PRIME NEWS 6. EDITION, MAY 2013
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CONTENT Prime Cargo family album Say hi to Lina, Mona, Jesper and Evian New man on the job Welcome to Erik Joergensen
side 4-8
side 9-11
New collaboration places containers in Japan Read about our collaboration with one of Japan’s biggest logistics suppliers side 12-14 MELTING POT Prime Cargo is a melting pot with employees from all over the world Gabriel came to Denmark by accident side 15 Birte: “There is room for differences” VOXPOP: The life outside Prime Cargo
side 16 side 17
Prime Cargo opens road link with Turkey There is great potential in road transport between Turkey and Denmark side 18-19 The football dribbles across borders The employee of Prime Cargo focuses on dialogue and community across religion and culture side 20-21 Christmas is a matter of the heart The number of poor families with children in Kolding increases and this dampens the christmas for many families. But we can help make a difference. side 22-23 Competition Birthdays and anniversaries
side 24 side 25
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15 years and still going strong Dear Prime Cargo A/S, First of all, sincere congratulations on your 15th anniversary on 1 April 2013! As our former CEO and current coowner, Jesper Hoeilund, said in the article in Prime News’ last edition, there were probably not many people back then in 1998 who thought that Prime Cargo A/S would make it to its 15th anniversary in April this year. But we did – and the anniversary was celebrated appropriately by our employees and as in the good old days – without a lot of show. It is without a doubt that Prime Cargo A/S would not be where we are today without the many fantastic and dedicated employees doing their utmost every day to service our customers in the best way possible. However, we must also
say thanks here to our customers and suppliers for their cooperation with us. You have all contributed to helping Prime Cargo A/S become the success we dare say we are after 15 years in the industry. The last edition of Prime News took a look both a little bit back and a little bit ahead in time in Denmark in connection with the ongoing generational shift here. This time we are heading for our other home market where we are giving a proper goodbye to our former GM in China, John Christensen, and are bidding a warm welcome to his successor, Erik Jørgensen. We are also taking a peek at one of our many markets in growth, namely Japan, and our strong partner there, Mitsui-Soko. Last, but
not least, we are telling about the “Merry Christmas to Everyone” project and why exactly it is a project we cannot simply say “no” to. Have a great read! Morten Hoegsberg Nielsen CEO
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Prime Cargo F
LINA JOHANSSON - GREVE Age: 35 Position: Sales Executive Family: Married to Carsten. I have 2 stepchildren and am now having my first child. Interests: I have always been interested in the human mind and its complex structure. So I am interested in psychology, psychological research and personal development. In my spare time, I love to read psychological books. My other interest is travelling. Travelling is living to me. I have travelled a lot since I turned 18. Apart from psychology and travelling, I am a passionate dancer and swimmer. About me: I was born and raised in Klaipeda, Lithuania. After grammar school, I chose to come to Denmark to study international market economy. Apart from market economy, I have further studied logistics and have a Graduate Certificate in sales and sales psychology. I chose the sales line due to my increasing interest in sales and marketing. I have worked for Prime Cargo since December 2009. My primary work includes requisition of new clients. Sales is like a rollercoaster, going up and down. It never gets boring.
Family Album
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MONA LARSEN - KOLDING Age: 43 Position: HR Coordinator Family: Married to Jesper Buk Larsen, head of spare parts at Bayern AutoGroup Kolding. We have Nicklas, aged 15 and Benjamin, aged 12; both boys play football, which keeps us busy. Interests: Running, zumba, family and friends. About me: I used to work in sales of office supplies, via the phone and as an consultant. Since I wasn't 100% dedicated, I decided to apply for office jobs with administrative tasks. I have worked with Econocap A/S as a course coordinator, and as a clerk at Kolding Hospital in the children's ward. Now, I am working in my best job yet, surrounded by great colleagues, and with diverse administrative tasks, including contact with hourly-paid workers, and interviewing upcoming trainees.
