Vema Lift exports via Bremerhaven

Flowers from overseas

New strategy enhances operations to benefit customers

Aboard 2/2015The Port of Turku Magazine

Publisher: Port of Turku Ltd • Address: Juhana Herttuan puistokatu 21, 20100 Turku, Finland • www.portofturku.fiEditor-in-chief: Managing Director Christian Ramberg e-mail: christian.ramberg@portofturku.fi

Sub-editor: Marjo Ekman e-mail: marjo.ekman@portofturku.fi • Layout: Aija KallioCover Picture: Markku Koivumäki • Printing: Finepress Oy Edition: 1500 pcs

Change of address: markkinointi.satama@portofturku.fiISSN 2323-251X (Printed edition) 2323-2528 (web edition)

EditorialThe Port creates opportunities 3

Aida sails to its home port 4

ON THE COVER:Vema Lift exports via Bremerhaven 6

Efficient logistics support Auramarine’s operations 10

Smart traffic increases, information is transported like goods 12

Sakari Backlund's columnDigitalisation also enhances logistics 15

ON THE COVER:Through the Port

Flowers from overseas 16

ON THE COVER:New strategy enhances operations to benefit customers 18

DB Schenker invests in Turku 20

Port employeeShip agent makes the port call easier 22

ABOARD 2/2015

Imports have exceeded Huiskula’s own garden production. Around ten truck-loads of goods are coming as far as from South America via Holland every week. The cold transport of flowers to the warehouses of the flower whole-saler around ten kilometers from the Port of Turku takes just under 48 hours.

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Vema Lift’s hydraulic aerial platforms are high-technology prime pro-ducts that are exported via Turku to all continents.

Smart traffic conveys information. The GPS project for DHL’s trailers helps to make the most out of loca-ting technology, says Tuomas Ruohonen.

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The focal areas of the Port of Turku’s business are passenger traffic and goods transports. We are constantly working to develop and enhance the operating conditions and aim at creating new services and developing the existing ones to meet the requirements of both the shipping companies and their customers. By working in close co-operation with the other service pro-viders we want to make the service chain as smooth and efficient as possible.

The role of our company in the development work is to create opportunities and remove any obstacles of development. An example of the work done so far is the opening of new cargo shipping routes serving especially the Fin-nish exports. At the same time, the fleets in both the passenger and goods transports have been renewed, thus providing more capacity and offering more versatility for the transport services. The port enterprise supports the development of services e.g. by renovating the Port’s infrastructure, such as quays, terminals and cranes, as well as investing in building of warehouses. We aim at fast decision-making to be able to meet the requirements and wis-hes of our customers and partners also in the future.

The Port creates opportunities

Fast services – looking after the Baltic Sea

The speed of services plays a crucial role in the competitiveness of the Port of Turku. In addition to fast ship services, it means efficient cargo handling, easy embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, as well as direct road connections to the most important cities. The speed of services is particularly important in the traffic between Finland and Sweden, as the tight schedule only allows the ship to stay in the harbour for a maximum of one hour.

Today, environmental issues are particularly pronounced in the port opera-tions. The Port of Turku has been a pioneer of environmental activities for a long time. For example, environmental port charges were introduced in 2006, and the ships calling in the port are offered the opportunity to dispose of their waste waters. At the same time, we have significantly improved the energy efficiency of the company’s own operations and reduced the environmental impacts of port operations.

Common environmental views with maritime industry

The Port of Turku is part of the maritime cluster of Southwest Finland, which also plays an important role in reducing the environmental impacts of mari-time traffic. The sulphur emissions of new vessels are reduced by introdu-cing environmentally sound fuels, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Built at the Meyer shipyard in Turku and driven by LNG, M/S Viking Grace has been sailing between Turku and Stockholm from the beginning of 2013. The Port of Turku will prepare for the future by implementing its partner's LNG terminal project. The decision on EU support for the project was obtained in the summer.

Christian Ramberg Managing Director

4 Port of Turku

The active efforts of the Port of Turku were re-warded when AIDAcara chose Turku as one of its ports of call. Visit Turku is receiving the guests with live music playing in the Port. This time the language is not English but German. The maps offered by Kirsi Mata and Päivi Lähteenmäki are popular.

“Aida is calling Turku five times this summer”, Kirsi Mata says. A total of eight cruise calls for this season have given a boost to cruise liner traffic in Turku.

Enthusiastic passengers walk out of Aida and climb into tour buses.

“Shopping, Aboa Vetus and Turku Cathedral”, the passengers walking towards the shuttle bus say. They have already checked the weather

There is plenty of time for various treatments. Of course you can also shop on board and in the cities where the ship stops.

