smeddle (Clientbase Fulfillment). Middle row: Peter Slatcher (Prime Cargo), Michael Peters (PVS Fulfillment), Jac Cargo), Andreas Kreickmann (PVS Fulfillment), Bjørn Kristensen (Prime Cargo) Back row: Morten Høilund (Prime Cargo), Aliston Stone Thompson (Eurobase),
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New cooperation posibilities Results have not eluded us in the commercial area either, and we have been contacted several times since about interesting opportunities for cooperation, which are currently being discussed by management. We therefore expect that F4E will provide an increasing number of
reas Scherrer (Scherrer Textillogistik), Luigi Bianchi (ShipLeader), Tho-
ck A. Zijlstra (Freightways Distriservices BV), Louise Hynkemejer (Prime ) and Morten Nielsen (Prime Cargo). Julie Colclough (Eurobase) and David Fanous (Clientbase Fulfillment).
relevant tasks throughout the organization during 2012/13. However, the really big fish have not yet been landed through the network, and we should probably be realistic and acknowledge that it requires at least one or two more workshops before we are ready to team up with the really big ones. If you have further questions, please contact Peter Slatcher or Søren MienÊ. Read more at http://www.f4e-fulfillment.com/
Fulfilment for Europe is a pan European network within B2C solutions. Our aim is to provide the customer a wide solutions in Europe within handling webshops, call centers, logistic etc.
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To the left CEO Morten Nielsen and to the right former CEO and future chairman of the Board..
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Ownership and leadership are two very different things For the first time in Prime Cargo’s history, it is not an owner that is the head of the company One company - eight owners. Outsiders did not have much faith in Prime Cargo’s chances when the company was established in 1998. But the Kolding company still exists and is growing strongly. The ownership structure is the same, but there is new management since the summer of 2012: 61 year old Jesper Høilund has handed over the leadership to 33 year old Morten H. Nielsen. This is the first time in Prime Cargo’s history that there is not an owner at the head of the company.
- We have been lucky to find someone who has the courage to be CEO of an owner-lead company. Many others would have run away screaming, but Morten has shown that he can lead a company where the owners are also employees, says Jesper Høilund.
He makes no secret of the fact that the owners must make room for the new CEO: - As owners, it ap”Vi har været heldige at plies even more than previously finde en, der har mod Jesper Høilund has been CEO of the company that ownership på at være direktør i en since the eight partners and colleagues for and leadership are ejerledet virksomhed. many years, chose to go their own way and two very different Hvor mange andre ville establish Prime Cargo. things. - Our roles were clearly defined from the start løbe skrigende bort, har Jesper Høilund is - we each had our tasks and strengths, says also making physiMorten vist, at han kan Jesper Høilund. lede en virksomhed, hvor cal space for his As a long-time leader and oldest member of ejerne også er ansatte”. successor. Since the group, he was the natural choice as CEO. Morten H. Nielsen But now he has delivered his baby. has taken over the - I have been involved from the very begindaily business, Jesper has worked from home. ning, where we drew the logo and decided - But I still have a key to the company, he says what the company should be called. But I have with a smile. no problem letting go. I can feel that everyThe former and current CEO also talk to each thing will be fine, says Jesper Høilund, future other almost every day. chairman of the board. - We often discuss subjects, and it’s great to have Jesper close to the organization, says New role Morten H. Nielsen. Jesper Høilund is very conscious of his new role.
Prime Cargo broke A new approach The starting point for establishing Prime Cargo in 1998 was to do things differently: - Many shipping companies repaged in humble locations in the remotest corner of the harbour, preferably without any art on the walls.
But we wanted things to look good. Most of our customers are from the textile industry, and we would like to resemble those we work with, says Jesper Høilund. His successor Morten H. Nielsen confirms the
”The bank asked if we had a contract or agreement with our largest customer. We said no: We only have a handshake. But that was enough for us.”