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JESPER BEJSTRUP - KOLDING Age: 37 Position: CFO Family: Married to Jane and father of Louise (aged 9) and Kristoffer (aged 6) Interests: Football, running, squash About me: I started as CFO on February 1st, 2013. I haven't ever been employed with a freight company, but my experience from the transport industry is extensive, and takes its beginning when I at the age of 14 was employed as a warehouse helper at the DFDS trailer terminal in Esbjerg. I then was at sea in two periods on board DFDS' passenger ships, and stayed in the business while taking my Degree of Economics, by working on board ships during holidays. I then worked for 7 years at A. P. Møller - MÌrsk in economy positions at Maersk Line; first as an economist and then CFO in Denmark, Romania and The Netherlands. I spent the last 5 years as head of finance and CFO for a container shipping company and off-shore shipping company respectively (Clipper Tankers and Viking Supply Ships). After some years abroad and quite a few years in Copenhagen, my family and I decided to move back to Jutland, where we now have settled in Aarhus, and I was able to take a job with Prime Cargo, where I have been welcomed well and have had the chance to meet many colleagues in Denmark and China. The position as CFO is newly established, and my tasks include improvement
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the basis of decision-making for the board and the management as a whole via improvement of our reporting; further creation of more transparency on how profit centres manage, as well as participation in strategic work, providing the basis for on-going growth of Prime Cargo. I am looking forward to these challenges and am optimistic on behalf of Prime Cargo, since we have skilled and dedicated employees, a good name and high market credibility.
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EVIAN YANG - SHANGHAI Age: 41 Position: Sea Export Supervisor Family: Married and have a boy of 14 years Interests: Outing, singing and all the things done with families and friends About me: This is my 12th year in Prime Cargo family, never expected that I could stay in one company for so long time. Maybe the magic here attract me. Oh yes, I think so! Prime Cargo has its own culture and tradition, which make our working atmosphere really nice - I like to work here. I do not know how much 12 years will mean for my whole life, but I am really happy and pleased to have been here for 12 years, and I certainly look forward to several years.
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New man on the job The friendly and open office environment at Prime Cargo’s head office in Shanghai is witnessing an unusual management change. Co-founder and partner John Christensen is handing the manager role over to Erik Joergensen. The change is not only noticeable for the colleagues in China, but a remarkably change in the entire organization of Prime Cargo, as John is one of the founders of Prime Cargo. From the beginning - It has been an interesting journey, John points out. The establishment of Prime Cargo grew from an idea John and some colleagues developed in China. With the support from colleagues Prime Cargo was founded as a company in April 1998. Prime Cargo started with small offices in Beijing and Shanghai, each only with a handful of tables and staff. After 15 years of dedicated work, Prime Cargo China is today a healthy company with competent and loyal colleagues allocated at the head office and its 5 branch offices in China. John acknowledges
it will be a different time that is awaiting him, mostly because he will be without the daily interaction at Prime Cargo. Erik is stepping in and has already been a part of the team since January 2013. Erik has spent the first months to get acquainted with the new market, the team and the company. It is Erik’s second time in China, but the first time he is working here. - China has actually been a country on my wish list for many years, and for that reason I’m very happy to be in China working for
Erik Joergensen has been a part of Prime Cargo since 1 January 2013. He comes from a position as country manager in Vietnam for DSV.
Prime Cargo, Erik informs. Erik remembers his first working experience from aboard, when he was working in Lithuania in 1995. The posting awoken his curiosity and interest in the international market, and he has ever since been working abroad in USA, Malaysia, Vietnam and now China.
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To the left Erik Joergensen and to the right John Christensen.
