PRIME NEWS 7TH EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
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project
merry christimas to all CONTENT Prime Cargo family album The Board welcomes two new members Prime Academy creates the employees of the Future A coorporation running on wheels Airfreight Export, Kolding Beijing office
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side 12-15
Help for the Red Cross for the third time Shuttle busses to Copenhagen Fashion Week The handball sticks to ‘Tusse’ Competition
side 16-17 side 18 side 19
Birthdays and anniversaries Christmas greeting
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side 22-25 side 26-27 side 28 side 29-30 side 31-32
the money will go to financially strapped families in Kolding in full
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Merry Christmas for Everyone Dear Reader, Christmas is approaching and most of us are looking forward to celebrating it with our closest family members. Unfortunately, not everyone associates Christmas with joy, and these are exactly the people that we at Prime Cargo A/S would like to help. This is why we have decided to donate to the “Drop Your Pants” fundraising campaign of the Red Cross and “Merry Christmas Everyone”, which is a collaboration of Håndbold Elite, Business Kolding and the JydskeVestkysten newspaper. This way we hope to be able to bring Christmas joy to even more people. 2013 is coming closer to its end causing many to analyse the year that will soon be over and to look ahead to what awaits them. Luckily, considered retrospectively, the year 2013 brings forth many positive memories for Prime Cargo A/S. We have continued our positive development and we are extremely happy with the results. If we look ahead to the new year, we expect to grow, and the way it is natural Prime Cargo A/S, preferably organically.
We have taken up the initiative to start our own “Prime Academy” for the purpose of supporting our growth strategy. This way we would like to educate the next generation of leaders at Prime Cargo A/S. During the training, the participants get acquainted with management, culture, and of course, our wide range of products. By working across the organisation, we would like to create overall commitment to our continuous development. We also expect to have everyone in the organisation – from the carrier, to the team manager and all the way to the seller - think in terms of common solutions for our customers. We believe that the future is about being able to adapt to the customer’s varying requirements for flexible and innovative transport and logistics solutions. But Prime Academy is just one of many exciting measures that we expect to be able to announce in 2014. The bar has been set and we are looking forward to unveiling the other measures, all of which will hopefully be to the benefit of our
customers in the end. Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to thank our customers, partners and, last but not least, employees for their dedication and hard work in 2013. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Successful New Year. Morten Høgsberg Nielsen CEO
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Prime Cargo F
SIMONE ROTHE - KOLDING Age: 26 years Job Title: Shipping agent, Airfreight Import Marital Status: In a relationship with Morten Hobbies: Fitness/spinning and running I am a trained road cargo shipping agent at ETA Spedition. My previous employment was as a transport and logistics coordinator at Bestnet A/S here in Kolding. I worked with seafreight from India and China to Africa, where we shipped mosquito nets to protect against malaria to i.a. various UN organisations (AID & Relief). Because of major reorganisations at Bestnet, I started looking for new and exciting challenges, which has led me to Prime Cargo. I am certain that my desire for new challenges will be fulfilled here. I also have a nice job on the side as the trainer of A Hereford Beefstouw. Apart from that, I spend my spare time in the gym and with friends and family.
Family Album
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BOB BAO - SHANGHAI Age: 38 years Job Title: IT Manager in China Marital Status: Single Hobbies: I actually have many hobbies. I like backpacking, photography (you can have a look at some of my pictures at http:// www.bob-image.com), reading, meeting friends - both old and new ones from all around the world, sociology, philosophy, politics, table tennis, cycling, IT technology, cool digital technology and computer-related things in general. For about 8 years I have been working in the IT sector at Fortune Global 500 companies, with a half-year break during which I travelled in Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. What is more, for 5 years I have had the pleasure of doing something I am really happy about, namely to manage a guest house for backpackers (Bob's Guesthouse). During this time, I had the chance to meet many nice people, which was a fantastic experience. With the experiences mentioned above, I have decided to settle down at Prime Cargo. It is wonderful to work in a Danish company such as Prime Cargo, where there is so much to do, and I am absolutely certain that I will always be happy with my job, where I have the opportunity to make things better.
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HENRIK FUGLSANG - KOLDING Age: 34 years Job Title: Sales & Development Manager at Prime Cargo as well as Triathlon coach, Runing26 Marital Status: Married to Anne-Katrine Bertelsen who is a doctor at Horsens Hospital. We have two gorgeous children, William - 6 years and Emilie - 10 months. William is the family’s great hope because he has been playing golf on professional level for almost 3 years now. Hobbies: I became interested in triathlon about 5 years ago, but before it, I had been engaged in professional swimming since I was 10. I have also participated in countless cycling races. My goal for 2014 is Ironman Barcelona – preferably within 09h 30m. Bonus info: I took part in Robinson (Danish reality show) in 2005 and I was kicked out after 36 days out of 45. These 36 days cost me 13 kg on the bathroom scale. My ”know how” about the sector stems from my time at Kawasaki Motors Europe, where I was trained through a global UPS setup as well as through a direct ship-owner agreement with CMA/Cosco. I was in charge of sea, air and road import and export, as well as a lot of cross trading. After barely 7 years at Kawasaki as a Sales Manager and a Supply Chain Manager, I was headhunted by Stefan Sigg/Jurgen Smith for JAS Forwarding as a Sales Manager.