Turku and Marienhamn are new destinations for Karin and Manfred Stern.

from their phones and learned about the history and current offerings of Turku from high-quality brochures.

The people coming to Turku want to see the Aura riverbank, cafés and restaurants. The shuttle bus carries tourists to the city-centre at 20-minute intervals.

“On Aida’s first sunny visit in Turku the tour-ists were fascinated”, says Jari-Matti Koivisto, bus driver of SL-autolinjat.

Heidi Lorenz and Frank Chemnitz have the Cathedral on their must-see list, like almost all cruise passengers. In addition, they are plan-ning to see Hansakortteli shopping centre and cultural sights.

“A very nice and interesting town”, say Karin

and Manfred Stern who come from near Frank-furt. They wanted to take the opportunity to see more cities in the Baltic Sea.

For them, Turku and Mariehamn are new destinations.

“We will take a sight-seeing tour in Naantali”, the Sterns say.

Getting on the move to see the Ruissalo island

Tour bikes are brought out from the ship. To-day there will be 37 cyclists. While at sea, the guides study the maps carefully, pick the route, places and sights to see, and learn the facts in advance”, says Hanna Alt who works as a guide.

On a summery Monday morning, cruise liner AIDAcara is berthed in the Port of Turku. Turku is a new destina-tion for Aida in summer 2015. German cruise passen-gers disembark with determination and head to see the sights in Turku.

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The arrival of the impressive white-sided cruise liner M/S AIDAcara in the Port of Turku was like a home-coming. The ship was built in Turku in 1996. The 14-day cruise starts in Kiel and stops in Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Turku, Mariehamn, Stockholm, Visby, Gdynia, and Malmö before heading back to Kiel.

Heidi Lorenz and Frank Chem-nitz are planning to visit the Cathedral – it’s a must see!

Adrian Offer (left), Bane Schwenn and Hanna Alt are ready to go. With them the cruise passengers can take a fantastic 20-kilometre cycling trip to nature on the Ruissalo island, then along the riverbank to the Cathedral and to see the sights in the city-centre.

“We will ride to the Ruissalo island and the city-centre to see the Market Square, Turku Cathedral and Turku Castle. The total trip will be around 20 kilometres. One group usually has 15–20 cyclists with the guide”, Ms Alt says. The guides are prepared to tell about the sights found along the way. Such guides would be needed in Turku for the tourists every day!

Environmentally sound cruise traffic

The 193 metres long ship is handsome to look at. The number of passengers is increased by the fact that there is no car deck in the ship.

“The waste water is not drained into the Baltic

Sea, which is important to the passengers”, says Harbour Master Kari Riutta.

On board, First Purser Michael Meyer gives a tour of the ship, which shows that travelling on a cruise liner certainly does not mean sitting idle. There are outdoor swimming pools, basketball and volleyball courts, and a gym. The numerous restaurants provide their best as the voyage progresses: this time the menu is Scandinavian. The daily cruise programme indicates German efficiency: today there is a dance course and a visit by a choir from Turku. There is everything on board – including theatre. The crew list shows that professions range from carpenter to sound reproduction technician.

The ship has all the attractions of a holiday – and like-minded company to watch the Baltic Sea views drift by.

“90 per cent of the passengers are German”, Mr Meyer says.

In Turku, Mikko Koivumäki from ship agent GAC Finland Oy acts as an important partner.

“Everything that is needed in the port goes through us. Surprises can’t be avoided. Some-body needs a crane to fix a ladder, 500 postage stamps, or a doctor.”

And the sights can be unusual, too. The new T-hospital in Turku to which one of the passen-gers had to be taken was a unique experience:

“I was really impressed”, says Franziska Vey, Port Operations Manager.

Walking in the city after sight-seeing

There is plenty of time to spend in Turku, as the ship won’t depart until eight in the evening.

“Great morning. We saw the President’s sum-mer residence Kultaranta in Naantali”, Hans-J. and Marianne Glate from Kiel say.

The Glate couple says that they have visited Finland twice before: in Helsinki and Lapland. This time they wanted to see something else. The cool morning turned into a beautiful sunny day, and they are heading to the city-centre.

“It’s nicer than St. Petersburg and the views at sea were wonderful. We have already booked new cruises.” •

Aida sails to its home portTEXT: SINI SILVÁN PHOTOS: SINI SILVÁN

6 Port of Turku

Vema Lift exports

via BremerhavenTEXT: KARI AHONEN PHOTOS: MARKKU KOIVUMÄKI

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Vema Lift exports

via BremerhavenTEXT: KARI AHONEN PHOTOS: MARKKU KOIVUMÄKI

The Port of Turku provides excellent services to the export ship-ments of Finnish engineering and technology industries to all over the world. The Port offers a weekly connection to Bremer-haven which is Germany’s second biggest sea port and an im-portant link to the transoceanic ports e.g. in Asia and South America.