”I am sure Erik will carry Prime Cargo China to higher levels, as he brings experience from his former positions in Asia. ” Prime Cargo’s Future Both Erik and John are enthusiastic to elaborate on the future of Prime Cargo China and Prime Cargo as a global company. Erik is the person to expand the company in China, and points out that it is only possible due to its existing solid foundation and professional business strategy. John is sure Erik will carry Prime Cargo China to higher levels, as he brings experience from his former positions in Asia. The task will be to combine the best from the two worlds and then grow from there. - There will be no radical changes
in Prime Cargo China as the organization is well functioning and structured. But there will be room for fine-tuning, improving processes, increasing sales and expansion of trade lanes. Furthermore, I see a huge potential in imports to China, import is already an existing service, but Prime Cargo need to focus intensively on this aspect of business in order to stay competitive, Erik highlights. Prime Cargo China’s close collaboration with clients and its understanding of a clients business needs are moreover seen as assets, from Erik’s point of view. Erik con-
tinues to indicate that Prime Cargo China’s size and professional approach leads the way to a high level of flexibility and success rate. John agrees with Erik, and elaborate with additional important topics such as improvement of IT systems, focus on specific areas of business in order to obtain unique business knowledge and better prices, and lastly upgrading of internal efficiency. But mostly John wants to emphasize the importance of the team in Prime Cargo China.
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A friendly and solid company culture Both John and Erik are describing the company culture in Prime Cargo China as being very unique. The open office environment is underlining the friendliness; trustworthy and professional approach every colleague carry out towards their work. After 15 years of working closely with colleagues every day and often more than the normal 40 hours working week, John knows his colleagues very well all over China. - They have become extremely good colleagues and very close friends, John point out and continue to emphasize that several colleagues have been with Prime Cargo from day one; - They are, together will their co-workers, the most important part of the loyal and solid foundation that will outline Prime Cargo in the future. Erik was particularly interested in Prime Cargo due to its smaller size compared to his previous company. After his first interview with Prime Cargo, Erik sensed the personal company feeling and their professional business approach right away, and this is why he was draw
to Prime Cargo from the beginning. A new day Many years have passed since John arrived in China for the first time at the age of 25. John believes his achievements come from the fact that China has been his home his entire working life. Not only does John know the Chinese
When the weather allows it, Erik starts his day with biking to Prime Cargo’s office on the busy Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Biking to work in a city with 23 million people is hectic, but a good start of the day. I have not been biking to work since 1997 in Horsens, Erik describes.
Wagas is a multi award winning group of cafes serving delicious everyday food – sandwiches, pasta, salad, cake, fresh juice, smoothie & coffee. Today we have 25 Wagas cafes in Shanghai and 1 in Beijing.
business culture, he also knows what they like to eat and drink. For that reason John has managed to establish Wagas Group over the years as a successful food and beverage platform in China. John will now be devoting his time to focus on the growth of Wagas Group.
At the same time John reminds Erik, that he was the one to introduced Erik to the two-wheel transportation in Shanghai, as John is also a keen biker in the streets of Shanghai.
ADVISES FROM JOHN 1. Make sure to built a team where people can speak freely and is as one unit.
2. Importance of a longterm business approach in China. There is no easy business in China, successful projects takes time and must be seen as an investment.
3. Important to build trust around and with your team as well as develop the company professionally together. We are running the business together
4. Remember to consult with people who have the experience.
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Mitsui-Soko’s head quater in Tokyo.
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New collaboration places containers in Japan Prime Cargo has in collaboration with Japanese MitsuiSoko founded an emerging initiative, in order to gain clients throughout Scandinavia.
Six months ago, Prime Cargo received a call. It was the Japanese company, Mitsui-Soko, which had focused on Scandinavia for a while and considered collaboration with Prime Cargo. An unexpected call for Prime Cargo, since Mitsui-Soko had previously turned down offers in terms of collaboration. - Mitsui-Soko is a very experienced and large company. So I am indeed excited about their interest, says Morten H. Nielsen. After several negotiations, compromises were made, and the result is a project, ready for take-off. The purpose of the collaboration is to develop the market and Prime Cargo is responsible for MitsuiSoko’s clients, requiring service in Scandinavia.