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Since August, I have been working as a Sales & Development Manager at Prime Cargo and the job was a perfect spot-on in my profile. My most notable assignment was creating plenty of business opportunities for Prime Cargo, but also keeping our existing customers. Furthermore, I am always happy to contribute a lot of positive energy and competent feedback. My motto at Prime Cargo can be simply put as follows: “Most people think "selling" is the same as "talking". But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job.” – Ray Bartell
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BENNY CHONG - HONG KONG Age: 47 Job Title: Trade Lane Manager Family: Married to Yin Ya. We have a daughter, Cherry aged 13. Her changing teenage life brings a lot of change and fun to family and interest. Leisure interest: We enjoy travelling and swimming as well as cycling. However, my daughter and I especially love detective storybook and movie as well as having fun and excitement on roller coaster ride in amusement parks of different countries since she was 9 years old. About me: I started as Trade Lane Manager since July 2013. My whole career life is all related to logistics and sales task. I began my 1st sales job in Neptune Orient Line (NOL) after my bachelor graduation in 1989. Then long sales career experience in BALtrans Logistics and Toll Global Forwarding from sales executive posi-
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tion to general sales manager leading the sales and sales support department. The current position: Trade Lane Manager remains new challenge to me on new business development on target trade lane by fully utilization of the extensive Prime Cargo network, people and branding. Now trade lane development especially on Spain is the priority country I am working closely with Logisber Forwarding. Over 40 sales leads have been sent to Logisber's sales team, which are aggressively approaching the relevant prospects. At the same
time, I am also utilizing my other existing customer resources for other country trade lane development and new business growth. Although working in Prime Cargo Hong Kong for 4 months only, I am so pleased to integrate in Prime Cargo family as a team quickly!
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The Board welcomes two new members It has recently been decided that Prime Cargo would have two new external Board members. Prime Cargo has an ambitious plan to grow, and the Board has been in need of new competences from the outside to help in the process. ”The owners have requested external forces with whom the management can have discussions. We have been in need to create a more homogenous and more effective Board,” says Morten H. Nielsen, CEO, Prime Cargo. For Prime Cargo, in many ways the future lies in the IT sector. But they have also looked for a person with experience in retail growth and with good intuition when it comes to the trends in the retail sector. We have spoken to Carsten Sixhøi and Anders Holdt Høiris, who will be the two external Board members: Carsten Sixhøi 45 years Lives in Kolding IT training, Business Economist and MBA
Carsten Sixhøi has a professional IT profile. As he himself puts it, he has been part of the IT sector since its very creation. He is currently the CEO of IT company C2IT. He has previously been managing director of another IT company, WM-Data, and he has done board work for different companies. This is why he is familiar with management, sales and organisation, but his specialty is innovation and professional IT. He knows how to use IT commercially. It is also with this experience and expertise that he will contribute to Prime Cargo’s Board. ”All this IT integration is becoming a bigger part of the product itself and a competitive parameter in relation to other rival companies. If you cannot meet the customers’ IT requirements, you will probably not be allowed to transport their goods.
”It is important to have a Board who are capable of contributing wth things that can elevate the company to a new level, so that Prime Cargo gets something it does not already have today.” This has happened all over the world, so you have to incorporate the technology into the product in a different way than what has been done before. This is something Prime Cargo has spotted early”, he says. For Carsten Sixhøi it is important to be a good discussions partner and to offer the management someone to work with: ”It is important to have a Board who are capable of contributing wth things that can elevate the company to a new level, so that Prime Cargo gets something it does not already have today. Hopefully, we will make some better decisions together.”
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In particular, it is Prime Cargo’s cooperation in Asia and, of course, the technological development and challenges in a well-run company that Carsten Sixhøi is looking forward to becoming acquainted with. Anders Holdt Høiris 60 year Lives in Sundby, Nykøbing Falster MBA degree
tions, you need good and effective logistics. In my opinion, this is one of the core services that almost all companies with a physical product have to master. This is why I think that being part of Prime Cargo is really fascinating”.
”I will hopefully help optimise Prime Cargo’s strategy and increase the company’s value for the shareholders. This can only be done if the company’s value is increased for the customers as well” But Anders Holdt Høiris regards the new job with great respect too: ”One should have a humble approach towards a company working in the kind of market we have nowadays. Especially given that Prime Cargo are so good and reliable. They have been in the game for a very long time, and as a professional it is really exciting for me to be able to help them become even better”, says Anders Holdt Høiris.
One of the people with the broadest experience in retail is Anders Holdt Høiris. He has been a professional board member for 10 years and he has been working with strategic development in the clothing industry for many years. Among others, as a deputy managing director of IC Companys. ”I have known Prime Cargo as a very good supplier of logistics services for many years , and I know what the customer base wants from a logistics company,” says Anders Holdt Høiris. He has previously worked on implementing IT systems and expanding businesses internally, but it is the retail platform in particular that he will work with as a member of Prime Cargo’s Board. ”I will hopefully help optimise Prime Cargo’s strategy and increase the company’s value for the shareholders. This can only be done if the company’s value is increased for the customers as well,” says Anders Holdt Høiris and adds: ”When you spread your production over many loca-
The new Board will consist of four owners, one chairperson and two existing members. At the beginning, the external members will be appointed for a period of 12 months at a time.