The route between Turku and Bremerhaven is operated by Mann Lines whose contracted ves-sel Stena Foreteller carries both ro-ro cargo and processed general cargo, such as project ship-ments of heavy industry.

Top-quality aerial platforms exported around the world

Based in Kaarina, Vema Lift Oy uses Mann Lines’ scheduled traffic in the exports of its products. Part of Kiitokori Group, the company designs, manufactures and markets hydraulic aerial platforms primarily for the fire-fighting and rescue services. More than 90% of Vema Lift’s production is exported to destinations including, for instance, China, Russia, India, Vi-etnam, Jordan, Columbia, and Turkmenistan, as well as Sweden and Norway. Vema Lift expects growth particularly in the markets of developing countries when they start to renew and build their infrastructure.

”Vema Lift is one of the world’s leading companies in its field. Our operating model is

based on a modern network model in which the designing of products takes place in our design office, the different components are manufac-tured by carefully selected subcontractors, and our in-house professionals do the assembly and installation on vehicles. Our factory produces annually over 40 different platforms, the biggest of which reach up to 55 metres. In addition to aerial platforms, we make water and foam ex-tinguishing masts particularly for industrial fire brigades, with water cannon capacity of up to 10,000 litres per minute”, Director Jyrki Roine tells about Vema Lift’s method of operation and production.

Each platform is designed individually ac-cording to the customer’s needs and wishes. Furthermore, the local regulations of the target country are taken into account in designing, as they differ a great deal from each other down to the smallest detail in different countries. Platforms are manufactured for all base units, whose make and model are usually determined by the customer.

”Case-specifically the base unit is acquired

8 Port of Turku

either by Vema Lift or the customer. For exam-ple, an Indian customer sent some time ago its own base unit from India by ship cargo to Turku. So having port services nearby is important to us in terms of both exports and production”, says Vema Lift Director Jyrki Roine.

Advanced technology for demanding purposes

Unlike laymen often think, Vema Lift’s platforms include many high-technology solutions. The share of automation and electronics is consider-able in ensuring efficient working, user-friendli-ness, ergonomics and occupational safety.

”Automation develops continuously and it is used in an increasing number of more and more complicated tasks. The operation of the aerial platforms is based on programmable logic and the user interfaces are state-of-the-art touch screens. To maximise security, the logic has

been doubled, so they supervise each other and react to any errors by switching the power off. A good example of the electronic functions is the balancing of the base unit which is automatically done at 0.2 degree precision. Automation does not allow for the use of the platform unless the base unit is completely level, which prevents the falling of the platform”, Jyrki Roine says.

Reliable service for the product lifecycle

Vema Lift’s own sales are supported by an ex-tensive international network of agents. The net-work is strengthened by global after sales which are responsible e.g. for scheduled maintenance, annual inspections and repairs of platforms. The services also include technical support and training.

”The durability and reliability of our products is indicated by the fact that the base unit often

wears out before our platform. It is very com-mon that the customer delivers the vehicle to our factory in Kaarina, we detach the platform, carry out the required maintenance, install the platform to a new base unit and send it back to the customer. When we deliver new platforms, an employee from our factory travels to the des-tination to receive the shipment, hands over the platform to the customer after inspection and provides user training for the customer’s staff”, Jyrki Roine describes Vema Lift’s after sales services.

Export shipments flexibly forwarded from the Port of Turku

Efficient logistics is of primary importance to Vema Lift which exports most of its production. The most natural transport solution for products with wheels is ro-ro when the destination is

"Efficient logistics is of primary importance to Vema Lift which exports most of its production."

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across the sea.”The ro-ro routes of the Port of Turku fulfil

all our needs. The products going to the Nordic countries are carried on Silja Line ferries to Stockholm and onwards by road to customers in different parts of Sweden and Norway. For products going to transoceanic destinations, Bremerhaven is an ideal intermediate port. The weekly connection on Fridays suits our produc-tion schedule, and the timetables usually match with further connections, too. We have only positive things to say about Mann Lines’ service, the co-operation has been flexible and smooth

from the beginning. In the same way we are also happy with the other services of the port of Turku. If required, Finnsteve will for example wash off the anti-icing salt from the vehicles before they are shipped and thus helps to ensure that they are delivered to the customers in as presentable condition as possible”, says Export Co-ordinator Marianne Karppinen who is in charge of Vema Lift’s logistics. •

Mann Lines’ weekly ro-ro connection from the port of Turku to Bremerhaven pro-vides Vema Lift with a fast and cost-efficient route even to distant export destinations. The company’s products going to the Nordic count-ries are carried on Silja Line’s route between Turku and Stockholm.

