Largest Inland Port in the World Shares Its Success

October 3, 2014

For nearly 300 years, the Port of Duisburg has maintained its status as an important turntable for the import and export of goods. In the last 15 years, the management company of the port, the Duisport Group, has developed into an international expert in the fields of integrated logistics and port services. The German firm, which controls the largest inland port in the world, boasts a long-standing record of economic success thanks to a diversified, global approach to its business.

Duisport provides customized solutions in packing and transportation for all types of cargo, ranging from small quantities of hazardous materials to entire industrial plants. The company’s clients include automotive, chemical, and engineering machinery companies, to name a few, and the firm’s presence extends globally to China, India, Europe, and the Middle East. Duisport has a reputation for economic durability. While many logistics companies experienced stagnation and even decline during the recent global recession, Duisport was expanding and enjoyed a 50% increase in the growth of its container volumes in the period between 2008 and 2013, now handling more than 3 Million TEUs per year.

As a long-time leader in Germany and Europe, Duisport has built lasting relationships with top manufacturers across several industries. President and CEO Mr. Erich Staake elaborated, “This port has become the most important logistic turntable in Central Europe with more than 2,000,000 m² of covered storage area and more than a dozen world leaders who are distributing their cargo throughout Europe. We’re talking about Audi, Volkswagen, Danone Waters, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, SC Johnson, Mitsubishi, Shiseido, and Siemens, just to mention some of them.”

A strong record of reliability and expertise has lead countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to request Duisport’s collaboration and services. Duisport has welcomed global expansion with open arms in line with the company’s values, as Mr. Staake stated, “Logistics, in my definition, is worldwide network management.” Duisport’s strong reputation is a primary reason for which Brazil’s former port minister commissioned the company to undertake a logistics and infrastructure study of Brazil’s Santos port, the largest port in Latin America.

Mr. Staake believes Duisport’s international expertise could pave the way for mutually beneficial partnerships that would support Brazil’s national growth. Mr. Staake explained: “We are more than a port. We have developed into an integrated solutions provider.” Mr. Staake has hopes for open-market relations between Germany and Brazil in the future. He concluded, “It would be a very big step forward if we could have a direct agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur.”