Katoen Natie expands its presence in Estonia

Antwerp based Katoen Natie group opened a new site in port Muuga to besser serve the local markets an transit to Russia

Katoen Natie acquired 124,000 square meters of new land in Estonia. The company wants to further strengthen its position in the Baltic States and become a European hub for goods in transit to Russia. The site, located in the free trade zone of the port Muuga, near the Estonian capital Tallinn, was officially put into use, by Fernand Huts, president of Katoen Natie. Forty employees, potential customers and journalists attended the opening.

In 2009, Katoen Natie incorporated Unieveem Eesti, which specialized in logistics activities for cocoa beans and derived products. It was later renamed Katoen Natie Eesti. In 2012, Katoen Natie began with the construction of warehouses, after a study of twelve Baltic and Russian ports. The current capacity is 40,000 m2. By 2015, the company plans to expand to 65,000 m2. Currently, there is an annual processing of some 150,000 tons of goods.

Specifically, the zone is a platform for the receipt, storage and distribution of cocoa products, but also petrochemicals and general consumer goods. For petrochemicals, Katoen Natie covers a capacity of about 200,000 tons, for fine chemicals 50,000 tons, and consumer goods is anticipated to 25,000 m2 per customer.

With the logistics area Katoen Natie wants to bring products to the local markets in the Baltic States and Russia, as well as to provide transit for Russia. „Russia is developing, but it is still quite expensive compared to Estonia. Here is enough space and its location within the EU and NATO area provides security,“ says Fernand Huts, reference being made to bureaucracy and corruption in other places. The Tallinn-site was also chosen because the port is ice-free all year round and because of low labor costs and a favorable tax regime.

Katoen Natie, headquarterd in Antwerp, supplies logistics and semi-industrial services to various industries and port services for the shipping companies. It consists of 400 operational units, with 150 terminals and logistics platforms, employing over 10,000 people and active in all parts of the world. As a private company, founded in 1854, Katoen Natie provides a global network of facilities with about 4.8 mio.sq.m. of covered warehouse space and 3.100 silos.

www.katoennatie.com

Quelle: LogEastics
Portal: www.logistik-express.com