Vema Lift’s hydraulic aerial platforms are primarily designed for rescue and fire-figh-ting activities, but also for flexible movement among other traffic. Low transport height and short transport length enable quick access to the place of rescue.

Director Jyrki Roine believes that Vema Lift has a bright future ahead. The company has a strong foot-hold in Europe but also in developing countries. One example of the size of the market is China where one canton can order over a thousand rescue vehicles in a year.

10 Port of Turku

Shipbuilding know-how is the connecting factor between Turku and Germany. Meyer’s Turku ship-yard co-operates with dozens of Finnish companies and the subcontracting relations also extend across the Baltic Sea to Meyer’s shipyards in Germany. In further development of partnerships the maritime cluster companies are supported by fast and regular ship connections from Turku to Ger-many and, if required, further afield to other continents.

Efficient logistics supportAuramarine’s operations

TEXT: KARI AHONEN PHOTOS: MARKKU KOIVUMÄKI

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Based in Lieto, Auramarine Ltd represents the strong maritime technology expertise of the Turku region. Part of Hollming Group, the company specialises in heavy fuel oil supply systems. During its history of over 40 years Auramarine has designed and delivered more than 13,000 machine units, thousands of which are still in use every day on the seas around the world. The company is the global market leader in its field.

Tailored solutions for large vessels

The purpose of Auramarine’s products is to achieve the right fuel viscosity. For heavy fuel oil it means heating the fuel before it is supplied into the engine. The supply systems of marine diesel, the use of which has become more com-mon as a result of the Sulphur Directive, requires cooling to achieve the right viscosity.

”Despite the simple basic premise, the de-signing of fuel supply systems is always tailored for each vessel. The fuels used in various parts of the world differ from each other, and the engine rooms of the vessels are also different. Special attention must be paid to the serviceability of the system, because all servicing items have to be easily and safely accessible. The designing of functioning and efficient systems requires a long experience in different vessel types as well as special expertise that only accumulates in

practice”, stresses Mats Eriksson, Managing Director of Auramarine.

Reputation of maritime cluster gives a boost on the market

Auramarine’s main markets are in Asia, espe-cially China and Korea. The clientele comprises of engine manufacturers, shipyards and ship-ping companies.

”The change in the operating model of ship-yards means that the shipyards now use more and more subcontractors. The decision on the selection of the suppliers is, however, usually made by the shipping companies that order the vessels, and for them the Finnish expertise in maritime technology is a guarantee for high-quality products and services and supply per-formance. Some engine manufacturers also see added value in Finnish and European companies, which creates an important competitive advan-tage for Auramarine, too.”

Reliable after sales is a major competitive advantage

In addition to dozens of years of experience and technological know-how, Auramarine is ahead of its competitors with global after sales services.

”Our global after sales services ensure the operational reliability of the systems we supply and minimise the traffic stoppage caused by servicing needs. Thanks to our network we can supply the necessary parts quickly to the vessel, and if so required, our installation staff will fly over. At shipyards, our own personnel also takes care of the installation in the introductory phase and provides the necessary training on use.”

Turku’s logistics connections secure the supply chain

Due to the location of Auramarine’s main mar-kets, the significance of the logistics services in the Turku region is emphasised in the company’s supply chain. Managing Director Mats Eriksson says that for them Turku is an important logistics hub which helps to maintain the supply perfor-mance.

”Functioning logistics is important to us, especially in terms of after sales. Spare parts are flown quickly as air cargo from Turku to all over the world, and we can transport the fin-ished systems quickly from the Port of Turku via Germany all the way to Asia. Regular ship con-nections help a great deal, because despite the project deliveries the shipments always seem to be urgent. The decisions on the transport routes are often made by the customer, but we try to favour Turku whenever possible.” •

Auramarine Ltd’s new field of operation is a handling system for ballast water which prevents the transfer of harmful plants and organisms from one sea area to another and their reproduction, says Managing Director Mats Eriksson.

12 Port of Turku

Smart traffic increases,information is transported like goodsTEXT: SINI SILVÁN PHOTOS: ROBERT SEGER

Smart traffic conveys infor-mation when goods are carried on wheels.

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”We are currently running a GPS project that covers our entire stock of trailers and the locating technology is used in route scheduling and load planning”, says Tuomas Ruohonen. The system will be comp-leted during the autumn.