Mitsui-Soko is renowned on the Scandinavian market, due to the former subsidiary Mitsui-Soko Scandinavia, focusing on furniture sales to Japan. When the subsidiary closed down, Mitsui-Soko continued operations in Scandinavia. Corporate representative, Mr. Itagaki says that Mitsui-Soko is still focusing on furniture trade, despite the fact that the market has decreased in the past years. - We still observe an extremely active market. We have a great deal of knowhow and hope that this collaboration will make us the best in handling traffic between Japan and Scandinavia, he says. Danish knowhow is a hit In January, the first containers were transported to and from Japan, by air and sea, and export manager John Nielsen ensures that the collaboration is working.
He is convinced that Prime Cargo’s Danish expertise and quality is well-received in Japan. - The Japanese choose quality before quantity and that makes our Danish knowhow highly valued, he says. The same goes for the goods, shipped every day in the many containers. - The Japanese demand for Danish design has actually increased, since we at Prime Cargo started shipping furniture, says John Nielsen.
To the left one of Mitsui-Soko’s offices in Tokyo and to the right one of MitsuiSoko’s warehouses.
Springboard to a unique market Of course, the goods vary from client to client, but Prime Cargo handles cargo, packing and shipping in terms of collaboration, and flexible options enable a completely new range of clients.
- The Japanese choose quality before quantity and that makes our Danish knowhow highly valued, he says. - The Japanese market is definitely unique. It has a great sales value and Japanese companies are extremely loyal towards each other. Thus, it can be difficult to gain a foothold being a foreign company, without collaborating with a Japanese company. That makes
the agreement with Mitsui-Soko a springboard for us, says Morten H. Nielsen. Solid collaboration The collaboration with Mitsui-Soko is an on-going process, requiring constant optimisation, says Morten H. Nielsen and John Nielsen. However, the message from Japan is clear. Mitsui-Soko’s Mr. Itagaki is convinced that this collaboration makes both companies stronger:
fic. On the other hand, Mitsui-Soko is so strong on the Japanese market that Prime Cargo can gain new clients. And the Japanese are not the only ones excited. The new collaboration does not only benefit the connection between Denmark and Japan; John Nielsen predicts that many new options may arise in other Scandinavian countries like Norway, Sweden and Finland, due to this project.
- Our collaboration contains much strength. By collaborating, we can gain all new business opportunities, which wouldn’t be possible for any of the parties, if they were on their own, says Mr. Itagaki.
- Scandinavia is regarded to be one market. Thus, Mitsui-Soko’s agreements with other companies run via our offices. And that offers us a great deal of strings to play, he says.
On one hand, Prime Cargo has great connections in terms of shipping in Scandinavia, offering Mitsui-Soko knowledge about the available traf-
FACTS: Who is Mitsui-Soko? • The name Mitsui-Soko means warehouse, and the company was founded exactly as a warehouse in 1909, based in Tokyo – where it is still located after 104 years in the industry. • Mitsui-Soko is with many years of experience a skilled company with 28 subsidiaries in a total of 15 countries. • With the slogan ‘value beyond logistics’ the company works with both sea and air cargo, as well as road traffic all over the world.
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Full-time job in a melting pot Prime Cargo has many employees who come from different countries with different cultures. But how is life here, and how big is the gap between home and Denmark? We asked five employees in eCommerce Logistics and Terminal 2 on a normal working day.
