Press release -
Rapidly growing logistics company takes over Port of Gothenburg Car Terminal
Today, Port of Gothenburg signed a ten-year concession agreement with the Swedish logistics company Logent, which will operate the Car Terminal at the Port of Gothenburg – Gothenburg Car Terminal AB.
"This will reinforce our position as a key partner for the Swedish automotive industry," states Magnus Kårestedt, chief executive of the Port of Gothenburg.
The Port of Gothenburg is by far the largest port of export for cars in Sweden. Swedish export successes such as construction machinery, truck chassis and bus chassis are also shipped through the port. Direct routes to other parts of the world make Gothenburg an important gateway for the Swedish automotive industry.
Many companies expressed an interest in running the Gothenburg Car Terminal and around ten external operators were involved in the process. The final choice was Logent – a Swedish logistics company with 1,000 employees which operates ports, combiterminals and storage facilities throughout Sweden and Norway. Logent also handles stevedoring at the Port of Stockholm as well as an industrial college in Gothenburg specialising in logistics.
"Logent is an innovative, rapidly growing, knowledge-intensive company that shares our values and visions. Choosing a logistics company is a clear indication of the role played by a modern port. We are part of the logistics chain and through Logent we will gain access to many other parts of that chain, presenting us with significant competitive advantages," continues Magnus Kårestedt, chief executive of the Port of Gothenburg.
"Gothenburg's geographical location is unbeatable when it comes to serving the whole of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. We are seeking to reinforce the Car Terminal at the Port of Gothenburg even further in close collaboration with the automotive industry," states Lars-Göran Ahlberger, President of Logent AB.
The background to the move is the division of the Port into a municipal port authority and three separate terminal companies. The quays and infrastructure will remain under municipal ownership and the agreement only applies to operations at the Car Terminal. In October, the Port signed an agreement with DFDS Seaways and C.Ports covering the operation of the Ro-Ro Terminal and next in line in the transfer process is the Container Terminal.
Transfer April 4
Once the concession agreement comes into force, Logent will take over all customer contracts and the 35 employees. The official transfer date is April 4. Because of its size, the deal does not require the approval of the Swedish Competition Authority.
Cars gathering momentum
The handling of cars was the sector that increased most at the Port of Gothenburg last year – up 48 per cent on 2009. In total, 233,000 cars were imported and exported and the upward trend is continuing although there is still some way to go to reach pre-recession figures of 300,000-plus cars passing through the port each year.
Shipping of cars and other vehicles to and from other parts of the world will be handled by the Gothenburg Car Terminal, which is now in the process of being transferred. Around one-third of the total car volume at the port last year passed through the Gothenburg Car Terminal as well as 12,200 construction machines, chassis, steel units and other heavy goods. In 2010, the Terminal had a turnover of SEK 71 million.
For further information, please contact:
Logent AB: Lars-Göran Ahlberger, President, +46 (0)708 759939, or Michael Arvidsson, Sales and Marketing Director, +46 (0)768-979810
Port of Gothenburg: Sven Hulterström, Chairman, +46 (0)70-553 62 40, Magnus Kårestedt, CEO, +46 (0)70 566 25 13, Cecilia Carlsson, Media Relations Officer, +46 (0)31-731 22 45.
Fact file: Logent
Logent is a rapidly growing logistics company that offers services for logistics-intensive companies. The service portfolio includes logistics consulting, staffing solutions, contracting and site solutions and training. Logent carries on operations in four business areas:
Staffing & Site - responsible for logistics operations, such as storage facilities. This business area also deals with the provision of staff to meet requirement fluctuations.
Consulting – traditional logistics consulting operations, including consulting in the development of third-party logistics and customs consulting.
Ports & Terminals – This business area includes Logent Stuv AB, which handles stevedoring operations at the Port of Stockholm and the Combi-Terminal in Sundsvall, where Logent runs the terminal. It is within this business area that the Gothenburg Car Terminal will be placed. Education – This business area includes the Logistics College, which offers higher vocational education programmes, and the Supply Chain Institute with programmes designed for people working in industry.
Logent has operations at 16 locations throughout Sweden and Norway and approximately 1,000 employees. In 2011, Logent is expected to have a turnover of around SEK 500 million.
www.logent.se
Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region and has an excellent geographical location, putting it within reach of import and export companies throughout the whole of Scandinavia and the Baltic region. Gothenburg has been named the best logistics location in Sweden 10 years in succession.
One-quarter of all Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg as well as 65 per cent of all container traffic. 70 per cent of industry and the population in the Nordic region are to be found within 500 km of the port. The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the largest container vessels in the world and offers the broadest range of routes within and outside Europe.
The 26 rail shuttles with daily departures mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro goods, containers and passengers.
www.portgot.se