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e the norms impression. - When customers come here, they often say that it is a ”different” place to visit. We would like both our customers and employees to thrive in this house, says Morten H. Nielsen. Prime Cargo has also had a staff association from the very beginning, and there has always been a focus on human resource management. Development and growth Moreover, Prime Cargo’s owners did not focus only on ”Euro and cents”. Naturally, the bottom line had to be black and there had to be an opportunity to invest in future activities. - But I think that the requirements for earnings are prioritised differently in companies that have external shareholders or investors. It has just never been the primary focus for us, says Jesper Høilund. The fact that this is not just a cliché is illustrated by a story from years back, when Prime Cargo needed to borrow money from the bank for a larger building. - The bank asked if we had a contract or agreement with our largest customer. We said no: We only have a handshake. But that was enough for us, says Jesper Høilund. - 14 years ago we had no internal meetings, budgets or visit reports - but as we grew larger, we were obliged to deal with all the necessary ”corporate nonsense”. This in turn means that today we have become much better at keeping up with how things develop. We have become a ”real” company, admits Jesper Høilund. - But that must never impede the creativity and energy at Prime Cargo.
facts •
Prime Cargo is owned by Jesper Høilund, Lasse Petersen, Lars Ole Henriksen, Bjørn Christensen and Peter Høilund (all from Kolding), and John Christensen, David Ng and Ricky Cheung in the Far East.
•
The Prime Cargo Group currently has about 500 employees at sites in Denmark, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Egypt and Norway. In addition, the company has agents among others in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
•
Prime Cargo’s first building was constructed at Profilvej in Kolding in 2000. Since then it has expanded in several stages, so there are currently 75,000 m2 of warehouse. There are an additional 5,000 m2 of warehouse space in Greve.
Prime Cargo must continue to grasp new opportunities A new man is in charge of Prime Cargo, and this obviously creates expectations of what will happen in the future. Because naturally there will be new initiative, but there are also many positive things to be retained. - We are happy with the position we have and are content to be at a level just below the major players, says Morten H. Nielsen, pointing out that Prime Cargo will continue to focus on the business sectors of transport & logistics, fashion and on-line. - There is potential for growth in all areas, and we are very comfortable standing on three legs, he explains. One of the things that have characterized Prime Cargo over the years, is that we have the courage to grasp new opportunities. The company was among the first Danish-owned logistics companies in China - and right now Prime Cargo is establishing a beachhead in Africa, and 2-3 new destinations are in our sights. - We must also have the same courage in the future. We must develop with our customers
and be aware of where the market is heading, so we can talk about 2020 solutions with our customers, says the new CEO. - The criterion for success is that we can maintain the culture and principles of the company, while at the same time operating a little more systematically, says Morten H. Nielsen, fully aware that it is the employees who are the basis for the company’s success: - It is their desire, energy and commitment that bring us further, and so I don’t anticipate any major changes in management style. Jesper has been fantastic at providing the employees with opportunities to try new things, and it remains the philosophy of the company that the employees should have the chance to develop and take responsibility, says Morten H. Nielsen. That is what we are known for: if you have ambition and commitment, then there are opportunities at Prime Cargo.
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Morten H. Nielsen’s route to Prime Cargo
Jesper Høilund’s route to Prime Cargo
Morten H. Nielsen was trained at Mahé in Billund in the late 1990s. He was stationed in the U.S. for two years and shortly after his return, he travelled to Sydney for the German company Röhlig.
Jesper Høilund completed his training in 1968 at Samson in Kolding. He remained there for a number of years and gained his first experience of fashion logistics.
In 2006, Morten H. Nielsen was employed by Prime Cargo to start an export department, as Prime Cargo had until then only focused on import. Then in 2008, Morten H. Nielsen was also made responsible for Prime Cargo’s sales department. Morten H. Nielsen is married to Katja and the couple have two children, Tobias is 4 and Ida Marie is 1 year.