Birte: ”There is room for differences” Birte Petersen’s work day begins with a 90km drive. She lives outside Flensburg in Germany, but has been working in Kolding for the past five years. Cargo, and she now works fulltime in Terminal 2. More freedom and responsibility She feels safe and sound in her home country, but Birte Petersen still feels how great the differences are between working in Denmark and Germany. Where is Kolding exactly? That was 45-year old Birte Petersen’s first thought, when she first heard about a job at Prime Cargo. Living in a house with her husband and children just five kilometres outside Flensburg in Germany, work was in deed far away, but she took the chance. - I was unemployed and needed a job. So I decided to give this job a go for a year, says Birte Petersen. Now, its five years ago, that Birte Petersen was employed at Prime
- In Germany, you need papers for everything, before you get a job. It is frustrating that it means so much. The Danish conditions are so much better, because you get to have a go at it, if you can prove yourself – whether you have papers or not. When Birte Petersen came to Prime Cargo, she wondered when people called in sick. They didn’t have to send a sick note, which is required when you work in Germany. - At first, I thought it was strange that you could call in sick just like that, but now I see the meaning of it. Here, you are responsible for
yourself. They don’t need to check up on people, because if you behave responsibly, they don’t have to, she says. Every day around three o’clock, Birte leaves Profilvej in her car, along with four others, also headed for their home in Germany. Birte Petersen acknowledges that the transport time both ways is a disadvantage, if the weather is bad or it snows. However, the 90km are quickly done on the highway with 130km/hour. - I really like my work here, and even though the drive may be a hassle sometimes, it’s worth it. In Denmark, there is room for differences and the hierarchy is so much different from Germany. I really appreciate that, she says.
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Gabriel came to Denmark by accident Gabriel Sarbu was persuaded years ago to move from Romania to Denmark, by his girlfriend at that time. The relationship ended, but he stayed in Kolding. Between racks with everything from colourful plastic mopeds to bed covers and soft pillows, 25-year old Gabriel Sarbu walks around with his scanner.
a cold storage plant, where he packed fruits and vegetables for Danish supermarkets, but the work was too hard and Gabriel Sarbu got an occupational back injury.
Fully focused, he fills up the shelves and moves on to the next rack. Even though the scanner has built-in navigation, Gabriel Sarbu never needs help. He has worked in ECommerce Logistics for so many months that he knows every shelf.
He was not able to work in the demanding job and it made him rethink his situation.
- On a normal day, I can probably pluck 300 goods, and even more during Christmas stress, he says with a smile. A dream about studying in Kolding Gabriel Sarbu was never supposed to come to Denmark. He was born and raised in Romania, but his past girlfriend got a job in Denmark 3.5 years ago and he decided to leave Romania with her. Here, he quickly found a job in
- Back in Romania, I was keen on studying, but I didn’t have the money for it, since it was very expensive. So when my back started to hurt, I recalled my dream about studying, says Gabriel Sarbu. Thus, he started to study Business Marketing at the International Business Academy in Kolding. At the same time, he got a job at Prime Cargo. In the beginning, it was a perfect combination of fulltime work and studies, but now he just works once a week in the warehouse. Language barrier Being a student in Kolding, Gabriel Sarbu now knows more people, but
it was a hard beginning. - The greatest challenge was probably the Danish language. It’s really not easy. The Danes can further be very reserved, but it’s much easier now and I have a great network in Kolding, he says in perfect Danish. Gabriel Sarbu finishes his Bachelor Degree in one year, and then he wants to take his Master’s Degree, in order to be able to get a job. He also hopes to be able to keep the job at Prime Cargo, since it’s not just a job in a random warehouse. - I feel appreciated when I am here, and that’s a really nice feeling. It’s busy of course, but the most important thing is that I can come to work and leave again with a smile on my face – and then it really doesn’t matter what industry I’m working in, he says.
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THE LIFE OUTSIDE PRIME CARGO
Kristine Cudere is 27 years old from Latvia. She has been working in Prime Cargo for more than two years. At present she works full time in ECommerce Logistics.
Zahir Berisha is 28 years old and from Kosovo. He came to Denmark in 1999, and has been working with Prime Cargo for seven months. Right now, he is working fulltime in Terminal 2.
Dominik is 35 years old and from Poland. He has been working at Prime Cargo for three years, and works fulltime in Terminal 2 and ECommerce Logistics.
Why did you choose just Denmark? ”My husband and I were travelling in Europe a lot and one day we took off to Denmark. It was nice here and we both got jobs fast. The salary is good and the work is much better than in Latvia.”