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Prime Academy creates the employees of the Future In the end of October, the first group started at Prime Academy, Prime Cargo’s newly started internal training. The vision is to train employees so that they are well equipped to carry on the Prime Cargo spirit.
Prime Academy has been long in the making, but a few weeks ago, 12 employees started the newly created training.
ules, the participants also have a chance to gain some practical experience with what they have been working on at Prime Academy.
sion. It is about safeguarding future employees at Prime Cargo, and we have to use well-educated people”, continues Charlotte Johannessen.
The training lasts 15 months and consists of 6 modules. However, this is not a ready product, which has just been purchased. ”It would be our own programme and not some ready product. It would be Prime Cargo’s spirit and culture”, says Charlotte Johannessen, HR Manager and Prime Academy coordinator.
In addition to the Prime Cargo part of the training, the participants also have the pleasure of meeting two external instructors, Christian Hjermind and Kristian Ragus respectively.
A Common Objective Since this is the first time the training is carried out, the newly started group will also function as a partner for discussions about the training. But the training must follow the participants, as Charlotte Johannessen says: ”If the group takes a turn into a new direction, we will follow with it. We must also work really hard with what motivates each employee and with the ways to motivate one’s group”.
This is the reason why the participants have to go through all business areas such as, for example, finances, strategy, air, sea and e-commerce. ”Even if you have been here for many years, you still need an insight into the entire operation. People don’t necessarily know what is going on in the other divisions,” says Charlotte Johannessen. With the breaks between the mod-
The Culture Bearers Prime Cargo has an ambitious plan to grow and Prime Academy is to educate the leaders of the next generation, who are well equipped to accomplish this task. Prime Academy, however, will also train employees who can be the company’s culture bearers. These can also be good employees whom the company can send to an office in Asia and know that the job is in safe hands and will be performed in Prime Cargo’s spirit. ”Prime Academy is a strategic deci-
An important part of Prime Academy is having one common objective, but the path leading to it will not be the same for everyone. At Prime Academy there has to be room to zigzag around until you find your niche.
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Insight In one year’s time, the first fully qualified group of Prime Academy will be ready, and one of the goals of the training is for Prime Cargo to find out a little more about its employees. But also to give employees some knowledge about the company. Do employees feel at their right place in the company? In the first round, the training is reserved for employees in Denmark, but the plan is to get employees from around the world later on, as well as to keep an eye on some of the fully trained students with good Prime Cargo potential. To Charlotte Johannessen, the Prime Academy project is a great step in the right direction: ”The employees and the management have taken Prime Academy to heart, creating what I really feel is a positive attitude towards it. After all, this is the first criterion for something to be a success.”
In the end of October, the 12 employees started their training at Prime Academy, where in the course of the next 15 months they will learn about the different divisions at Prime Cargo as well as a little about themselves and what motivates them. We have asked a few participants what their expectations are about the training: Mikkel Hansen, 28 years Lives in Kolding Has been working for Prime Cargo for 10 years Seafreight Export Operation
What is your motivation for participating in Prime Academy? I would like to develop further. I made an inquiry about this some time ago, so it is a good thing that something is happening now. When we were presented the training, it sounded exciting. So I threw myself into it. What do you expect of Prime Academy? That Prime Cargo will invest in me, and that I will get to know myself better. I have never taken personality tests, so I’m looking forward to it. Do you know in which direction you would like to go with Prime Academy? I am a little curious as to where it would lead. We do not know a lot right now, and we are a bit like guinea pigs. But yes, to develop myself further, and within Prime Cargo.
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Pernille Skjødeberg, 39 years Lives in Kolding Has been working for Prime Cargo for 15 years Customs Clearance Manager
Thomas Grarup, 32 years Lives in Kolding Has been working at Steamline (a Prime Cargo subsidiary) for 11 years Production Manager at Steamline
What is your motivation for participating in Prime Academy? It sounded really exciting so when I was asked to participate, I didn’t hesitate at all. I have no actual training in leadership other than my practical experience, so I’m looking forward to learning something about it. Plus, I want to learn something about myself too. Even though I have been working here for many years, there are quite a lot of things I do not know about Prime Cargo.
What is your motivation for participating in Prime Academy? I would like to develop myself as a person and to be part of shaping and designing the new Prime Cargo.
What do you expect of Prime Academy? I expect to learn a lot about myself, and to learn how to handle different conflicts that might arise.
Do you know in which direction you would like to go with Prime Academy? I don’t know exactly. But I hope to be able to create an internal network for knowledge sharing and discussions.
Do you know in which direction you would like to go with Prime Academy? My plan is to become head of the customs clearance division. We have been somewhat of a plaything between some departments. I am a daily works manager now, but I would like to be prepared to be one outside the company too. I want to see that I can carry out all tasks completely.
