AMSTERDAM

not all European Nissan car transportation contracts are
automatically carried out by NCE. “We have to work hard to
continue to guarantee the right price and the right quality.
Nothing can be taken for granted.”
This also applies to the presence of Nissan in Amsterdam.
Even though Nissan has been established in Amsterdam
since 1970 and the current combination of NCE, stevedore
Waterland Terminal and Koopman Car Terminal has become
a well-oiled machine, there is no guarantee that Nissan will
remain in Amsterdam. Pirates from other ports are waiting
to pounce. Cars are a prized cargo due to their strong added
value and employment opportunities, resulting from their
storage, technical operations and of course transhipment
to end users. “Each port has its own ambitions and methods
of working. Local authorities and terminal operators work
together closely to portray their port in the most positive
‘Another strong point is
the space available in
Amsterdam’
light. Quality and reliability are essential but costs are often
the decisive factor.”
Koopman has been doing a fantastic job in Amsterdam for
years, which means that Nissan can confidently handle
large shipments via the port, according to Kool. But we are
also reliant on the hauliers that take care of the distribution
from Amsterdam to the final destinations. He suspects
that Koopman must make a strong offer during the next
tender phase to stay ahead of the competition. “The
partnership between NCE, Koopman and Waterland is
working well in terms of quality, capacity and flexibility.
NCE’s Marine Technology Department, which evaluates
the quality of all the stevedores with which we work in
Europe, can have little to complain about Waterland’s
performance as stevedore in Amsterdam. Part of
Waterland’s strength is the quality of its workforce, which
was established a number of years ago by Waterland and
NCE. “QLS delivers the services requested by Waterland
to load and unload ships. Another strong point is the
space available in Amsterdam. Recently we had to
manage a peak in the volume of Nissan cars arriving.
Koopman was able to draft in extra capacity from HCT.
It was good to know that the TMA group was also able
to contribute towards Nissan’s service package at that
moment in time.”
But if Nissan allows itself to be guided by the total
distribution cost, money could still become the deciding
factor, Kool warns. I suspect that it will be up to Koopman
to take up the baton and seek support from local parties
that may have a role to play in all this. Continuity is
of the utmost importance to the Port of Amsterdam,
from the perspective of direct and indirect employment
opportunities alone. These are exciting times.” •
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AMSTERDAM SEAPORTS 2016 17