Goods transports are arranged and tracked, customers are served and invoiced. The impor-tance of electronic logistics and smart traffic will be further emphasised and the possibilities for combining information will increase. However, smart traffic has not yet reached the point in which the goods could be moved without ports, trucks or rails.

“Until they get teleportation working, goods will be carried by truck”, Iiro Lehtonen, Manag-ing Director of Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL, said in a seminar on smart traffic a couple of years ago. One of the key projects under the smart strategies of the Ministry of Transport and

Communications is smart logistics whose goals are electronic methods of operation and auto-mation of the data transfer in logistics chains. Risks exist, too. When smart networks crash, the flow of information gets sticky.

It would be ideal for companies that the in-formation were transparent and the same data were available to all users in real time.

Refining of smart logistics at DHL Freight

”We are currently running a GPS project that covers our entire stock of trailers. The locating

technology is used in route scheduling and load planning”, says Tuomas Ruohonen, Director responsible for DHL Freight (Finland) Oy’s Nordic transports.

“DHL Freight has a total of 2,500 trailers in use”, adds Ilari Aarikka, Director responsible for the trailer pool and trailer stock for the Nordic countries and Baltic states.

The GPS equipment of trailers has been planned for years, and testing has been carried out thoroughly. The equipment is being installed in all units. In the future, the location of each trailer can be viewed in real time.

“In trailers, the equipment is mainly placed in

The importance of electronic logistics is emphasised in goods transports. The GPS system of DHL Freight’s trailers is part of smart traffic which provides opportu-nities for more efficient use of vehicles and data.

14 Port of Turku

the chassis: the wind blows and water splashes. Now we have equipment that endures even sub-merging. The system is charged whenever the trailer is connected to a tractor.”

Trailer movements are easily visible

In DHL’s new system the locating has been automatically integrated into the traffic control system.

“The movement of trailers need not be monitored through a different portal, but directly through the traffic control system. That’s how our system differs from the others”, Mr Aarikka says.

One of the goals is to improve the utilisation rate of trailers.

“From the operative point of view, a certain degree of predictability is useful. In the future we can check from history data where the 2,500 trailers have moved and increase or decrease their number”, Mr Ruohonen says.

Locating service helps to implement new transport needs quickly. The whereabouts of

the trailers are no longer known by just one or two people, but everyone can see which units are nearby.

“The system can tell in real time where each unit is, which creates major benefits and reduc-es empty kilometres. The quality experienced by the customers improves”, Mr Aarikka says.

In the future, it will also be possible to offer the customers the opportunity to follow their own shipments through the portal. If valuable cargo deviates from the agreed route, it is pos-sible to react immediately.

“Customers also ask us increasingly whether GPS tracking is available”, Mr Aarikka says.

Trailer movements and cargo are shown in real time

The map shows each trailer and detailed infor-mation on its location, speed and weight of the load. The system also tells how many kilometres the trailer has progressed during the day, in what area, and whether it was empty or loaded. The trailer’s modem also collects history data which can be used to ensure, for example, whether the

load was picked up as agreed. It is possible to view the overall situation of the stock of trailers as well as details, such as when a trailer needs to be inspected.

Service provider Agheera operates within DHL. Thus it was possible to safely integrate the new system into other systems, and it can be actively developed.

“We can load more quickly and better, reduce our own costs, and keep the price right for the customers”, Mr Ruohonen lists the main advan-tages. •

“DHL Freight carries general cargo and full loads internationally on wheels, including forwarding servi-ces and transit logistics”, says Tuomas Ruohonen, Director responsible for DHL Freight (Finland) Oy’s Nordic transports.

"Until they get teleportation working, goods will be car-ried by truck."

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Sakari Backlund is Director and member of the Management Team of Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL. He has long and diverse experience in the deve-lopment and implementation of electronic systems for transport logistics.

Digitalisation also enhances logisticsThe basic idea of smart traffic is to use the rapidly evolving information and communication technology to improve the functioning of traffic. From the point of view of logistics, smart traffic means not only smooth flow but above all as extensive utilisation of the digital services as possible for making trans-ports more effective.

Today, transport industry companies have access to online services and applications that facilitate the introduction of the industry information systems even in small companies. They help to improve the cost-efficiency, quality and productivity of transports, and avoid errors and overlapping work. The con-tinuous development of the systems also allows for interfaces in the customer’s systems, which makes it possible for both the carrier and customer to follow and document the entire transport process.

Multi-modal compatibility is important

Smart systems are the most efficient when they work seam-lessly across different modes of transport. Then the impor-tance of traffic nodes, such as ports, is emphasised. The reli-able advance information on arriving shipments provided by ports facilitates the route planning of the company responsible for further transports and minimises the waiting times in ports.