What do you expect to learn at Prime Academy? Hopefully, I will acquire certain instruments to develop myself personally as a leader and to learn to see and understand the big picture at Prime Cargo as a global organisation.
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Peter Slatcher, 39 years Lives in Esbjerg Has been working for Prime Cargo for 4 years Sales Manager at eCommerce Logistics
Michael S. Ynill, 44 years Lives in Dragør Has been working for Prime Cargo for almost 7 years Seafreight Operation Manager
What is your motivation to participate in Prime Academy? My main motivation is to be able to motivate others and to implement Prime Cargo’s values in the operation. So that they can be used in our everyday life.
What is your motivation to participate in Prime Academy? The desire to be part of shaping the future Prime Cargo A/S.
What do you expect to learn at Prime Academy? I expect to get the instruments that would make it possible to use the values in our everyday work, and to be a role model and a culture bearer. I am particularly looking forward to one communication module, since communication presents challenges in every company. Do you know in which direction you would like to go with Prime Academy? The most important thing for me is to be able to use continuously the things we learn here and to implement them in the organisation. The opportunities that come along are of secondary importance.
What do you expect to learn at Prime Academy? I expect to be able to understand my colleagues better, as well as to begin my personal development, which hopefully would pay off in my everyday work, and to have a better understanding of myself and my fellow human beings in general. Do you know in which direction you would like to go with the training? We take on an ambassador’s role but we hope and wish that we acquire instruments to use in all aspects of life, both at work and in our private life.
A cooperation running on wheels At the beginning of the 00s, Prime Cargo needed a partner. One of Prime Cargo’s customers was about to open several stores in Canada, and they were looking for someone to handle the transport of their goods. Meanwhile, the Canadian company Omnitrans faced a similar problem. They were specialising in customs clearance of goods, but their customers wanted Omnitrans to be able to handle the transport as well.
These were optimum conditions for both companies, and Omnitrans has been Prime Cargo’s faithful companion for almost 9 years.
transport services, but today the cooperation runs by and large only between the offices in Asia and to Canada.
”The cooperation is still impeccable. On the whole, at the time when the contact was established, Omnitrans wanted to go beyond Canada’s boundaries, so this was the perfect time to meet each other”, says Jacob Bruhn, Airfreight Import Manager at Prime Cargo. Jacob Bruhn was connected to Omnitrans in relation with Prime Cargo’s customer that was looking for
Since the beginning of the partnership in 2003-2004, it has easily grown bigger and bigger. ”We have great cooperation with Omnitrans globally”, says Jacob Bruhn. The Canadian Omnitrans is also very pleased with the partnership. Mario Morelli, director of international freight at Omnitrans, emphasises the close cooperation and the common development as a decisive factor for the success. ”We are both dedicated to good service, and we both have the same mindset when it comes to business plans,” says Mario Morelli. Right Hand In many ways Omnitrans is Prime Cargo’s right hand in Canada.
Jacob Bruhn, Airfreight Manager at Prime Cargo.
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FACTS ABOUT OMNITRANS • • • •
Omnitrans was established in 1976. The company specialises in customs clearance of goods. It started managing international freight when the cooperation with Prime Cargo began in 2003-2004. The company is a leader on the Canadian market in customs clearance of goods and international freight.
Mario Morelli, Director of International Freight at Omnitrans
Instead of opening its own offices, Prime Cargo uses Omnitrans as its representative. ” We have a completely open cooperation with them, and we play our cards face up, as if it were our own office”, says Jacob Bruhn and adds: ”However, there are always a couple of cultural barriers. Omnitrans is very deeply anchored in the Canadian system, and what they regard as very simple can be completely different for us, and vice versa”.
Generally speaking, Omnitrans and Prime Cargo totally understand each other. They meet once or twice a year and discuss things, should there be any problems. With a partner on the other side of the world, it is important to meet face to face and talk things through. What the future will bring remains unknown, but so far, the plan is to start an IT partnership so that the two companies can transfer shipment information to one another.
They were so successful because both Omnitrans and Prime Cargo needed a strong partner and both parties wanted the venture to succeed. Certainly, the cooperation will keep on developing. Mario Morelli from Omnitrans believes that the future will offer long-term and systematic growth.
