13.12.2011 - Bremerhaven. Record at MSC Gate in Bremerhaven: 1,000,000 container movements in 2011.
They say the first million is always the hardest: today, Tuesday, MSC Gate in Bremerhaven handled its one millionth container in 2011, equivalent to 1.7 million TEUs. This is the most containers the company has ever moved in one year. The characteristic yellow anniversary box left Europe’s longest quayside around lunchtime. In the presence of representatives from politics and business, the container was loaded onto the 300-metre vessel MSC LAURA, which links the European continent with the American east coast. The box contains 960 tyres manufactured by automotive supplier Continental. Port of destination is Charleston.
“We congratulate MSC Gate in Bremerhaven on this anniversary,” explains Michael Harmeyer, purchasing manager for Continental AG’s Global Freight and Warehouse Services. Many hundreds of thousands of tyres are shipped via this quayside every year. “The terminal in Bremerhaven has a corporate philosophy that is very similar to that of Continental: safety, service and reliability have top priority,” Harmeyer says, adding that it is only logical that Continental should collaborate especially closely with this service provider. “The fact that the millionth box this year should also be transporting our tyres is almost like winning the lottery jackpot,” says Henning Kassen, Director of Warehouse and Distribution Logistics (Tyres) at Continental AG.
“We are proud to be exceeding the magic figure of one million containers shipped this year for the first time in our company’s history,” Jörg Colberg, Managing Director at MSC Gate, comments. “This success confirms the trust our customers place in us. We are continuously striving to offer the best service,” says the terminal manager, who took up his post at the beginning of September. “With Bremerhaven, we are excellently positioned for the future,” adds Dittmar Vösterling, Managing Director of MSC Germany. Just a few weeks ago, MSC Gate redeployed container cranes at the Bremerhaven quayside to enable it to respond faster and more flexibly to the requirements of jumbo container ships.
MSC Gate has posted steady growth since its foundation in 2004: following around 120,000 TEUs in its startup year, just one year later the company was already handling over 430,000 TEUs. This trend has continued unabated: in the current year, the company has handled some 40 per cent more steel containers than in 2010, which is in excess of the planned target. In 2004, EUROGATE signed a joint venture agreement setting up MSC GATE Bremerhaven with the world’s second largest container shipping company, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
MSC provides an unparalleled service network via dedicated own offices throughout the world and remains a truly independent and private company able to respond quickly to market changes and implement long-term plans, without unnecessary interference or delay. As of the end of November 2011, MSC was operating 463 container vessels with an intake capacity of 2,092,000 TEUs. With a streamlined management structure, MSC has become a leading customer-focused and cost-effective global transportation solution for many shippers.
MSC Gate Bremerhaven is a joint venture between EUROGATE and TIL Terminal Investment, a fully-owned subsidiary of the world’s second-largest shipping company, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. Since 2004 the venture has operated dedicated berths and quay frontage in Bremerhaven exclusively for the loading and discharging of MSC ships. For more information visit: www.mscgate.eu
With sales of € 26 billion in 2010, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tyres and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs approximately 164,000 people in 45 countries.
Continental is market leader for passenger tyres in Europe. In the Original Equipment sector, a full 30% of all new European cars leave the factory on Continental tyres. The Tyre Division is an official sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the UEFA EURO 2012TM and the German DFB Cup. For further details, visit www.ContiSoccerWorld.de.
EUROGATE is Europe’s leading shipping company-independent container terminal and logistics group, with container terminals on the North Sea, in the Mediterranean basin and on the Atlantic. Two container terminals, one in Wilhelmshaven, the second in Ust-Luga (Russia) are currently under construction. The EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven is scheduled to go into operation in August 2012, the Ust-Luga Container Terminal in Q1 2012. In 2010 EUROGATE handled more than 12.6 million TEUs. With around 4.9 million TEUs, Bremerhaven is the biggest container terminal in the EUROGATE Group. Besides container handling, the company offers all kinds of box-related activities, including intermodal and cargomodal services.
Corinna Romke
Director Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 421 1425-3803
Fax: +49 421 1425-4984
E-mail: corinna.romke@eurogate.eu
EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG
Präsident-Kennedy-Platz 1A
28203 Bremen, Germany