DB Schenker

We have just arrived to Pasila, in Helsinki, where major logistics companies in Finland have their headquarters or operations centers. "This region has been one of the most important centers of Finnish logistics for decades", explains Tomi Grönfors, the MD of VEEN. We are about to enter the offices of DB Schenker, VEEN's international logistics partner that handles most of the company's international trade. DB Schenker is a German world-leading global logistics giant that provides integrated logistics services. The company's aim is to provide support to industry and trade through land operations as well as world-wide air and ocean freight. "We offer our client much more than traditional transportation of goods from point A to point B. We want to be a part of our clients daily operations and provide real solutions to their needs", says Mihael Hagström (in the picture), Director of Sales and Marketing of DB Schenker Finland.

For VEEN, DB Schenker is a crucial part of daily operations, as the company
is the main shipper of VEEN goods internationally. Transporting glass bottles in one piece across Europe is not that easy, as you might guess. "When we had the first production run of our bottles, we didn't have any idea how big a deal good logistics services like DB Schenker's really are. Once the pallets were out of the factory, we loaded them to our own van. Unfortunately the van wasn't really built for that amount of load, so it was a very interesting drive from Germany to Lapland. Three guys and lots of glass bottles driving in a smallish van may have been an amusing sight across Europe in the summer 2007", explains Tomi smiling. "Although the reason for that was need for test bottles it really gave us the picture of how demanding the logistics are if you are not working with the best", Tomi adds. Further, Schenker's Finnish logistics branch Kiitolinja provides invaluable service for VEEN in the domestic logistics.

VEEN's co-operation with DB Schenker began already in 2007, but as of 2009 the
two companies have deepened their relationship to both gain more benefits from the co-operation. "We at DB Schenker want to be a strategic partner to also smaller and medium sized firms. Although the company is large, it is very scalable and can really transform to benefit your needs whether you are an individual entrepreneur or a multinational manufacturing giant", says Mihael. "It is very nice to work with an international logistics partner that has excellent track record. We are looking forward to coming years of collaboration and interesting challenges", continues Tomi.