In 1984, Jesper Høilund helped to establish a Kolding branch of ’Speditionscentret’, where he was responsible for traffic from the Far East. When the company was taken over by Transportgruppen, Jesper Høilund started in 1988 with Scancargo, working with the same tasks: Focus on the Far East based from Kolding. Once again the company he worked for was sold - this time to ASG. Jesper Høilund remained for a number of years in Kolding, before moving with his family to Beijing. In 1998 he returned to Denmark and on 1 April he established Prime Cargo together with seven other partners. Jesper Høilund is 61 years old and married to Marianne. They have two sons, Morten and Jacob.
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Everyone needs a second chance
High:Five consists of former employees in the municipalities, police, probation service and private companies, and over the years it has increased from 5 to 16 employees, all with extensive experience in working with ex-offenders. The initiative’s director, Ole Hessel, who has 25 years’ experience with the police, explains: - High:Five was located at the centre of society between public authorities on the one hand and private companies on the other, and it was important for us to create our own identity with clear positions and intentions. We wish to be a serious extension of the public work taking place around ex-offenders, while also providing a professional service for the many companies that basically want to help disadvantaged individuals enter the labour market, but need qualified help to do so. The clear framework The eye of the needle is small when High:Five visits the many people who contact us, or who are sent to us by the municipalities, the police or the probation service.
- We require the young people to take responsibility for their own lives. We are not their parents, and businesses are not social-pedagogical institutions, so they have to deliver the goods, which means that they must be committed to working, putting their criminality behind him, be drug free and have a permanent place to live. Their lives are reviewed with a fine-tooth comb, and we only send those we believe in out to the companies, says Ole Hessel. Businesses get free assistance High:Five is employed to provide free assistance to help
companies implement social responsibility, and according to Ole Hessel, this requires a
clarification of expectations and clear communication about the requirements and expectations regarding the collaboration. - We always inform companies thoroughly about the candidates that we propose to them, and we discuss the circumstances
In early 2006, the Business Forum for Social Responsibility founded High:Five. The Business Forum, which includes 13 of the most prominent companies regarding social responsibility, engages in frequent sparring with the Minister for Employment. The aim of High:Five was to help the country’s businesses provide jobs and training for people who had been in conflict with the law, but who wanted a normal life with a job and education. related to an appointment, but it is always the company that takes the decision, because it is them and not us who are hiring, says Ole Hessel. Both before, during and after the employment of the person, High:Five’s staff provide advice, guidance and support to the company and the mentor, who is tasked with getting the candidate started, and the mentor can participate for free in High:Five’s mentoring course, which is held twice a year. - When we talk with companies about social responsibility, there are rarely very many requirements from the company. They are not too worried about what the candidate has done in the past, as long as they have stopped, arrive on time and try to make an effort. It’s our job to ensure that they do, adds Ole Hessel. Many positive companies More than a thousand companies have expressed an interest in working with High:Five and stories about our effectiveness and success are spread-
ing rapidly among enterprises. - We only succeed if the companies also succeed. We receive a great deal of feedback from our companies, and what they are saying is that the candidates we provide are highly motivated and loyal to the company, that the other employees are proud to make a difference for another person, and that customers and suppliers appreciate the cooperation with a socially responsible company. It’s a win-win-win situation for the candidate, the company and for society - so there is no reason not to continue, says Ole Hessel.
Facts about High Five High:Five was established in 2006 by the Business Forum for Social Responsibility and is funded by the Ministry of Employment. HRH Prince Joachim is the patron of the initiative. High:Five has 16 employees nationwide who assist businesses to include ex-offenders in the labour market, and throughout the country we have positive and constructive cooperation with local authorities, police and probation services. More than 800 people have been assisted into jobs or training, and more than 3 times as many have received guidance and support from High:Five to help them move forward on their own initiative. In recent years, from early 2010 until now, High:Fives’ employees have managed to retain 89% of the ex-offenders in a new and brighter future.
