24.03.2010
duisport Group Successful in 2009 Despite Crisis

Duisburg, March 24, 2010 –  With consolidated revenues of 145 million Euros (incl. organizations in which strategic investments are held), the duisport Group surpassed its record sales of 139 million Euros in 2008 by 4.6 percent. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) advanced by 7.5 percent from 25.4 million Euros in 2008 to 27.3 million Euros. Earnings before tax (EBT) of 7.7 million Euros were slightly down on 8.8 million Euros in 2008 mainly because of higher depreciation and interest charges, but remained the second best profits in the history of the Group. “Our recent strategy of consistently strengthening and widening our operations was the key to success in a difficult economic environment,” said Duisburger Hafen AG’s Chief Executive Officer Erich Staake at this year’s annual press conference in Duisburg. “We also benefited from the early action we took to address the crisis. We adjusted, improved and optimized our cost structure and above all our processes and procedures,” Staake continued.

In the 2009 fiscal year, the consolidated duisport Group recorded sales of 138.6 million Euros (2008: 129.5 million Euros). Including the duisport share in organizations in which strategic investments are held), revenues totaled 145 million Euros, up by 4.6 percent on 139 million Euros in 2008. Growth continued in the Infrastructure, Transportation and Logistic Services Segments from 64.9 million Euros in 2008 to 71.0 million Euros. The Packaging Logistics Segment did well in choppy markets but had to accept a minor decrease in revenues from 58.3 million Euros in 2008 to 52.3 million Euros due to the strong price pressures in the mechanical and the systems engineering industries.

duisport Capital Projects Again at High Level
Although 2009 was a difficult year duisport invested a total of 30 million Euros in the port infrastructure and also in packaging. Capital spending focused on the multifunctional building and the packing facility in the area of the former North Port, an increase in terminaling capacities and an extension of the port and railroad infrastructure.

duisport packing logistics now in the North Port Area
The VTS Group was renamed duisport packing logistics (dpl) on January 1, 2010 and benefits now from the strong duisport family brand with the wide range of services it stands for.

The dpl companies represent packing logistics in the duisport Group, since 2007. dpl’s core terminaling, warehousing and packing activities were concentrated at a site in the former North Port area.

A 7,000 sq.m. multi-functional building for the storage of cargo of practically any size and a 5,000 sq.m. packing facility to prepare components of complex industrial parts for shipment were built on a 45,000 sq.m. tract within a period of a few months. Both facilities are equipped with a craneway designed for heavy loads. A trimodal terminal ideal for short sea shipping completes the site.

“These new facilities strengthen duisport packing logistics’ position as a leading partner of the mechanical and the system engineering industries and provides at the same time new opportunities for inland waterway and short sea shipping lines,” underlined Staake.

New Heavy Cargo Terminal in the Outer Port
The operations started up by Heavy Lift Terminal Duisburg (HTD) in February 2010 in the Outer Port are an ideal counterpart to the North Port services. They use a 12,000 sq.m. tract with a 2,000 sq.m. building. The building features an overhead heavy duty crane for trimodal terminaling and for heavy and other general cargo warehousing, packing and assembly work. “The new facilities represent another major step to making the Port of Duisburg a leading hub also in heavy cargo transportation,” Erich Staake was positive. The Heavy Lift Terminal Duisburg is operated by the duisport Group together with Kübler from Schwäbisch Hall and Kahl Schwerlast GmbH from Moers, two heavy load transportation companies. The terminal capacities may be used by any interested party to which they will be offered on a non-discriminatory basis.

New logport Investors
New investors of strategic importance could again be won in 2009. A 30,000 sq.m. warehouse was for example built for Danone Waters on a 70,000 sq.m. tract for the distribution of Volvic and evian table water. Together with the duisport Group Danone also developed a new logistic system structure. The water is now moved by train from the source directly to the new warehouse where it is stored, picked from storage and shipped to German distributors anywhere in the country.

Duisburg Kombi Terminal (DKT) is a new terminal for multimodal transportation constructed in 2009. With an annual terminaling capacity of 120,000 TEU and a crane served warehouse capacity of 1,800 TEU, DKT, a company of the Bertschi Group, is ideal for container storage strategies increasingly needed for just-in-time deliveries in the chemical industry.

“These two cases demonstrate clearly that an excellent environment will bring new customers even in hard times,” argued Staake.

Successful Start of duisport consult
duisport consult set up in early 2009 was created to support logistic companies and port operators in developing new strategies and implementing infrastructure plans. The new company benefits from numerous years of experience in the Port of Duisburg. The first contracts have already been completed. Within no more than a few weeks a container terminal was for example revamped and recommissioned in the city of Umm Qasr in the South of Iraq. Apart from the necessary construction work duisport consult managed the development of new port processes and procedures and selected and trained qualified terminal staff. duisport consult will in future offer the entire expertise and experience of the Duisburger Hafen Group intensify on all markets inside and outside Europe.

Sharp Decline in Steel and Coal Shipments
In 2009, container transfers were very satisfactory and oil and chemical products were able nearly to defend their high 2008 level. The decline of 3 % in each of the two cargo categories was small. As a traditional iron and steel location Duisburg was badly hit by the recession. Main reasons included the temporary shutdown of blast-furnaces and coal-fired power generating units. The quantity of coal and steel cargo dropped drastically. The crash had a major impact on total trade in the public ports of Duisburg which declined by 19 % to 44 million metric tons.

Container Volume at 2008 Level
New train services such as the Glückauf-Express across the Ruhr region and the logport II gateway have helped to keep containers nearly at the 2008 level. Ship, railroad and truck volumes of 1.82 million TEU were not much lower than 1.89 in 2008. “We are confident that we will see double-digit growth in our most important market in 2010,” said the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Duisburger Hafen AG is the holding and management company of the Port of Duisburg, the largest inland port in the world. The duisport Group offers full service packages in the areas of infrastructure and superstructure for the Port and logistics location, including relocation management. Furthermore, its subsidiaries provide logistic services, such as the development and optimization of transport and logistics chains, rail freight services, facilities management and packing logistics.
www.duisport.com

Press Contact:
Bernd Reuther
Duisburger Hafen AG
Alte Ruhrorter Str. 42 – 52
47119 Duisburg
Tel: +49 (0)203-803-280
Fax: +49 (0)203-803-409
bernd.reuther@duisport.de
www.duisport.com