Why did you want to come to Denmark? - I came here in 1999 because of the war in Kosovo. I like my home country, but I cannot go back because of all the experiences I made there. I have lived in Denmark for several years, but just moved to Flensburg.
Why did you want to come to Denmark? - My wife and I came here four years ago, because it was nice place. In Poland, people are stressed, but the atmosphere is different here. It is pleasant to be in a calm place, and work is great and pays well.
Is there anything special that you have taken with you in order not to miss your home country? ”Not really. I don’t see any big differences in traditions. Here we also celebrate Christmas, eat dinner with our friends and decorate eggs for Easter. Needless to say, I miss Latvia every now and then but life is good and my husband and I enjoy travelling and seeing the world”. Name one thing you would change in Denmark. ”The weather! Clearly the weather. It rains very often and it is cold in the winter. Spring should be here soon. Otherwise I can’t quite put my finger on anything else that should be different.”
How is life as citizen in another country? - It was hard in the beginning. The Danes are not very open, but now - after some years, I have many friends. I think, it’s also about traditions. I have chosen to adopt only some traditions, which I like. For instance, I like to relax with a cold beer or go out. Danish pastry is also great. Name one thing you would change in Denmark. - Danish politics need to be changed. This is also one of the reasons for me moving to Germany. The Danish politicians generalize too much, if you are not born in and raised in Denmark. I don’t want to be hated, just because I am a foreigner. It is too bad that it’s like that, because Denmark is a lovely and interesting country.
Have you taken any Polish traditions with you? I brought different food recipes. I sometimes miss the Polish kitchen, but it’s also important to try something new. That goes for food, leisure time and life in general. Of course, I miss my home country, but it’s not that far away. I often use Skype to communicate with family and I sometimes visit Poland too. Name one thing you would change in Denmark. - The Danes are nice, but hard to get to know. They are often reserved, when you want to get to know them. But once you have a Danish friend, it lasts. My wife and I have many Danish friends now, and we meet up quite often.
Prime Cargo opens road link with Turkey Since the turn of the year, Prime Cargo has established a road transport link between Turkey and Denmark. A new chapter in our history that has been made possible only thanks to our Turkish partner, AS-AV Intl. Transport Ltd. Co. However, this cooperation is far from a new thing – Prime Cargo has been in contact with the company since 2009. AS-AV has long shown an interest in a new road transport link to Denmark – and after negotiating with us, dreams have become a reality. The first lorries left Istanbul in January and now, three
months afterwards, are providing a regular shuttle service between Kolding and Turkey.
pleasure to work with AS-AV since they have many years of experience in road transport”, he says.
Unlike overseas transport to the Far East, shipments between Denmark and Turkey are smaller, and goods arrive fast as transit time is significantly shorter. This makes it possible to have a continuous link with departures every week.
AS-AV Intl. Transport Ltd. Co. Since the company’s establishment in 1995, AS-AV has worked in forwarding with a focus on the Far East. This is why it is tempting to say that AS-AV reminds us of a Turkish counterpart to Prime Cargo.
Jacob Bruhn is in charge of the cooperation, and he is happy with the new link. “It is no secret that we at Prime Cargo are rookies when it comes to road haulage. This is why it is a
In Turkish, AS-AV also stands for Asia and Europe, and one of the company’s cornerstones is providing a link between Europe and Asia. This is why it is also curious to note that the one half of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, is geographically located in Europe, while the other half is in Asia.
Jacob Bruhn, Airfreight Import Manager in Denmark, is responsible for the cooperation between Prime Cargo And AS-AV.
Just like we at Prime Cargo, ASAV saw the opportunities offered by the Far East. Its shipments go primarily overseas – by sea or air. The company’s breakthrough came in 2000 when they established a road link to England. In particular, Manchester was a Mecca for the textile industry, and AS-AV took advantage of this. More destinations were subsequently added to the company’s road link map, and AS-
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AV quickly extended its network to include the Benelux and now also Denmark.
