Ahlers group celebrates ’20 years in Russia‘

More than 300 employees and 45,000 m² warehouse space; Ahlers Russia welcomes new customers Unilever and Tikkurila
 
On May 17th May 2013 Ahlers celebrates ’20 years in Russia‘. Ahlers was registered in Russia in February 1993 through an authorization document signed by the Vice-Mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin. For years Ahlers had been active in the trade to the former USSR and, during the nineties, as operator of a liner service to the port of Ventspils. 
 
“When the iron curtain went down and the Russian market opened up to the world”, explains Christian Leysen, Chairman of Ahlers, “we decided to call St. Petersburg as well. To promote business relations between Belgium and the countries around the Baltic Sea we decided in 1992 to organize a trade mission by sea, the “Antwerp Hansa Cruise”, joined by Belgian staff with meetings at each port call. It was our first step towards the start-up in 1993 of our agency and forwarding activities. It was a time where digital cameras and e-mail were new technologies allowing us to ensure goods were shipped along the full route in perfect conditions, even if covered by heavy snow”.
 
In the nineties Ahlers started warehousing on a small scale in a rented warehouse for new contracts in the consumer market such as SEB Tefal. “We grow together with our customers; today our warehouses in St Petersburg cover 45,000 m2 located next the new ring road“, says Christian Leysen. Today the highly educated staff consists more than 300 employees in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosrissyisk and Chelyabinsk.
 
Ahlers is a logistic and maritime service provider headquartered in Antwerp. The company has own offices in 20 countries in Europe, the CIS and Asia and is specialized in chemicals, tobacco, project cargo as well as in services to the shipping industry, inland shipping and the offshore oil industry. In 2012 the group’s turnover amounted to EUR 186 million (a 6% decrease compared to 2011). The added value however (net turnover) increased with 5% till EUR 39 million. The regional spreading of the 2012 turnover is the following: 32% CIS & Baltic States, 32% Western Europe, 25% Asia and 11% other regions. The spreading of the added value between business activities was 35% warehousing, 45% agencies and forwarding and 20% maritime services. 
 
In 2012 Ahlers continued to expand its activities in the CIS (mainly Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan) and in Asia (in particular in India and Indonesia) while turnover in Europe decreased (particularly in forwarding due to a confirmed choice for specialization). Warehousing activities in the CIS and in Belgium were further developed by attracting new customers and through the expansion of capacity. At present Ahlers employs 950 staff in contract logistics, forwarding and agencies and 300 seagoing staff.

Quelle: LogEastics

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