Heuer Logistics has had experience in the field of fruit handling for 55 years now. Although the Bremerhaven-based group of companies is now active in several business areas, it still handles tons of bananas and the like every year. At two locations, in Bremerhaven and Hamburg, the logistics service provider takes care of customs clearance of shipments, transports of all kinds, import and export of sea freight, as well as warehousing and transshipment services.
For decades, everything at Heuer Logistics revolved around bananas and other overseas goods. "Then, after the turn of the century, a downward trend emerged in which reefer ships were either 'containerized' or relocated to western seaports. The latter, in turn, was related to the location, i.e. the long call into the German ports, which was more difficult to present in terms of costs. Accordingly, fewer goods were handled through us and we had to use our capacities elsewhere," says authorized signatory Jan Zobel, looking back. In the years that followed, Heuer Logistics entered the cheese, egg, chocolate, wood import and automotive sectors, among others.
In Bremerhaven, Heuer Logistics has two terminals, including the original fruit terminal.
Early potato imports and apple exports
Nevertheless, new markets have been opened up in the fruit and vegetable sector. Bananas still account for a significant proportion of the goods handled, but "imported potatoes from Egypt and Israel have also been able to develop into a significant seasonal business segment in recent years. It has to be said, however, that transshipment volumes are heavily dependent on the domestic potato harvest, which ultimately determines the demand for imported goods. In principle, however, there is an upward trend. Compared with the southern and western ports, we also have the advantage that a substantial part of the volume is handled in northern Germany, which is why it is more cost-effective to handle the goods directly here in the north," says Zobel. Furthermore, Heuer Logistics deals with classic overseas products such as grapes, exotics and pome fruits.
Jan Zobel (3rd on the left) and team at this year's Fruit Logistica. Heuer Logistics will also be exhibiting at Fruit Attraction and Anuga this year.
In recent years, the Bremerhaven-based company has also been able to build up some export elements. Zobel: "We have been dealing with the export of German as well as Polish apples to Egypt, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and India for several years. Apart from this, we export seed potatoes on a large scale, mainly to North Africa, Latin America as well as the Eastern Mediterranean region."
The range of services offered by Heuer Logistics extends from customs clearance and authority processing to transport of all kinds, warehousing and transshipment activities, import and export of sea freight, and quality control of perishable goods. The latter division has been operating under the name SSG for a few years now. "This subsidiary is responsible for all quality control and also prepares expert reports. In the case of bananas, this EU quality control of incoming lots is also required by law and this service may only be performed by BLE authorities or a certified company. But we also offer this service for other fruits," Zobel explains.
Aerial view of the port area in Bremerhaven
Handling of bananas and exotics
According to Zobel, the criteria of the food retail industry with regard to quality control have become considerably more sensitive in recent years and are becoming more stringent from year to year. Zobel: "Interestingly, the quality requirements and tolerance frameworks for organic and Demeter are almost identical compared with conventional fruit. High-quality fruit is required across all assortments." Depending on the origin, however, slight differences can be observed. "Compared to goods from other sources, the Ecuadorian banana can be enjoyed all year round, retaining an almost constant quality. During the rainy season (April-May) in particular, the Ecuador banana differs from bananas from other sources, that more often suffer from quality problems."
In part, the goods are stored temporarily in Bremerhaven
Heuer Logistics was also confronted with record high freight prices and difficult general conditions in the course of the pandemic. The market now seems to have largely recovered, according to Zobel. "Freight rates are coming down because ships are not fully utilized. The hype on the main routes is cooling noticeably and numbers are settling back to pre-Corona levels." Meanwhile, war-related inflation is also impacting the logistics business, he said. "Because of inflation, there is now less access to the fancy exotics. We have seen the effects in the turnover of goods. On the other hand, fruit logistics is a relatively constant business, certainly if we compare it to other areas, where people witnessed massive drops."
The company vehicle park.
Growth opportunities in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa
Regarding the reefer business, Zobel is confident about the future. "This division continues to record a satisfying growth. Our opportunity lies in participating in this global market growth. We have already set this course by having several areas of activity. With regard to fruit and vegetables in particular, I consider the Western European market to be largely saturated. We therefore see growth opportunities more in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa."
For the time being, Zobel is not afraid of having to abandon sea goods from afar, similar to what is currently the case with air goods. "In terms of eco-balance, goods from overseas do not necessarily perform worse compared to European imported goods. On the contrary; as ships tend to be larger, the emissions often turn out to be lower."
Images: Heuer Logistics GmbH & Co. KG.
For more information:
Jan Zobel
Heuer Logistics GmbH & Co. KG.
Steubenstraße 20
27568 Bremerhaven
T: +49 (0)471 4873 0
zobel@heuerlogistics.de
www.heuerlogistics.de