As we look back upon last year, we would like to acknowledge those who have helped us shape our business.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We wish you all the best for the coming year.

Enjoy these days with your family and loved ones.

 

Neele-Vat Logistics

On Friday 19-12-2019, Neele-Vat Logistics reached agreement on two acquisitions in the port of Rotterdam. The company has acquired the road haulier Mammoet Ferry Transport and Mainport Forwarding, both based in Rotterdam.

Through the latter, Neele-Vat aims to start playing a bigger role in intermodal goods transhipment. The price paid for the two companies has not been made public.
With the acquisition of Mammoet Ferry Transport, Neele-Vat is first and foremost strengthening its position in European road transport. The company also notes that it is gaining international locations in Belgium, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom –
specifically at Zeebrugge (Belgium), Duisburg (Germany), Ansfelden (Austria) and Preston Brook and Cambuslang (UK). Mammoet Ferry Transport primarily specialises in road haulage between Benelux and the United Kingdom. With a view to the impending Brexit, those activities are a significant gain for Neele-Vat Logistics.

Cross-docking

With the acquisition of Mainport Warehousing & Forwarding (20 employees), Neele-Vat is preparing for the coming new cross-dock centre at Waalhaven. Mainport is particularly strong in cross-docking continental cargo for the shortsea sector, but the firm is running into capacity constraints at its current location.

« The new cross-dock centre for Neele-Vat will offer a fantastic opportunity to continue the growth of Mainport Warehousing in the future », says the company. Mainport will continue to operate within the Rotterdam family firm under its own brand name. As before, it will be run by its existing management and CEO Jos Lems. “Owner Henk van Esch will be taking a step back but he will remain involved with the company in an advisory role.

Scale

Through the merger with Mammoet Transport, Neele-Vat is « enhancing” its European transport network and establishing the scale « to remain competitive in tomorrow’s Europe”, said Neele-Vat Logistics CEO Cuno Vat in a statement.

“We will also be able to offer our customer an even broader range of services. Plus, we will have a strong position to extend our services internationally. » The purchase of Mainport is intended above all to reduce the number of truck-kilometres to and from the ports, added Vat.
“As a result, we will be able to work more efficiently and reduce CO2 emissions. We will also be looking to make more use of rail in the future. We already have several trains per week to Italy. They also carry cargo that is suitable for the cross-dock centre. »

Continuity

Mammoet Ferry Transport has seventy employees and will continue to operate within Neele-Vat under its own name. The management, including CEO/owner Krijn Torreman, will remain in place and the acquisition will not have any consequences for jobs at the road haulage company.
According to Torreman, the acquisition by Neele-Vat provides assurances “for the continuity of the firm which I and all our employees have built up over the course of thirty years. »
Following the acquisition, Neele-Vat Logistics has nine hundred employees spread across twenty locations in ten countries. In addition, the group has over 256,000 square metres of storage space. The firm’s annual turnover is €300 million.

After the UK elections, more has become clear in the Brexit timeline

 

The next step for the Boris Johnson government is to get the Brexit deal approved at the Lower House. With the big victories after the elections, that seems the least bump at the moment. That could be more difficult in the House of Lords where these elections have not changed the situation.

 

After the UK it’s up to the EU. A simple majority is sufficient during the vote. If these steps have been taken the Brexit becomes a reality on February 1st. An agreed transition period starts on this date in which the UK remains a virtual EU member, thus also remains part of the internal market. The only thing that changes overnight is that the British no longer have a voice in Brussels. So there will be no changes for logistics.

 

Negotiations on a trade agreement between the UK and the EU start in February. The hope is that this is settled before 31.12.2020. EU negotiations with countries such as Canada and South Korea take five up to nine years. There is no time now, because the transition period already runs on December 31st 2020.

 

There might be another escape. Halfway through the new year is the last moment to decide on an extension of the transitional period for one or two years. Almost all involved see this as inevitable, because a comprehensive trade agreement is not to be expected within 11 months. However, Johnson has always said that he does not like such an extension. December 31st , 2020 could be a new, tough « no deal » Brexit date. If Johnson persists in his refusal to extend the transition phase. And if there is no trade agreement with the EU at the end of next year, then the UK will be taken out of the internal market on January 1, 2021 and without any agreements. In that case the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) apply. This inevitably leads to border controls, tariffs and other trade barriers.

 

In summary

Nothing will change during transport to and from the UK until December 31st 2020. So no customs clearance or other customs declarations. The most important is the possible postponement date by which the deadline becomes June 2020.

 

With no delay it becomes:
– in case of an agreement; a soft Brexit.
– in case of no agreement; a hard Brexit follows

 

We will report new developments via the website. If there are any questions in the meantime, please contact us.

It will not have escaped your attention that from January 1, 2020, things will change in the field of bunker oil for liner shipping. At this moment seagoing vessels can still use fuel that consists of 3.5 percent sulfur, from January 1, 2020 the limit will be 0.5 percent. This means that ships are no longer allowed to sail on heavy fuel oil, but that a certain type of more refined fuel must be used.

This is good news for the environment and health, but a considerable cost item for shipping companies as well. The production costs of the 2020 fuel are a lot higher. The shipping companies will therefore start calculating additional fuel surcharges on the ocean freight.

Unfortunately, we do not yet exactly know how much these extra costs will be. We think it is important to draw your attention to the fact that this is imminent. As soon as there is clarity about the amount of this Environmental Fuel Fee (EFF), we will get back to you.