“It is, in particular, Danish design that is valued highly on the Turkish market. It is quality that Turks would very much like to spend their money on” Just like us, AS-AV has a focus on the fashion and textile industry. This is why they know that seasonal working conditions require fast processing and even faster delivery. A Bump on the Road However, it was exactly the seasonal industry that has been a challenge in connection with the
new road link. Since the balance between Danish imports and exports to Turkey is unstable, it can be difficult to have a regular flow of goods. To prevent the lorries from ending up stranded in Denmark or from being forced to drive halfempty across the Turkish border, Jacob Bruhn visited some of the country’s customers. He had to try to make the Turks open their eyes for Danish export goods. And this initiative has turned out to be a success. Jacob Bruhn says: “We already have several customers demanding Danish goods. And it is, in particular, Danish design that is valued highly on the Turkish market. It is quality that Turks would very much like to spend their money on”, he says. In other words, the new road link
seems to have overcome the biggest bump on the road. Jacob Bruhn also points out that the cooperation will surpass all expectations. “AS-AV is a company that is equivalent to us, which results in really good cooperation. We have the same core areas, and I think and hope that the new road link will be a success”, Jacob Bruhn says.
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The football dribbles across bord
Prime Cargo has employees of various nationalities and we regard diversity to be one of our corporate cornerstones. Thus, it is natural for us to support associations and passionate persons, focusing on dialogue and community across religion and culture. One of them is warehouse employee Kennedid Dahir. He was born and raised in Somalia. Despite of riots and civil wars, he has always been fascinated by one thing: football. So much that he played on the national team of Somalia for several years.
He accepted a job at Prime Cargo 14 years ago and took the trip to Denmark. He brought the love for football with him and Kennedid Dahir settled down in a new country and new apartment in Skovparken in Kolding. No more ghetto The housing estate Skovparken was labelled as a ghetto several years ago by the Ministry of Town, Housing and Rural Districts, since many of the residents were foreigners, the crime rate was high and money few.
However, Kennedid did not accept this dull title. Thus, he joined in with
- Diversity is one of our main priorities. We all have a right to be here, regardless of religion and culture. It’s an amazing project in Skovparken, and we are happy to help the kids with great experiences, says Morten H. Nielsen.
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ders another resident at Skovparken, Yahye Zuber Abdukarim. They wanted to create a breathing hole for young people with no sense of community. - Many of them just walked around and were bored all day. We wanted them to get together and have some fun, says Kennedid Dahir. Kennedid’s love for football got to play a vital role in the plans and shortly after S.F.I – Skovparkens Fritids- og idrætsforening (Leisure and Sporting Club) was founded. A sporting club, primarily associated to Skovparken, but over the years other housing estates nearby have joined. The number of youngsters has increased radically – and now more than 250 play football in S.F.I. The great support of the club makes Kennedid Dahir proud. - We have people from Somalia, Bosnia, Macedonia and other parts of the world, and the most important thing is that it’s a community for everyone with time and for the pleasure of it, he says. For the love of football - at all ages His efforts in the sporting club impressed Morten H. Nielsen, and when Kennedid asked for funding of a football World Cup, Prime Cargo accepted. - Diversity is one of our main priorities. We all have a right to be
here, regardless of religion and culture. It’s an amazing project in Skovparken, and we are happy to help the kids with great experiences, says Morten H. Nielsen. In white jerseys, the best footballers from Skovparkens Fritids-og Idrætsforening went on a bus tour to Spain, where they played against teams from all over the world. After several matches in the hot sun, they made the third place in the tournament. Even though the boys returned to Kolding, their jerseys weren’t done travelling. Wiish Academia Through S.F.I, Kennedid made contact with more football players in Somalia, a collaboration was born and lead to the founding of a football academy in Somalia; Wiish Academia.
work together with Skovparkens Fritids- og Idrætsforening) visit the football academy twice a year and more than 500 children now play on the improvised football fields in Somalia. A varied and hard-bitten club One of the purposes of S.F.I was to eliminate prejudice through football. The youngsters in troubled housing estates were activated and crime is decreasing in Skovparken. Of course, this is not only due to S.F.I, since the club has trouble with players, like in any other club. The message in the club is clear: If players fight each other or other teams, they are put in quarantine. However, problems are rare, because the love for football is too big. - Everyone is eager to play. So we enjoy a great community and very little trouble, says Kennedid Dahir.
