"When the building at the industrial site in the Netherlands, where we've been based since 2021, came up for sale late last year, we jumped at the chance to buy it. We saw it as an excellent opportunity to start a storage, transhipment, and container handling business," begins Rob de Feiter of Frigorexpress, explaining the recent expansion of this Belgian company's activities.
© FrigorexpressRob de Feiter and Kees Schijven
"Our customers wanted storage and transshipment services. Many are French importers who want a single party to handle their container removal and transport. They don't want to have to deal with different companies. That demand prompted us to start this service and grow towards the one-stop service model."
Rob says the building has storage facilities with four different temperature zones, which can, if needed, be expanded to six. "We have shelf space for 340 pallets, floor space for another 200, and a cross-docking area," he says. The building's offices will be involved in these services, too. "We're making that office space available and are assessing if importers would be interested in operating or viewing their incoming trade from here."
Shorter lead time
This service expansion has the advantage of shorter lead times, Rob adds. "We distribute as much as possible at the pallet level within our existing lines. That's easier for us because we don't have to collect as much; the goods are already here. We can, thus, ready them, which cuts back on transport," he explains. Frigorexpress collects the relevant container at the port and brings it to their warehouse for unloading.
"A third party, with whom we've been working for some time, takes care of customs clearance. Everything else is done in-house. We have an office of the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) for inspections. We're Frigorexpress's Dutch branch, but physically we're just across the Belgian border. That's why we work with the FASFC."
© Frigorexpress
Most of the transportation Frigorexpress - headquartered in Belgium - does is back and forth between the Benelux and France, where they have three branches, Northern Italy, and Spain. "Customers can come to us for both import and export. We have a fleet of 180 vehicles, which we're currently expanding. We're having 50 new Renault trucks delivered this summer. Some of those are replacements, but most are additional vehicles," says Rob. Although the company is open to electric driving, he notes that, due to the long distances involved, that is, for now, not a priority.
Two drivers
To further make up time, two-thirds of their fleet has two drivers. That also means the time lost in charging an electric truck is not an option. "Our trucks are double-manned, so we can reach far south in France in one go. We can be in Provence in 16 or 17 hours." De Feiter considers this a plus. "Clients placing orders today often want their goods yesterday. Every hour we can save is an hour gained."
© Frigorexpress
Plus, Frigorexpress strives to arrive at its destination before the afternoon. "It makes little sense to load today and arrive at the customer's premises at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Those goods will just sit there until the next day. You must ensure you're there before the afternoon; that's the added value of two drivers. That's not done much anymore, and it's why clients choose us," Rob concludes.
For more information:
Rob de Feiter
Frigorexpress
[email protected]
www.frigorexpress.be
