Euroports Inland Terminals enters into new markets and brings a tailor-made solution to André CELIS and AB InBev
Euroports Inland Terminals (“EIT”), the inland terminal operator with several locations in the Liège and Charleroi area, has successfully branched out its activities towards new customers handling and processing polluted soils, waste, general cargo, minerals and biomass sectors. EIT is dedicated to invest in its capabilities and equipment to obtain the necessary permits to support its further growth in these markets. This investment program is ongoing and will continue in 2015.
Traditionally, Euroports Inland Terminals is specialized in supporting main industry / heavy industry players in the region with port handling, storage and transport services. The products EIT handled were predominantly dry bulk minerals and raw materials used in the many surrounding production sites.
During the past couple of years, many new business opportunities for other commodities have emerged for the terminals in Loën, Ile Monsin, Renory, and Seraing (Liège area) and Couillet (Charleroi area). “Our visibility in the region as a reliable supply chain partner in handling bulk products for the local industry resulted in business opportunities in industries such as polluted soils, waste products, de-icing salt, biomass and even general cargo such as pallets/palletized products”, says Muriel Baugnée, Euroports Inland Terminals Managing Director.
What started off with smaller sized spot opportunities has now grown into a steady recurring business. For polluted soils and waste products, the company has secured several large service contracts with customers, local authorities and stakeholders. Next to that, EIT has also become the leading and “go to” service provider to many of the region’s de-icing salt and wood pellet distributors, particularly because of the reliability of its pallet handling and storage capabilities.
EIT brings tailor-made and dedicated customer solutions based on the specific logistics requirements. For each client, individual supply chain further determines the unique service offering. Muriel Baugnée: “We combine our barge transport, freight forwarding, road transport and port handling services all into one supply chain solution supporting our clients’ inbound and outbound traffics. Through the wider Euroports network we also assure the connection to deep-sea ports.”
Gaining and growing market share in these new markets is a clear objective for Euroports Inland terminals: “We want to grow in these new markets, and aim to achieve this in a structural and sustainable way”, says Muriel Baugnée, “This implies that we continue to invest in our infrastructure and equipment. Our applications to obtain the necessary permits for handling hazardous waste well within 2015 are in full progress.” The company expects that these investments will definitely support the ongoing business relationships with its current customers and will also fuel further business growth and diversification.
A good example of EIT’s showcase-model reconversion is the starting business relationship with AB Inbev/Jupiler. In collaboration with André CELIS and AB InBev, Euroports Inland Terminals succeeded in providing the best, lean and green © solution to both companies. This is resulting in a significant CO2-emission reduction for AB Inbev’s logistics flows which also brings a decrease of their carbon footprint. After loading pallets on a dedicated and André CELIS-managed barge in Louvain, the cargo arrives in Liège where it is discharged at Euroports Inland Terminals’ Monsin facilities. Pallets are then loaded directly on AB InBev trucks for a last-mile delivery to the customer’s Jupille plant close-by. Muriel Baugnée: “Euroports Inland Terminals is pleased to collaborate with clients such as these, who are open to favor barge transport over truck transport to reduce costs and CO2-footprint.”