- Many children in Somalia love football. But they can’t afford it and its difficult and dangerous to play because of the civil war, says Kennedid Dahir. The football academy in Somalia gives children and youngsters the chance to play football with real balls and jerseys. For example with the Prime Cargo jerseys from the World Cup, as well as hundreds of donated footballs. Kolding International Ungdom Sport (another association for which Kennedid is president and who
Kennedid Dahir
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Christmas is a matter of the heart Even though December is several months away, we at Prime Cargo want to ensure that all families with children in the Kolding area, suffering from financial needs, have a great Christmas. We support the association ”Merry Christmas to All”
PROJEKT
GOD JUL TIL ALLE
pengene går ubeskåret til økonomisk trængte børnefamilier i Kolding
Crispy duck, creamy rice pudding and sweet, delicious cookies are just some of the treats we enjoy around Christmas and during December. But for some families, Christmas is far from being a happy holiday. The number of poor families with children in the Kolding area is increasing, and the hopes of many children for Christmas with presents and treats are abandoned. - We feel so sorry for the children, who don’t get to enjoy the magic of Christmas with lovely food and presents. It pulls at one’s heartstrings hjertekulen – and we sincerely want to help, says Morten H. Nielsen. Thus, Prime Cargo supports the association Merry Christmas to All – an initiative by the local Business Kolding, KIF Elite Handball A/S and the newspaper JydskeVestkysten.
PROJEKT
GOD JUL
TIL ALLE
96 Christmas-full families The volunteers of the foundation use the collected means for preparation of complete Christmas dinners, including cookies, duck, sweet potatoes and rice pudding. The families just have to turn on the oven and sit down at the dinner table. Further, the children get presents. - We have chosen to make it as easy as possible for the families. The parents may often not have the required energy to make dinner or wrap presents, so we handle it all, says Lone Brodersen, responsible for Merry Christmas to All in Business Kolding. Everyone can support the association, and the companies have for the past few years also donated provisions like gift vouchers. In addition, private citizens can also donate money to the association.
- Some people prefer to send a gift voucher for brunch for instance, instead of money. We are just incredibly grateful for all contributions, says Lone Brodersen.
the heart, but supporting the cause also results in benefits on another level – the local environment.
The association has collected money for the past four years, and last year they were able to help 96 families with children.
One of Prime Cargo’s mainstays is to strengthen and support local life, in terms of funding both foundations and sporting clubs. Thus, Prime Cargo is looking forward to sharing again this upcoming December.
Strengthens local life Merry Christmas to All is a matter of
- We feel socially responsible and want to help out locally. So we are
certainly going to support Merry Christmas to All again this year, Morten H. Nielsen says.
If you would like support the association and help families with children to a merry Christmas, you can all year round pay big and small amount to: sort code 7040, account number 1597375. Companies wishing to support the Association can contact one of the following: Dorte Larsen, KIF Kolding København: +45 21 22 66 80, dl@kif.dk Lone Brodersen, Business Kolding: +45 30 57 59 45, lb@businesskolding.dk Laust Tuxen Hedegaard, JydskeVestkysten +45 79 12 45 73, ltu@jv.dk
PAGE 24 | PRIME NEWS 5
Competition
If you would like to be the proud winner of an overnight stay for two persons at the beautiful Hotel Koldingfjord with dinner and breakfast, you just have to answer the following question: Prime Cargo could celebrate their 15th anniversary this year. But when was it? Send your answer by e-mail to Louise at loro@primecargo.dk before August 1st 2013. The winner will be contacted directly and announced in the next edition of Prime News.
PAGE 25 | PRIME NEWS 5
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