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René Aagaard
FACTS Name: René Aagaard Age: 23 Children: Daughter Tenna, 5 Living at home with his mother and father after having lived away from home since he was 15. Came on the wrong track René had problems from a young age. René dropped out of 7th grade (first year of the Lower Secondary Education) when he became tired of school. The reason was partly due to his dyslexia and the fact that he was simply full of energy. Rather than sit and learn German and algebra with his classmates, René
preferred to work on and off in his parents’ bakery. Rene’s parents had become independent at an early age: at only 20 they already owned a grocery and 3 bakeries. On the fringes of the law In 2007, when René is 18 years old, things went very wrong. René is remanded in custody in
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Kolding for robbery and has to serve a total of 4 months of the 10 month sentence imposed. And worse was to follow In early 2008, René begins work at Prime Cargo. Unfortunately, he is diagnosed with a depression that lasts for 3 years. During that period, René suffers increasingly from negative thoughts and he resorts to drugs and steroids. This finally results in two convictions for violence - the last in 2011, for which he is released in the summer. In prison, René has a very good contact person who introducs him to High:Five. - I don’t want to continue on this path, and my daughter is getting so old that she shouldn’t have to visit her father in prison, so I saw this as a golden opportunity to escape from it all, explains René. High:Five proposes different companies, but René has been so positive about Prime Cargo as a workplace, that he wants to go back there. High:Five therefore contacts Prime Cargo who knows René and wants to help him. René starts at Terminal 2 in July 2011 and since May 2012 as a trainee Warehouse and Logistics Operator at Terminal 2. Rene’s goals for the future? - First I want to finish my education as a Warehouse and Logistics Operator, and then we’ll see what the future holds.
Dopamin = the brain’s means to hapiness Rene’s abuse of drugs and steroids combined with his depression (Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be traced back to one page of his family) means that he will never come off his depression medication. Drugs have destroyed the dopamine balance in his brain, so he needs medication. Dopamine is the chemical in the brain that makes us feel in a good mood and gives us enthusiasm and energy. Every time we eat, laugh or run, the substance is released in our brains. When you take a stimulant drug - whether its cigarettes, alcohol, amphetamine or cocaine - it increases the amount of dopamine released in the brain. You become happier, more relaxed, uncertainty disappears and you feel on top. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount of dopamine in the brain, and so we cannot continue to secrete dopamine forever. An average brain’s dopamine levels are kept in balance, so we don’t experience sudden and wild mood swings. A drug-affected brain, on the other hand, uses the entire stock of dopamine at the same time.
Social responsibility or social indifference? Do we as a large company have a social responsibility or can we afford social indifference and leave everyone to their own devices? - We certainly have a social responsibility as a major international logistics company, says HR Manager Charlotte Johannessen, and one of the ways we try to help is through High:Five. We have previously had employees without completely clean criminal records and we had success with that, so when High:Five got in touch with us, we saw it only as an advantage that they were part of the recruitment process. They have the experience, they are good sparring partners and they only work with criminals, who themselves believe that they will have a job after 3 months. High:Five contacted us last spring to see if we were interested in employing René, and since René had already been with us once before, and we were happy with his work, we saw it simply as a golden opportunity. And it’s turned out well. because over the past year, René has proven to be talented, conscientious, responsible and generally just a very pleasant person to be around. We were very pleased that as a step to getting on with his life, he decided to start our warehouse and logistics training, so in about 2½ years, he can call himself a warehouse and logistics operator, says Charlotte Johannessen with a smile. - If we want to recruit more employees via High:Five? Yes, absolutely. It has been such a positive experience with René, that we are already in the process of finding the next employee through High:Five, explains Charlotte.
PRIME CARGO INTERNATIONAL OFFICES:
COPENHAGEN, KOLDING, OSLO, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, BEIJING, QINGDAO, XIAMEN, SHENXHEN, NINGBO, DALIAN, HANOI,HO CHI MINH CITY, EGYPT ...
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Trainee team starts at Prime Cargo Team spirit: The logistics company in Kolding has taken on 12 warehouse trainees on 1 July. They will work and attend school together. By Gwyn Nissen In recent years, Prime Cargo in Kolding has only occasionally accepted warehouse trainees into the company. Now all that has changed: On Monday, 2 July, 12 trainees began their careers in the logistics business.
would be better if they obtained a qualification at the same time, something they may be able to use in their further education, says Charlotte Johannessen. In future, however, Prime Cargo will increasingly invest in its own skilled employees.
