Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Latvia, Logistics, Transport

Drawing upon the Group’s proven expertise in the Asian market and its in-depth knowledge of problems in the logistics market in the 1520 zone¹, Mr Nadal commented on how to meet the major challenges of Eurasian rail logistics successfully. These notably included inadequate infrastructure, non-standardised border formalities, or gaps in communication technologies.

“To ensure the seamless integration of the various modes of transport in Eurasia, it is necessary to take strategic measures such as setting up efficient transport corridors, modernising port terminals, establishing a network of hubs dedicated to transshipment for facilitating rail access to ports, or using advanced data processing technologies”, stressed Mr Nadal.

[1] “1520” zone: Russia, Ukraine, Baltic States, Kazakhstan. The term "1520" refers to the width , in millimetres, of railway tracks in Russia and the countries in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

GEFCO celebrates ten years in Slovakia

To mark the tenth anniversary of its Slovakian subsidiary, GEFCO organised a press conference on 18^th September 2014 in Bratislava. Luc Nadal, Chairman of the GEFCO Group Management Board, Pierre-Jean Lorrain, Director of GEFCO's Central Europe, Balkans and Middle-East zone, Olivier Large, manager of GEFCO's Central Europe zone, and Denis Renard, Managing Director of GEFCO Slovakia were all present. The subsidiary is now recognised by local and international industries for its capabilities in offering a full range of high value-added services, backed by the expertise of its 450 employees.

“In just ten years, GEFCO Slovakia's combined turnover has reached 500 million euros. This result is tangible proof of the effectiveness of the geographical and sectoral diversification strategy implemented by the subsidiary”, points out Denis Renard.

GEFCO Kazakhstan, present at the “Caspian Heavy Lift” conference dedicated to heavy goods transport

In Kazakhstan, GEFCO participated in the third edition of the international “Caspian Heavy Lift” conference, held in Astana, on 30^th September 2014. The event highlighted the challenges and specificities of heavy transport in the Caspian Sea region, fuelled by the growing development of the oil and gas industry. It was an opportunity for Vyacheslav Budyko, Sales and Marketing Manager, and Rasul Lyukhurov, Business Development Manager, who represented the subsidiary, to strengthen GEFCO's relationships with its partners and to forge new ones with major players in the industry present at the conference, all the while demonstrating the Group's expertise in the transport of bulky loads. 

“This conference is a local events where GEFCO’s participation is essential. Cooperation with local industries, both current and prospective partners, is in line with our growth strategy in Kazakhstan, a country that plays a major role in international logistics flows”, affirms Emil Ashuraliyev, Managing Director of GEFCO Kazakhstan.

GEFCO, Official carrier of “Legendary Motocycles” for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto race

This year again, GEFCO demonstrated its expertise in offering customised transport solutions for vehicles. For the 36th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto race, GEFCO transported three vintage motorcycles to the venue of a dedicated exhibition, organised in conjunction with the famous endurance race which took place from 17^th to 21^st September 2014. As a trusted partner, GEFCO was once again selected for this transport after it successfully transported racing models in June 2014 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans Automobile for the Porsche exhibition.

“We are very pleased that GEFCO has been entrusted with the role of official carrier for this event, unmissable for lovers of legendary motorcycles. This serves as an opportunity for GEFCO to showcase its know-how in special transportation to a wider audience”, says Olivier Vaillant, Special Transports manager at GEFCO.

GEFCO uses its expertise to help the Foundation for Latin American Economic Research

Eduardo Ford, Managing Director of GEFCO Argentina and GEFCO Chile, took part in the annual conference “Economic projections for logistics operations 2015” organised on 17^th September 2014 in Buenos Aires, by the Foundation for Latin American Economic Research (FIEL). GEFCO was part of the panel that discussed the growing impact of economic, financial, political and social factors on strategic decision-making in the logistics sector.

Mr Ford highlighted the importance of investing in transport infrastructure to ensure the competitiveness of the logistics market in the country. In a constantly changing economic context, he also urged companies to adopt more varied transparent methods for their customers. “GEFCO continues improving the efficiency of logistics operations through hard work. Moreover, our diversification strategy, meaning we are present in various market sectors, has enabled us to maintain this performance in 2013 and thus meet more difficult economic challenges”.

GEFCO United Kingdom attracts young talents with its new apprenticeship programme

GEFCO UK has launched an apprenticeship programme targeted at school-leavers aged between 16 and 24, which is available in the 13 GEFCO sites in the United Kingdom. The two-year apprenticeship gives access to a wide array of jobs in the logistics sector, from technical or sales jobs to coordination or customer service tasks. At the end of their training, the apprentices have the option of pursuing their career at GEFCO or of taking on other apprenticeships in the subsidiary.

“We are very excited about the idea of launching this apprenticeship programme. It is an incredible opportunity for us to train these young talents on the highly specialised know-how required in the logistics sector, and to give them an overview of GEFCO's various business lines and activities”, says Tristan Balayn, Managing Director of GEFCO United Kingdom.