Sievert Handel Transporte GmbH (sht) has tripled its storage and logistics space for customers from the plastics industry at its Dutch site in Hardenberg. The expansion was prompted by a significant increase in demand for value-added services and several major orders.
For plastics producers and traders, sht handles numerous activities upstream of production, such as homogenisation and import processing. Fiscal customs clearance is now also part of the range of services. The sht subsidiary Nederlandse Transport Maatschappij (NTM) is responsible for local implementation.
„By expanding our capacities, we can not only process significantly larger volumes, but also offer more services along our customers“ value chain"
Rui Macedo, Managing Director of Sievert Handel Transporte GmbH
The storage facilities in and around Hardenberg, which have been expanded by 12,000 square metres, offer space for a further 9,000 pallets and are used as a buffer store for plastic that comes from continental suppliers or as imported goods from overseas. This enables sht to guarantee delivery of goods on call, even for large orders.
The material is transported by silo lorry, which is why the company has equipped the logistics area with two transfer systems to fill the vehicles. These enable automated loading of the material, which is delivered in sacks, big bags or octabins.
Value-added services in the programme
In addition to transport and storage, sht offers numerous value-added services at the Hardenberg site. In some cases, the logistics service provider is heavily involved in the customers' refinement processes. For example, sht takes samples and retention samples from the delivered raw material and prepares the goods for homogenisation.
While sht thus enables faster production cycles, manufacturers can deploy their specialised and cost-intensive production staff more effectively. To ensure the highest quality of service, sht has trained its own staff for these tasks. The logistics provider also takes on classic value-added services such as weighing incoming products, creating labels or scanning.
Fiscal customs clearance is new
A new addition to the portfolio is fiscal customs clearance, which is required by many clients. In this context, NTM, as an implementing subsidiary of sht, is authorised to pay import VAT in the Netherlands. This means that customers do not have to pay in advance. As part of the import services, sht can now take care of all logistical steps.
The logistics service provider transports incoming sea containers sustainably from Rotterdam to Hardenberg/Itterbeck via inland canals by barge or rail. In contrast to seaports, work can be carried out there around the clock, storage costs are lower and, due to the lower volume of traffic, the overall process handling is more efficient than at the port.
Source: Sievert Handel Transporte GmbH