The 12 students will not only work together, they will also attend school together. The trainee project is part of a collaboration with EUC LillebĂŚlt, and by taking on 12 trainees, Prime Cargo will have its own class at the school. - This means that we can more easily follow them in their schooling, but first and foremost it means that we can help to decide when the students are at school. It will typically be during periods when there is not so much activity at the warehouse, explains HR Manager Charlotte Johannessen. She explains that the background for recruiting the trainees in one large team is that, as a major logistics company, they have a social responsibility to ensure that young people receive an education. - We have for many years employed young people who take a gap year to work with us. Sometimes they end up staying 2-3 years, but it
- After we have trained them for 2½ years, we would also like to retain that knowledge inhouse, explains the HR manager. Cooperation Prime Cargo looked closely at the company Jysk in Uldum. Here they also have their own trainee team - only much bigger - and the Kolding company has received good advice from Jysk
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about how they could handle the new trainee team. The logistics company has also worked closely with the business college in Hansenberg in Kolding and with EUC Lillebælt regarding recruitment. It wasn’t difficult to recruit enough trainees. - One of the tips we received was about the phase prior to commencing training. The students accepted the offer in March, but plenty can happen between March and when they begin in July. We have therefore maintained regular contact with them, and we have just had them all gathered for the last information meeting. In this way, we can quickly help them to feel that they are part of Prime
Prime Cargo has 300 employees at its three locations in Kolding, and the company plans in future to train their own skilled workers in warehouse logistics.
Cargo, explains Charlotte Johannessen. Team-building The intention is also that during training, the group will be transformed into a team through joint study trips, team-building exercises, working groups etc. - The talk around the table the other day already looks promising, and we look forward to taking on the new trainee, says Charlotte Johannessen. Prime Cargo plans to take on several trainee teams over the coming years. Preferably every second year - but the pace depends on the company’s development. Prime Cargo has a traditional warehouse, a pick/pack store and an on-line store for web-shops. So, we can offer our trainees a broad education. We’d love to have a continuous process where we constantly have our own trainees in the company, emphasizes Charlotte Johannessen.
Trainees from left page: Torben Buch Lorentsen, Simon Dalatu, Jeton Jasari, Simon Gutmann Munk, René Aagaard, *, Morten Hersøe Kristensen, Daniel Jessen, Hannah Hauge Mathiassen, Trine Salling, John Madsen and Lars Rasmussen * Dennis Kartz was unfortunately ill as the picture was taken.
From HHX student to Freight Forwarder trainee in an international comapny! From sitting in a class room with 30 students to being in an office as the only trainee in the department - it’s a big step that involves meeting new people and indeed new surroundings and challenges. In the 3 months I have been here, I can only say WOW! Things are really jumping in this workplace.
I was greeted by happy, positive and smiling people with good humor and high work ethic. It definitely influences a new trainee like me. That people can joke around and still take their work 100% seriously has surprised me positively. It’s a good knowledge to master both, and I have learned that employees at Prime Cargo can. I am very impressed with the amount of responsibility; I quickly got in, what is for me a new world. From day one I was in contact with our customers. I started sitting next to Annette Juul in the reception with handling of preadvices. I have to admit that when customers began to respond on the first mails I was starting from scratch, but along came my colleagues and helped.
In the beginning I had to ask about everything which was very frustrating when you care much about your job and really want to be able to remember everything and be good at all tasks. But the reality is different. It is an industry with new challenges every day, new customers and new tasks. So there will always be question, and in all these situations I highly appreciate having such great colleagues in the Sea Import department - and the rest of the company for that matter.
One thing that I appreciate is FOOTBALL! And I
have certainly come to the right department. Every Monday the weekend’s football matches are talked through and teasing comments are shared depending on which teams have won. I started on Monday 3 September and can only say that I am very happy for my workplace, my colleagues, the great responsibility and indeed the trust I feel from managers and colleagues.
