For many years now, the Dutch company, Verbrugge Terminals, has been one of the biggest players when it comes to the storage of metals. However, the economy is growing, and the London Metal Exchange (LME) regulations have changed. This has made it less appealing for clients to store metals for an extended period of time. The company is now ready to explore other markets.
"A year ago, we started storing and shipping grains and seeds. We are now one of the largest terminals in the area of storage and shipment of grains in Northern Europe", says Verbrugge Terminals' Jeroen Prins. “We have done very well with grains in the last year. Because of this, we see a future in other products. These include potatoes and onions or fruit and vegetables for the processing industry. We already have logistical lines in place, and our location is perfect too. We also have the space in Vlissingen and Terneuzen that the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam no longer have."
Floris Provoost and Jeroen Prins
Transport
Verbrugge has become a one-stop-shop for businesses. Besides their own customs department, Verbrugge also has a private transport fleet. They handle all of the administration too. "We have 550 trucks and about 1.000 trailers. This increases our flexibility", says Floris Provoost, who also works for Verbrugge Terminals.
This logistics service provider also offers inland navigation services as well as short-sea chartering and container forwarding. Verbrugge provides each commodity with its own customized service. “In this way, each client has their own point of contact. This ensures that communication runs as smoothly as possible. We also mainly work with our own staff and equipment. This allows us to be flexible and work more efficiently, which saves costs", he explains.
Family business
Verbrugge Terminals was founded by the Verbrugge family in 1958. It grew as a result of the storage and shipment of metals, paper, and wood pulp. The company now employs more has 1.200 people. It has a covered storage capacity of more than 1 million square meters. This area is spread out over different terminals.
Besides the location in the Dutch town of Vlissingen, Verbrugge has a branch in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. It also has storage and shipping facilities in Zeebrugge, which is in Belgium. “In Terneuzen, we have a reefer terminal. From there, a ship goes to Scandinavia every week. Besides this direct line to Scandinavia, our Vlissingen also has a direct rail link to Italy”, says Prins.
“We see that the logistics sector is changing. As a company, you have to change with it. So, we are looking beyond the markets that we are active in already. And we are waiting for a party with which we can collaborate in a long-term partnership", concludes Jeroen.
For more information:
Jeroen Prins / Floris Provoost
Commercial Managers
Verbrugge Terminals
8 Finlandweg
Havennummer 1395
4530 AA Terneuzen
+31 (0) 115 646 241/ +31 (0) 115 646 454
+31 (0) 622 574 918 / +31 (0) 622 574 918
Jeroen.prins@verbrugge.nl
floris.provoost@verbrugge.nl
www.verbrugge.nl