NETWORKERS - dachser.sk

FORUM: PEOPLE & MARKETS
Market development
Growing with our
customers
The crisis as an opportunity: Thomas Reuter, managing director
of Dachser Air & Sea Logistics, talks about how especially in times of crisis
customer-oriented logistics brings markets closer together.
Mr Reuter, how did the crisis
impact the air and sea freight
market?
Last year, we experienced the
worst recession since the Second
World War. This also had
a severe impact on international
goods flows in our increasingly
globalized markets.
While air freight carriers had Thomas Reuter
to absorb losses to the tune
of some ten billion US dollars, shipping lines
suffered shortfalls of double that amount.
How did Dachser manage to position itself
in this situation?
Dachser Air & Sea Logistics bore up relatively
well. We had to cushion a drop in the volume
of consignments of a moderate five percent and
losses in terms of container TEUs (Twentyfoot
Equivalent Units) of around four percent.
We thus performed significantly better than
the market as a whole.
How come Dachser did better?
We exercised cautious judgement and reduced
expenses, while at the same stepping up
04 DACHSER magazine
our sales efforts. Furthermore,
despite the crisis, we continued
to expand our network. Last
year, Dachser Air & Sea
Logistics, among others,
opened a national company in
Bangladesh. We managed to
boost new business above all in
consumer electronics and the
automotive sector, and while
we weren’t able to fully recover
losses from existing customers, we did
manage to keep them within tolerable limits.
We reported an overall drop in earnings, but
we didn’t slip into the red like other companies.
What do air and sea freight customers expect
from a long-term, global perspective?
The focus is always on a seamless transport
system, full-coverage service and personal customer
care. Close proximity to our customers
helps us to establish an excellent market position.
Our advantage is that across the Dachser
network, entrepreneurs within the enterprise
stand for “Intelligent Logistics” everywhere in
the world. This means our customers will
always find a reliable and competent local
Air freight on an upswing
Taking off after the crisis:
air freight business picks up worldwide
+28.4%
+10.1%
+21.7%
Development from January to August 2010
International
freight
Domestic freight
worldwide
Total
Source: ACI
partner wherever they are. In this, we believe in
very open communication in which we address
problems head on and work together with our
customers to find solutions.
What role does the global Dachser network
play in all this?
For Dachser’s ASL customers, being able to
draw on one-stop logistics services nowadays
plays an increasingly important role. When a
consignment is dispatched from Asia or the US
to a destination in Europe, customers need to
know that Dachser’s logistics network will
ensure a smooth transition from air and sea to
overland freight services. This is what constitutes
our USP.
What goals are you focusing on for Dachser
Air & Sea Logistics?
We are aiming for new market shares, for example
in consumer electronics and renewable
energies. In this, we continue to target the rapidly
growing markets in countries like China,
India and Brazil. But even more important
than market shares are value-driven growth
and globally standardized production
processes. That’s where our focus lies.