William Christensen
No two day
My 2-year apprenticeship at Prime Cargo has been two very exciting years, with ma experiences and plenty of learning along way. In my first 1½ years I worked in the Air Freight department, where I acquired a good insight into air transport, includin how import works with air freight from Asia. In this context, I have also obtain instructional experiences by working with our Asian colleagues in the vario situations in daily life.
The last 6 months of my time as a trainee were spent in the Export Documentation department, where learned some new things about a co pletely different aspect of the freight forwarding industry. I gained more ins into the documents that must be prepared for a consignment to be sent out the EU, be released from a bonded ware house, etc., and I learned how important that the documents are right the first tim since they are the ones that give a con signment the ”Green Light”, so that m other colleagues can send the good the consignee.
My working day contains man challenges and of course I le something from it all. So, n two days are identical. My d tasks depend on my customers’ wish to send a shipment of goods on th particular day.
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Over these two years, Prime Cargo has taught me a lot and given me a good foundation of experience and knowledge in freight forwarding, which I can build on in the future. I’m not finished with Prime Cargo, however, as I have been permanently employed after my time as a trainee. So, Prime Cargo will continue to influence my further experience. Anne Corydon
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Completed traineeships in 2012 • Anne Corydon, Airfreight Import (Kolding) and Export Documentation – completed 14/9 2012 • Dennis Brix Høj, Seafreight Import (Kolding)– completed 31/8 2012 • Anders Gosmand, Seafreight Export (Kolding) – completed 31/8 2012 • Martin Hansen, Distribution (Kolding) – completed 31/3 2012 • Nana Thorsted, Seafreight (Greve) – completed 31/8 2012
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Karen
Willia
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Randi
New trainees in 2012 • Randi Hviid, Distribution (Kolding) – began 1/9 2012 • William Steen Christensen, Seafreight Import (Kolding) – began 1/9 2012 • Karen Steensbeck Lange, Seafreight Import (Greve) – began 1/8 2012
Company Football Prime Cargo’s pride, Prime United, was founded about 2 years ago when we were a few employees who were interested in playing indoor football while also having some fun in the evenings with colleagues. There was a shortage of talent in the company in the first year, so not many victories were achieved. The following year we acquired a number of new recruits to the team, which meant that we could dominate most of the tournaments in which we participated, since we had enough players to field 2 highly talented teams. Prime Cargo are the reigning City Champions and Danish Champions on the large pitch, and
in the last Danish Championships on a standard pitch, we achieved a respectable third place. These fine titles should preferably be defended, so we look forward to recruiting a lot of new football talent to the city’s best company team. Thomas Nicolaisen
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Happy colleagues are be
Can work be too much work, if there is no ro Yes, it can, and that’s why we have our staff association, PRIMUS, which is a good way to have an impact on the social life at Prime Cargo. There were major changes at PRIMUS in the autumn of 2011, including the commencement of the undersigned as the new chairman. Being part of the board at PRIMUS offers good opportunities to delight colleagues with exciting events and other social initiatives. We in PRIMUS endeavour to always take care of the employees’ social interests in the best possible way. I think this has been done to perfection throughout the years that PRIMUS has existed,
and we want to continue this practice. When changes were made to the board in the new year, a good combination was established between sound experience and a fresh approach. During spring we have organized events that were held with great success. Among other things, we were at the cinema to see the film ’Hvidsten Gruppen’. Trips to the cinema have been very popular with the staff in the past, and this was no exception. All the tickets were sold and we at PRIMUS have put a checkmark next to approved.