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Airfreight Export, Kolding Jan Hansen Give 44 years Trained shipping agent Export Manager at Prime Cargo ”We take pride in being able to respond in 5 minutes” Jan Hansen is airfreight manager at Prime Cargo. On 15 March, it is 10 years he has been in charge of Prime Cargo’s export. He has been part of the company since the very beginning and this has been a journey of great development of the division. When Jan was employed about 10 years ago, he was head of an export division which was responsible for both air and seafreight. Afterwards, the division was split up and Jan is now the manager of the airfreight division, which consists of 4.5 men, as he himself puts it. Four full-time employees and one administrative employee who helps a few hours a day. Much has happened to Prime
Cargo since the company was founded almost 16 years ago but the airfreight division have a very special attitude towards providing good and fast service: ”We take pride in being able to respond within 5 minutes,” Jan Hansen answers the question of what is special about the division. ”The customers have some inquiries and they have to be processed fast. It is important that we reply to them,” he says. The small division coordinates airfreight anywhere in the world, and it has been very successful: ”We offer personal service. Our customers can contact us around the clock, and we are happy for all our customers, big and small alike. We started from scratch. From 0 to where we currently stand, so it has really happened fast,” says Jan Hansen. Another thing that has changed a lot in the past few years is the communication. Today, generally speaking, all agreements are pre-
pared by email. In addition to the employees’ mailboxes, which can easily offer 200-300 emails a day, the division has a common email account, which can handle up to 400 emails a day. Sometimes it can be a bit too much as Jan admits, but the motivation is always at its highest: ”I have great colleagues and we follow each other. The atmosphere is fantastic here and we never say ”No, thank you”. We will always accept a customer’s order.” At the airfreight division, there are no set roles and everyone does a bit of everything. They take pride in everyone’s involvement when acquiring new customers and in having overlapping functions in the different assignments. To Jan Hansen, the job at Prime Cargo and especially at the airfreight division, offers him a place where he has free rein. The way from an idea to its implementation is not that long, and, in the long run this is exactly what makes the customers happy.
From the left: Jan Hansen (Airfreight Export Manager), René Minke (Airfreight Export Operation), John Nielsen (Airfreight Export Opertion Manager) and Lene Østerlund Andersen (Airfreight Export Operation)
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Front row: Baisy Li (Accounting), Eileen Huang (Seafreight Export), Lily Yu (Import) and Angela Liang (Airfreight Export) Back row: Eddie Wang (Operation Manager), Helen Liang (Office Manager) and Logan Luo (Seafreight Export)
Beijing office Helen Liang, 42 years Lives in Beijing. Has been working at Prime Cargo for 15 years. Beijing Office Manager The Small Office on the Other Side of the World On the other side of the world, in Beijing, there is a small Prime Cargo division with seven employees. It probably does not sound like much, but this division of the Chinese office is constantly developing, and providing “excellent service” is the pivot of their work. ”I appreciate working with nice colleagues in a small division. We strive to offer the best possible customer service,” says Helen Liang, who is the head of the Chinese office. She has been employed at Prime Cargo for 15 years and has acquired enough experience to be in charge of the division. ”It is through excellent service that
we ensure long-term, strong partnerships,” she says. Providing the best possible customer service is taken very seriously at the office: ”We visit our customers and partners regularly and we discuss things. A good relationship is the corner stone of good collaboration,” says Helen Liang. The Chinese office in Beijing is practical and well-organised. There are only 7 employees, but the division has a seafreight team, an airfreight team and an import team. Even though the employees are a motley group of old Prime Cargoes and newcomers, there is strong collaboration and unity in the team. The atmosphere in the division is always nice and the employees are good at both sparring with each other and solving problems together. Although the Chinese office is situated far from Prime Cargo’s familiar
surroundings in Denmark, a typical workday is very similar to a day at the Danish offices. Most of the workday is spent in front of the computer and all communication is done via email. Here, the office coordinates the different shipments and makes plans together with overseas partners. Helen Liang has been part of the team since the very opening of the office in Beijing. At that time, what appealed to her were the new challenges and the new, exciting company. Her job is to make sure that the small division is developing all the time, but at a company such as Prime Cargo, which is constantly developing, there are always plenty of challenges and tasks we have to deal with, she says and adds: ” In the long run, we would like to become even better at offering the best possible service and at being a good partner”.
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Help for the Red Cross for the third time On 5 November, the Red Cross’ collection of clothing campaign “FashionAid” took place for the third time. Needless to say, Prime Cargo took part again this year. Last year, 106 companies participated in FashionAid. This year the companies were 185 and the garments collected were 42% more than last year’s. Companies from all around the country took part in the initiative. The employees donated their cast-off clothes, all of which went to the Red Cross and their relief work. “One more time this year, Prime Cargo was in charge of picking up the collected clothing, which is of great use in hot spots around the world,” clarifies AnnChristin Lystrtup, Red Cross consultant: ”We couldn’t have done it without Prime Cargo. They are crucial for this activity. It is fantastic to be able to use their competence to the benefit of Red Cross’ relief work. Ann-Christin Lystrup from the Red Cross estimates that Prime Cargo’s work is worth more than DKK 1 million. Most of the collected clothing goes for sale in the 207 stores of the Red Cross, but each and every piece of garment is used. Garments which cannot be sold at the stores are sold
to buyers in other countries, or are used as cloths or textiles in different industries. A Project with Potential Prime Cargo also sees the potential in the cooperation: ”From day one we have not been in doubt for even the slightest second about whether to support this initiative. The concept is really good and at the same time, it is aimed at many of our customers,” says Morten H. Nielsen, CEO. Prime Cargo is the only one in charge of the logistics of picking up 17 tonnes of clothing, and the volume has increased over the years. Since the start of FashionAid, Prime Cargo has picked up clothing from about 20 companies. In just a few years the task has grown much bigger. ”But this does not prevent us from doing it,” states Morten H. Nielsen: ”Being able to combine getting rid of your cast-off clothing, and raising funds for the disadvantaged. This is very well thought-out.” Makes it Easy to Say ”Yes” Danish Fashion & Textile is also a partner of FashionAid, and it was they who negotiated the cooperation terms with Prime Cargo back in 2010. For Mikkel Gudsø, chief lawyer at Dansk Mode og Tekstil, it is Prime Cargo that makes the difference. When it comes to charity, it is about making it easy to say “yes” and difficult to say “no”, and here, Prime Cargo’s work is indispensable. ”The easier you make it for companies, the more of them will participate. Telling them that they do not have to spend any resources; that we just want to increase the focus on FashionAid, and Prime Cargo will collect the clothing free of charge. This is what convinces them to participate,” says Mikkel Gudsø. Both Danish Fashion & Textile and the Red Cross hope that the focus on FashionAid will be even greater in the future. The Red Cross’ biggest source of income comes from selling second-hand clothing, which is why a project such as FashionAid is essential,” says Mikkel Gudsø: ”When the Red Cross sells lots of second-hand clothing, they get the funds they need to do what they are good at: Helping people around the world.