When heading out of ports, diverse traffic system data is need-ed. The most important information is that on any obstructions on the planned route which may affect the drive times and traffic safety. Combining the information derived from different sources and systems saves both time and money throughout the delivery chain.

SKAL participates in European co-operation

The digitalisation of traffic and logistics has been recognised as a key development area also in the European Union. To promote digitalisation the European Commission founded this summer the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum in which I was appointed to represent the entrepreneurs and customer base of Finnish road transport logistics. By participating in this forum we implement a key goal of SKAL’s operations to imp-rove the operating conditions of Finnish transport companies.

Sakari BacklundDirector and member of the Management Team of Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL

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Flowers from overseas

TEXT: KALLE KIRSTILÄ PHOTOS: ROBERT SEGER

Huiskula’s Managing Director says that an efficient connection to the port and reliable transport schedules are important for the company. “If we have employees here at eight on Sunday morning waiting for a flower shipment for handling, it would be quite inconvenient if we heard the night before that the ship will be an hour or two late.”

Cut flowers from Holland and floral greens from Central America waiting for tying into bouquets in the Huis-kula terminal. Huiskula also receives shipments from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Vancouver Island in Canada, as well as Italy and Denmark.

Florist’s business is global today. One of Finland’s biggest wholesalers of flowers, Huiskula Oy decorates the homes, gardens and balconies of Finns with flowers they produce themselves as well as flowers coming from all over the world. A large proportion of the flowers for the consu-mer market is imported via the port of Turku.

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Huiskula does not carry out exports per se, but packaging materials, roller cages and water containers are returned to Holland. “They are not so urgent and are carried in trailers”, the Managing Director says.

The flower shipment ordered from Holland on Monday reached Huiskula for further handling on Wednesday morning about half an hour after the ferry from Stockholm arrived in the port.

According to Managing Director Jaakko Ran-tanen, the flower business has changed consid-erably in recent years. The production of roses used to be significant, but practically ended in Huiskula and the whole of Finland in 2013. They were no longer able to compete with the coun-tries of low production costs.

“There is plenty of sun and warmth in Kenya, but shortage of water is emerging”, Mr Rantanen says.

Around the year 2000, roses were still grown in Finland in an area of some 40 hectares, and Huiskula was the biggest rose grower in the country. Now Huiskula has converted the obso-lete greenhouses into, for example, boat ware-houses. The released area has also been used for new seasonal products. Adaptation has been successful, as the company is currently thinking of further investments in production.

“The problem with the profitability of invest-ments in growing in the gardening business is that the consumer demand is high in the spring, but in the autumn the greenhouses are under-utilised”, Mr Rantanen sums up.

The changing flower business

Today, around a quarter of Huiskula’s turnover

comes from own production, and the majority accumulates from importing.

“One trend that has been visible for some time is the transfer of consumer business from florist shops to chains and supermarkets. The domes-tic production of cut flowers has collapsed, and at the same time the share of imports has in-creased”, the Managing Director says about the changes in the business.

According to Mr Rantanen, one exception in cut flowers is tulip whose energy is stored in the bulb which is an import item, so growing is also profitable in Finland. The shifting of flower sales to supermarket chains has also affected the growing.

“The industry has moved towards contract-based growing. It generates price pressure, but on the other hand also provides stability. It’s late summer, but we have in fact Christmas and Easter already wrapped up. Ten years ago the situation was completely different.”

Fresh goods call for speed

Most of the goods coming to Huiskula are trans-ported to Turku and onwards to distribution terminals around Finland from Holland which is the centre of global flower trade.

“We also receive goods weekly from Columbia and, for example, Italy, but they are combined

with our shipment in Holland.”Usually around ten truckloads of imported

goods arrive in Huiskula every week.The cold transport of flowers from Holland to

the warehouse of the flower wholesaler around ten kilometres from the Port of Turku takes just under 48 hours.

“We buy the goods on Thursday and Friday and get them for handling on Sunday morning and forward them already in the afternoon.”

Flexibility and precision make a difference

Mr Rantanen says that as the significance of imports has increased over the years, Huiskula’s location close to the port and good road connec-tions are definite advantages.

“Of the players with a grower background, Huiskula has been the most successful in es-tablishing in imports and wholesale. When the business was previously strictly regulated, and there was very little import, gardens were set up, for example, in the Kymenlaakso region.”

According to Mr Rantanen, a flexible and reliable transport partner is vital for Huiskula’s business.

“Our needs may change at a rather short notice, so the transport company bears great responsibility. We sometimes wonder how they are always able to create extra capacity when it’s needed”, Mr Rantanen commends the co-operation with transport company DSV.

He says that flowers are fresh goods that need to stay on the move.