We assume that we have provided sufficient information, but if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

How do we prevent office buildings from costing people energy and how do we ensure that the buildings promote health and well-being? One of the factors that directly influences this is (day) light. A generous amount of daylight has an essential role in people’s well-being and productivity. It stimulates, stimulates and motivates. In the design of the new headquarters of Neele-Vat Logistics, daylight is the building block of architecture.

Connector between port and transport

The new warehouse and head office of Neele-Vat will be at a strategic location, between the Port of Rotterdam and the A15. This location typifies the company: a link between port and transport. Neele-Vat is a major Rotterdam logistics service provider and has been a household name in the port of Rotterdam for years. The new head office will be placed on the warehouse and is surrounded by an 18,000 m2 solar panel deck and there is space for 300 parking spaces.

(Day) light as a building block

Architect Henk de Gelder explains: « The office has an elongated orientation with large glass surfaces on the south and north façade. These provide a lot of light and a phenomenal view. Large patios have been cut out of the volume that also provide daylight and an outdoor experience deep into the office building. The interior blends seamlessly from the inside to the outside. The patios are filled in with thematic greenery.  »

The well-being of the employees is a guideline throughout the design process. The well method was used for this. In addition to light, air and (out of) view, a lot of living green has been used. Large trees can easily measure up to the large scale and robust gesture of this office building. A healthy gem in the port of Rotterdam.

Collaboration between Rotterdam/Turkish family business results in unique concept on the Maasvlakte

 

Maasvlakte, 4 October 2019 – Logistics service provider Neele-Vat Logistics and its Turkish partner Arkem Chemicals have together established a 22,000-m2 storage and distribution centre for liquid cargo on the Maasvlakte: Rotterdam Blending & Filling. The new facility has been specifically designed for storage of both non-hazardous goods (merchant goods) and packaged hazardous substances, and also features a filling and blending station. The official opening is set to take place on 4 October.


First filling station for small-unit repackaging on the Maasvlakte
This storage and distribution centre is unique for its all-in-one concept. Rotterdam Blending & Filling offers one central location for filling, packaging and blending liquid chemical products as well as (chilled) storage and further distribution of these products. The complex is the first on the Maasvlakte to be equipped with a filling station for repackaging liquid cargo – arriving in tankers or tank containers – into smaller units. These units could be drums or the 1000-litre bulk containers (IBCs) that seem to be gaining in popularity.

Suitable for both hazardous (IMO) liquid cargo and non-hazardous cargo
Rotterdam Blending & Filling boasts a total surface area of 22,000 m2 with a storage capacity of 35,000 pallet positions. A total of 12,500 m2 is suitable for merchant goods; with a sprinkler installation covering the entire area. 6,000 m2 is set up for storage of packaged hazardous goods. In addition, 1,500 m2 will be used for in-house filling, packaging and blending of liquid chemical products. The 3 compartments and the dispatch zone – with 9 docks in total – are kept safe by way of a CO2 extinguisher system. The complex complies with the current regulations relating to safety and the environment: SEVESO III, BRZO 2015, PGS-15 standards.

 

This location on the Maasvlakte represents an expansion of Neele-Vat’s service provision for (liquid) chemicals packaging and repackaging. The annual blending and filling capacity amounts to 100,000 tonnes, with partly new cargo for Rotterdam. Cuno Vat, managing director at Neele-Vat Logistics: “The international collaboration in Rotterdam Blending & Filling not only strengthens our service portfolio, but also enhances Rotterdam’s position in chemicals logistics. This is a sector with a traditional stronghold in Antwerp.”

 

Central location with multimodal connections
The new complex at Madoerastraat 10 on the Maasvlakte is easily accessible by road, rail and water and is situated no more than a stone’s throw from high-frequency Deep Sea and Short Sea shipping route links. Rotterdam Blending & Filling is also conveniently near the A15, the Maasvlakte Plaza truck parking facility, the existing Maasvlakte distribution park and the goods transport rail line between the Maasvlakte and the European hinterland.

Two Dutch family businesses join forces.

 

Rotterdam, November 30, 2018

 

Logistics service provider Neele-Vat reached an agreement today on the acquisition of family business Oostvogels in Breda (NL) and Meer (B). With this acquisition, Neele-Vat strengthens its position in distribution, storage and packaging in the food, feed and chemical industry. In addition, there will be an extra storage capacity of 70,000 m2, including silo storage for dry and liquid bulk.

Oostvogels, with 165 employees, continues to operate within the Neele-Vat group under its own name. Its management remains active and the takeover will have no consequences for the employees. Edwin and Claudia Oostvogels: « Together with Neele-Vat we can facilitate our clients better in their growth and anticipate innovatively, such as digitization and sustainability. From our side we expect to be able to offer Neele-Vat an added value through our strategic location, packaging options and our solid base in the feed, food and chemicals industry « .

At the same time, with this transaction we are implementing to guarantee the continuity of our family business that we have built up together with our employees for several generations. Our relations and employees are in good hands with Neele-Vat. It is a strong and healthy family business that invests in innovation and logistics solutions « .

Cuno Vat: « The activities of Neele-Vat and Oostvogels complement each other well. Now we can offer our customers an even broader service. In a tight market, we are adding capacity for distribution, warehousing and silo storage. Furthermore, we gain knowledge about activities such as filling and packaging. Our customers can expect an even more added value.

Because of their location in Hazeldonk and Meer, we are able to serve customers in the south of the Benelux and customers who deliver their goods via Antwerp better. «