FACTS: • FashionAid started in 2010. • This is the third time FasionAid is being held with one single break in 2011. • Approx. 20 companies delivered clothing at the beginning of the project.
• 185 companies participated in 2013. • Approx. 17 tonnes of clothing were collected in 2013. • Dansk Mode og Tekstil, the Red Cross and Prime Cargo are behind the project.
VI SMIDER BUKSERNE Tirsdag d. 5 november 2013 støtter vi Røde Kors tøjindsamlingsdag
I samarbejde med:
Sådan gør du: Ryd op i dit klædeskab, medbring det du vil donere, og aflever det her på din arbejdsplads. www.rødekors.dk/tøjindsamling
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Shuttle Buses to Copenhagen Fashion Week In August, Copenhagen once again hosted the Fashion Week but it was the first time for Prime Cargo as a partner. The Copenhagen Fashion Week is an event that every February and August attracts more than 50,000 international buyers, journalists and designers. So far, it has been a great challenge to transport so many people around the city to the different fairs. This year, however, Prime Cargo sponsored seven shuttle busses to do this job. ”It is fantastic that they support the serious and professional business part of the Fashion Week. Essentially, this is a prerequisite for
having other activities during the Fashion Week”, says Simon Hansen, communications manager at Dansk Mode og Tekstil. From A to B During the Copenhagen Fashion Week, most foreign buyers usually visit all fashion fairs, and if they have to spend their time finding their way around Copenhagen, it will take the focus away from their actual task: to purchase Danish
fabrics. ”Through and through, it is all about logistics. It is a basic necessity thanks to which everything runs much smoother,” continues Simon Hansen. ”I have been out there and I have heard the people’s positive reactions to the buses. This is a service people appreciate a lot. Things ran really smoothly – you could clearly see that people were extremely happy.”
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One More Adventure For Prime Cargo, the shuttle buses are an excellent way to deliver something extra to the customers. ”Logistics has always presented challenges, and it has made it difficult for visitors to reach the different stands. We have noticed it ourselves and we have discussed it with our customers as being annoying”, says Morten H. Nielsen, CEO. Many of Prime Cargo’s customers are textile customers, which is why it was a good idea to help create a solution that made things easier for Prime Cargo’s customers, and especially for our customers’ customers. ”The feedback we received was very positive,” says Morten H. Nielsen. ”Our customers thought it was a good initiative; their customers have been extremely positive, and one gets a different picture of the Copenhagen Fashion Week when it is easier to get about comfortably.”
Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) first emerged on the Scandinavian fashion scene in 1993. Today, CIFF is the largest fashion fair in Northern Europe with over 40,000 sqm and countless brands housed under one roof.
A Tour to Trade Fairs
Every August and February, Copenhagen opens its streets to the Copenhagen Fashion Week. In addition to parties and fashion shows, Fashion Week offers also several large trade fairs so that visitors can do some shopping One of the biggest trade fairs is located in the Bella Centre, and 2 years ago CIFF ( Copenhagen International Fashion Fair) decided to rebrand the whole trade fair. ”For many years we have used one and the same band without making any improvements, so when we got a new CEO, he had a vision of getting everyone in the fashion industry in Denmark under the same roof”, says Janne Villadsen, Communication and PR Manager at CIFF.
Danish fashion is amongst Denmark’s five main export goods, so the Copenhagen fashion trade fair is very important for the fashion industry. CIFF wanted to make things easier for international buyers coming to the city. ”Just as with the shuttle busses, everything is about facilitating the fashion trade fair visitors, which is why we at CIFF wanted to gather all major Danish brands,” says Janne Villadsen. This is why the fashion fair in Bella Centre is now divided into areas with shoes, men’s wear, classic women’s wear etc., instead of having everything mixed up in one place as it used to be.