“Every hour counts because of the expenses alone.”

Having worked at Huiskula for 30 years, Mr Rantanen reminisces import business before Finland’s EU membership without longing.

“Customs formalities could take hours. Now the truck is opened in our premises for the first time after its departure, and usually arrives just 25 minutes after the ship comes to the port.” •

18 Port of Turku

New strategy enhances operations to benefit customers

TEXT: KARI AHONEN PHOTOS: MARKKU KOIVUMÄKI

The Port of Turku was incorporated from a municipal enterprise into a limited liability company at the beginning of 2013. Follo-wing the change, the renewal of the port’s business strategy was initiated, with the aim to further enhance the port opera-tions and strengthen the Port’s competiti-veness on the changing markets.

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Marjukka Karttunen, Chairman of the Board of Port of Turku Ltd and Christian Ramberg, Managing Director of Port of Turku Ltd are happy with the existing routes and increase in the cargo capacity of the Port. The new connections and larger vessels also support the company’s goals to increase the transoceanic car-go transports.

”Behind the new strategy lies the change of the company form as well as the considerable structural change that has occurred in Finland. The forest and technology industries have acted as the cornerstones of Finnish industry for decades, but now they have to face fiercer competition, the key companies have relocated close to their largest markets, and investments in Finland have ceased. At present, our bright spot is maritime industry, which was previously deemed a sunset industry. The acquisition of the Turku shipyard by Meyer was a real stroke of luck. Other emerging focal areas include clean-tech and solutions for renewable energy”, says Marjukka Karttunen, Chairman of the Board of Port of Turku Ltd about the background of the new business strategy.

New organisation emphasises customer-orientation

In accordance with the new strategy, the Port’s operations will focus on two business areas and joint functions that support them. Through the change the Port aims at a more customer-oriented and cost-efficient operating model that will efficiently realise the key goals of port op-erations. The two business areas are passenger traffic and cargo transports. As for cargo, the focus lies in processed goods. Both business areas act as profit centres and are responsible for customers and services as well as business development.

”In passenger traffic the port of Turku is the

leading port for traffic to and from Sweden. The new vessels introduced on the route in recent years have maintained the passengers’ inter-est, and the passenger volume on the route has remained high despite the general economic conditions. We expect the replacement of the vessels on the route to continue in the next few years, which we believe to have a positive effect on the tourism through the Port of Turku in the future, too. One indication of that is the increased number of cruise liner calls in Turku, for which we are working together with e.g. Visit Turku”, says Christian Ramberg, Managing Di-rector of Port of Turku Ltd.

Cargo transports focus on processed general cargo

”In cargo transports we focus on the tradition-ally strong truck transports as well as transports of processed general cargo. The prerequisites for increasing that product sector have strength-ened considerably, as new ship routes have been opened from Turku across the Baltic Sea, and larger vessels have been introduced. The customers have also noticed the development, and today a wide variety of project deliveries that require careful cargo handling pass through the Port. Good examples of those are the export shipments of Vema Lift Oy and Auramarine Ltd which are also introduced in this publication. The transport services of processed general cargo will be developed further by increasing the warehouse capacity to meet their needs and renewing the Port’s crane services”, Christian

Ramberg promises.The joint functions take care of the production

and processes needed by the business areas, and of their efficiency. The functions include services of the authorities, security services, technical services, finance and administration, development, and marketing and communica-tion.

A clear strategy speeds up decision-making

”A clear and consistent business strategy is a key tool of the Board of Directors. We have ap-plied it in rearranging our organisation and mak-ing our operating methods clearer. In addition to increasing cost-efficiency it allows for close relations with the customers, interactive devel-opment with them, and quick decision-making to benefit the customers. Thanks to the new strategy it’s also easy for the Board to follow the reaching of the profit goals set for the company regarding both business areas, and react quickly on any deviations”, Marjukka Karttunen says about the importance of the strategy to the Port and its customers. •

20 Port of Turku

DB Schenker invests in Turku

TEXT: KALLE KIRSTILÄ PHOTOS: ROBERT SEGER, JOUNI SAARISTO

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Logistics company DB Schen-ker believes in the growth of its warehouse business and will expand its services in the Port of Turku with a new building.

A 7,000 square metre hall will be completed in Pansio during the autumn. DB Schenker already has a logistics centre with a floor area of 30,000 square metres in the Ovako area in the Port of Turku.

“For DB Schenker, the Port of Turku plays an important role as the gateway from Scandinavia to Finland. With the new warehouse to be com-pleted towards the end of the year we will have the capacity of around 65,000 m2 in Turku and a total of 280,000 m2 in Finland”, says Logistics Director Katri Kostiainen.