etter colleagues
oom for fun and socializing? In order to mix the more traditional events with new initiatives, we had to dig deep to come up with new ideas. We came up with a fishing trip to a put’n’take lake in Hvilested. We had a really enjoyable day out in the Danish spring weather with family and colleagues. The day ended with a delicious barbecue sausage for everyone and a prize award ceremony for those who caught the biggest fish. The spring season ended with a fantastic summer party, which is always a sure winner. All this is part of why I want to be an active member on the board. I and the others at PRIMUS want positive, innovative ideas that can help to create new exciting events. Thinking outpage the box and doing things in a smarter way are deeply rooted concepts in Prime Cargo’s DNA, so together we can look forward to exciting new initiatives. For me personally it really means a lot to help rethink and create unique products. It doesn’t matter whether it’s optimization, development of warehouse processes, or helping to create a unique event. Seeing people generally, and in this case colleagues, thrive and
be happy, means everything. In my opinion, it has a catching effect on others, and thus we can jointly help to contribute to a better working environment. Being a part of the board at PRIMUS naturally creates expectations from one’s surroundings. Expectations such as ensuring social activities, looking after the members’ money in a satisfactory manner, etc. I can only appeal to all the employees to come up with good ideas. All suggestions will be treated seriously by the board and then be included in the range of options. I feel that through my participation in PRIMUS’ board, I can help to make a difference and act as the voice of the employees. We in PRIMUS would again like to thank everyone who has contributed to the good experiences. We look forward to an exciting new year. Ole Møller
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Prime Cargo, Dansk Fashion & Textile, H&M and Red Cross say
DROP YOUR PANTS On 6 November 2012, the Red Cross held Fashion Aid Day for the second time, a clothing collection day, where we encourage everyone to empty their wardrope, basement and attic of unwanted clothing and donate it to the Red Cross. This nationwide clothing collection day is about humanity, voluntariness and environmental awareness, with an emphasis on vulnerable people around the world. Used clothes supports relief work Red Cross charity shops are an important source of revenue for the Red Cross’ work for the benefit of disadvantaged, vulnerable and needy people around the world and here at home in Denmark. These 218 shops are all run by volunteers who make a great effort every day and who achieve great results. Prime Cargo sponsors FashionAidDay For the second time, Prime Cargo sponsors the project FashionAidDay.
- Again this year we have chosen to support the good cause in FashionAidDay. It feels good, as a company, to be able to help the ones who are in need. We have collected the 30 tons of clothes collected by 106 companies all over the country and delivered to the Red Cross pro bono, explains the CEO at Prime Cargo Morten Nielsen. Excellent result There has been strong support from private persons as well as from companies. A total of 106 companies have participated and have collected about 30 tons of clothes, which is going to the Red Cross stores to be sold, and the profit will be used for the Red Cross’ charitable work. In comparison, the first FashionAidDay in 2010 collected a total of 5 tons of clothes through 55 participating companies.
PAGE 37 | PRIME NEWS 5 vi støttede Røde Kors på Tøjindsamlingdagen FashionAid 2012 [Skriv tekst]
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AT THE CLOTHING COLLECTION DAY 2012 By participating at the Clothing Collection Day you are helping people in need both in Denmark and the rest of the world. With your contribution to the Clothing Collection Day we gathered 30 tons of clothes, which will have a huge inpact on the future work of the Red Cross.
Hip hip hurrayyyyyyyyyyy NORWAY Sissel Hagen Tonny Kristiansen
28/6-12 14/5-12
60 years 50 years
CHINA, SHANGHAI Wang Bing Lin Flora Shen
6/11-12 1/12-12
40 years 30 years
CHINA, HONG KONG Wing Chung
15/7-12
40 years
CHINA, SHENZHEN Peter Zhong
7/7-12
30 years
DENMARK, KOLDING Jane Teilmann Rikke Lehmann Mørk René Gabelgaard Minke Mia Hagen-Larsen Rikke Kristensen Nick Neuwald Michael Mönicks Jerzy Maliszewski Torsten Herbst
6/11-12 3/9-12 22/8-12 08/10-12 11/02-12 17/09-12 23/01-12 09/01-12 15/06-12
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ANNIVERSARY 10 YEARS DENMARK, KOLDING Keld Oskar Kristensen Kennet Mikkelsen Abdi Awil Ali
15/04-12 01/09-12 09/09-12