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The Copenhagen Fashion Week takes place around the entir trade fairs in particular that Prime Cargo’s customers atte Lene Boesen from Black Lily, Jens Schøtt from Cashott, Kim H and Henriette Pieszak from Pieszak about how the fashion fai
Jens Schøtt, Cashott Has attended the fashion fair 12 times Exhibits in the trade fair in the Bella Centre. ”We have participated in the trade fair for several years, but we are now located in a shoes-only section, and we are very pleased with this fact. The Bella Centre needed a renewal. If you do not see things that are new and interesting, you will stop attending. This is particularly true in the fashion business. You are forced to upgrade. Rebranding was necessary and the permanent stands had to be renovated, but now we think that the shoe department where we are standing has become really good. Even though there is still some standstill in the fashion industry because of the financial crisis, on the whole, Cashott has had a good year. We are at the fair from Wednesday to Sunday and most of the buyers are here to get up to date. Many do not shop while there are a lot of people around, but we have scheduled a lot of appointments with buyers. Our minor customers shop directly at the fashion fair, and the same applies for our international customers. We have felt some confusion amongst buyers before because they had to find their way to the different trade fairs on their own. We have not heard any complaints this year, so the shuttle buses must have done an impeccable job. This way, the buyers get a better experience of the fashion week.”
Kim Hyldahl, Mos Mosh Has attended the fashion fair 5 times Exhibits at the Gallery at Forum ”The Fashion Week has run as planned for Mos Mosh. We have had a lot of visitors, both Danish and international. This time, we have acquired a lot of new English and German customers. We have made some appointments in advance, but of course it is always a good thing to have many customers pass by. So maybe we can allocate some funds from the budget. It is exciting to hear what people think about the new collection. If we can get the customers’ recognition, we couldn’t have done it better. The fair is open for three days, and in August we presented our 2014 spring collection. So, the customers come by and hopefully they will think the collection is better than expected. We plan to continue to exhibit at the Gallery. Customers from all around the world come here and we are very happy. I have also heard that the visitors are very pleased with the shuttle busses that transported them around. Needless to say, this has a positive effect on the entire fashion fair”.
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re city, but it is the big end. We have spoken to Hyldahl from Mos Mosh irs run.
Lene Boesen, Black Lily Has attended the fashion fair 12 times Exhibits at the Gallery trade fair at Forum ”We move from the Gallery to Bella Centre, so you will find us there during the February Fashion Week. We do not think we could plan so many things at the Gallery and the communication with Bella Centre has improved. Many of the other brands, we used to stand together with, have moved out there and we want to present our products side by side with the other big brands. From a sales perspective, things went really fine at the Gallery, but it is now time to try something new. We also get an extra day at the stand in Bella Centre, which is one of the decisive factors for moving there. The fashion fair makes it possible for buyers to purchase a lot of things and it is a good opportunity for Black Lily to get noticed. We are at the stand from morning to evening and we make a lot of appointments with potential customers. First and foremost, we need orders in the book, but it is also exciting to get new customers from abroad attend. This is why the shuttle bus initiative is a good idea. The fact that the Fashion Week is spread out over so many locations can be a little confusing to the buyer. Most Danish customers know how to get to their destination, but customers from abroad do not stand a chance.”
Henriette Pieszak, Pieszak. Has attended the fair in Bella Centre twice Exhibits at the Bella Centre ”This time we are very pleased with how the trade fair has passed. Everything is well organised and very well structured in CIFF. They are very focused on making CIFF even stronger on the international arena, besides the basic purpose of the trade fair – to be a fantastic opportunity for Danish customers in the B2B segment, where the direct shopping opportunities are, and for retail customers who can look for individual inspiration for the next season. It is exactly this broad perspective that offers diverse possibilities, that exactly matches Pieszak’s philosophy and market interests, as we focus a lot on our adjacent markets. A usual day at the trade fair also reflects the above. We offer the best possible service to our guests through presentations of both individual articles and collections. The latter are intended for our current and possibly new business customers. In this context, it is just as important that we, as well as our current and future customers, “have a face” and see who is who. Personal relations are much more important than one could imagine. It is also important that customers can quickly see and feel whether the collection has the touch that would give a retailer a reasonable chance to make a profit through the necessary sales volume. One of the greatest challenges with the Copenhagen Fashion Week is the three trade fairs in Copenhagen. We have to make sure that the Copenhagen Fashion Week is a positive and convenient experience. The shuttle buses are a positive step in this direction. All measures that make it easier for visitors to attend the trade fairs, contribute to an increase in the number of visitors, which is, of course, in everyone’s interest.”
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The handball sticks to ”Tusse” Since 1987, Kell Thustrup, better known as Tusse, has been part of KIF Kolding København. First as a player, and afterwards as a team manager. And he will be there as long as it is fun.