Household appliances keep the business running

According to Ms Kostiainen, the total volume of the logistics market is not growing in the current

economic situation, and the growth has been achieved by increasing the market share.

“We have succeeded especially in the ware-house services business.”

Consumer goods, in practice tyres and house-hold appliances, are the articles that keep the business running.

“Overall solutions are our advantage, we are known as a reliable logistics partner”, Ms Kos-tiainen says.

According to Krister Heinonen, who is re-sponsible for the production in the Turku region, DB Schenker also wants to set an example with its investments. DB Schenker has recently in-vested in other parts of Finland. In Helsinki, the operations of the Metsälä road transport centre and the Finnish head office moved to new prem-ises with a floor area of 52,000 square metres next to Helsinki Airport.

“The way I see it is that a company has to be ready to invest in order to succeed in the future, too.”

Known for strict finances, the German com-pany does not make investments lightly.

“With a project of this size the investment ap-

plications have to be submitted to Germany, so the reasoning has to be convincing.”

Services help increase the market share

Mr Heinonen says that DB Schenker now focus-es on reliable and comprehensive services. At present, the added value warehousing services offered to its customers mean in practice e.g. adding studs to car tyres and attaching them on wheels.

“The services for white goods, or household appliances, include transport, installation and the removal of the old appliance. The consumer goes to the shop and buys the product and any extra services, which we then deliver and install.”

“We can change, for example, the side of door handles. Factories manufacture mass products, but the customers want increasingly individual solutions, which is a growing trend alongside online sales. It’s impossible to say what these added value services will include, say, 10 years from now”, Mr Heinonen ponders. •

The forecasts on the development of the lo-gistics industry promise 0.5% growth in Europe. DB Schenker’s own forecast for Finland is zero growth. Production Director Krister Heinonen and Logistics Di-rector Katri Kostiainen believe that market shares will be redistributed on the basis of quality within the next few years.

22 Port of Turku

Mikko Koivumäki from GAC Finland’s Turku office says that flexibility is the advantage of the port of Turku.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ M/S Balmoral called Turku in July. The 220-metre vessel had 1,200 passengers and 500 crew members on board. The vessel is regis-tered in Nassau, the Bahamas.

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Ship agent makes the port call easierTEXT: KALLE KIRSTILÄ PHOTOS: ROBERT SEGER

We meet Mikko Koivumäki halfway through his working day, but he has already sorted out the arrival formalities at the Customs for cruise liner Balmoral coming from England and its crew of 500 and 1,200 pas-sengers.

“It was a slightly unusual case, because Turku was the ship’s first port of call in the Schengen area. In Turku, working with cruise liners is just a marginal part of my job”, the young man says.

Agent for the shipping company

By education Mr Koivumäki is a Bachelor of Sci-ence in Economics and Business Administration, and only the thesis is missing from a Master’s degree. He tells that his main working language is English, because the crews today are interna-tional without exception.

Employed by ship agency GAC Finland, Mr Koivumäki works mainly with cargo vessels. GAC Finland’s Turku office handles 250 ship calls annually. In addition to the ports of Turku and Naantali, the Turku office serves e.g. the industrial ports of Särkisalo and Kemiö.

“We try to serve the shipping companies as we best can to make the port calls as smooth and easy as possible”, Mr Koivumäki sums up the goal of his work.

A ship agent acts as a representative of ship-

ping companies, and the duties include handling e.g. the required crew lists, information on the port calls, and Customs lists related to the cargo on behalf of the shipping company. Today, most of the documents provided to the Customs, the Finnish Transport Agency and other authorities are submitted electronically.

“There’s still some overlapping, and paper has not yet disappeared completely. Things have changed a great deal, though. We no longer need to fax thick piles of paper as older colleagues had to do.”

Measured by hours, most of the work is con-tacting people and office work.

“In cargo traffic I act as the link between the ship, recipient and sender. The protocol always depends on whether the ship is loading or un-loading in Turku.”

Stamps for cruise passengers

The job also involves practical arrangements, such as reserving taxis and accommodation for staged crew.

“The best thing about this job is variation. I often encounter situations that call for fast problem-solving skills. Surprises are pretty much a rule.”

Cruise liners in particular may have a variety of needs.

“When you think that everything is under con-trol, there may be a request that the ship needs a thousand postage stamps. Today, one of the 1,200 passengers on the cruise liner needed an ambulance and was taken to a specialist of internal medicine.”

According to Mr Koivumäki, the size of the port of Turku ensures flexibility.

“All service providers are close to each other, but nevertheless there’s a comprehensive net-work whose services we can offer to shipping companies.” •