On an average workday, Tusse works as a cargo operator at Prime Cargo, but as soon as he is free, he will most likely go to his job as a team manager at KIF Kolding København. Tusse spends most of his spare time there, but as he himself puts it: ”As long as it isn’t a burden and as long as it is challenging. It is a great pleasure to come to work after we have won. Some complain that we could have played better, while others would give you a clap on the shoulder.” The Players’ Uncle As a team manager, Tusse helps the players with everything outside the field. This may concern certain diets for individual players and making sure that there are juice and snacks available. He is also the person to turn to if the players have ques-
tions about when to go to the press or when to have a tactical meeting. In many ways, Tusse is a kind of uncle to the players, and he is very pleased with it: ”I find sports fascinating and I feel like part of the team when I have to take care of the essentials, so that the players can perform well on the field”. KIF Kolding København plays every Saturday and Sunday, and Tusse participates in all matches and trips. This means that his schedule is really tight at times. ”We have just come home from a match in France. This morning, I took my clothes to the laundry and I already have to collect them again this evening. We are playing another match tomorrow,” he says. Even though the team manager’s job is time consuming, Tusse is fond of all the trips and experience he gets out of it: ”In the summer, we see only the
hotel. The schedule is tight with food, training and tactical meetings. But we are a very close-knit team and we are also good at going out sightseeing when we are on the road”. Generally speaking, Tusse gets breathing space from KIF Kolding København only when there are national team gatherings and some of KIF’s players are away. ”It gives you just enough air to go on a winter vacation. But then you get absolutely restless”, he says. The Team Spirit at Prime Cargo At Prime Cargo, people are interested in handball and in Tusse’s work. They are mostly interested in Lasse Boesen from KIF Kolding København, who is a former national player. Employees, too, support Tusse’s work and understand why he takes time off now and then.
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”Generally speaking, Prime Cargo has always been our sponsor and they understand if I have to take a Monday off to go to a match. So I catch up with the lost hours at other times,” says Tusse.
country. Even though they have not managed to get the gold in the past few seasons, KIF Kolding København (former KIF) is the team with the greatest number of matches won in Denmark.
This sometimes leads to working long hours, but this is a choice he has made in order to be able to practice his hobby. “I have found my niche. Both when it comes to Prime Cargo and to my job as a team manager.”
They have won 25 finals out of 28 played. As the team manager you also get medals, and Tusse has received quite a lot. But this year he wants the best medal of all: ”We always play for medals. But this year we will be as hard as nails for the gold”.
The Gold Team KIF Kolding København plays in the Danish handball league, which is the top professional league in the
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Do you want to to to the European Championship in handball 2014? We offer 1 x 2 VIP tickets to the European Championship in handball in Boxen in Herning on Saturday 18 January 2014, where we hope Denmark is still participating. 16.00 16.30
18.15 19.30
20.30
1st match VIP-area opens Welcome by host Buffet is served 2nd match Snacks i VIP-omrĂĽdet Prelude to the Denmark match by handball profile Music entertainment Danmark - Competitor
All you have to do is answer the following question and e-mail the answer to Louise at loro@primecargo.dk 10 January 2014 at the latest: How many finals have KIF Kolding København (former KIF) won in the Danish Handball League? The winner will be notified directly, and published in the next edition of Prime News.
Peter Matzen from Sundax was the lucky winner of a stay for two at the beautiful Hotel Kolding with dinner and breakfast. Congratulations to Preben.
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Birthdays HONG KONG Ricky Cheung
DATE 25/12-13
50 years
CHINA, BEIJING Angela Liang
DATE 09/12- 14
30 years
CHINA, NINGBO Helen Hu
DATE 07/05-14
30 years
DENMARK, KOLDING Mikkel Svane Eskesen Monika Zaremba Peter B. Dahl Slatcher Karen Jensen Andreas Arildsen Florim Shala Beata Kuczera Petersen Lene Østerlund Andersen Jose Maria Wüthrich Lasse Egertsen Petersen Nana Holm Skouboe Kirsten Poulsen Nicoline Østerkjærhus Christopher Hansen Zahir Berisha Pernille Skjødeberg Nielsen Yvonne Petersen Lis Juul Jensen Jacob Gadegaard Hansen Dennis Munter Niemann Ike Asmussen
02/01-14 13/02-14 13/02-14 26/02-14 04/03-14 08/03-14 10/03-14 31/03-14 12/04-14 08/07-14 11/07-14 26/07-14 21/08-14 01/10-14 14/10-14 19/10-14 19/10-14 15/11-14 28/11-14 11/12-14 22/12-14
20 years 30 years 40 years 30 years 20 years 20 years 50 years 40 years 30 years 50 years 30 years 40 years 20 years 20 years 30 years 40 years 40 years 50 years 20 years 20 years 40 years
DENMARK, GREVE Lisa Anya Glass Ole Møller Fogelstrøm Lasse Palmqvist
20/02-14 06/10-14 10/10-14
20 years 50 years 40 years
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Anniversaries ANNIVERSARY 10 Years CHINA, NINGBO Cathrine Chen
DATE 10/12-14
DENMARK, KOLDING Jan Skovdal Hansen Lene Højholdt Krogh Henning Jensen Karen Jensen
DATE 15/03-14 01/04-14 01/06-14 01/08-14
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Christmas 2013
Prime Cargo A/S wishes all its customers and partners a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Again this year, Prime Cargo A/S supports Merry Christmas to All. Financially strapped families in Kolding also need to be able to have a merry Christmas. Last year, 91 families with a total of 351 members received help of the association. The association hopes to be able to provide aĂd to just as many ore more again this year. The aid is awarded in cooperation with the municipality of Kolding Social Services to secure it is the most needed that receives the aid.