BLG CEO Detthold Aden primarily attributed the high turnover growth at the Bremen ports this year to the community terminals with leading container shipping companies in Bremerhaven. Bremerhaven is the only container port on the North Sea to record double-digit growth this year.

Aden says, “We cannot, however, currently look ahead with great optimism. The growth will not be repeated in 2009.” He adds that the Bremen Institute for Sea Transport and Logistics expects a worldwide container growth of between three and four percent next year, and that if this is achieved in Bremerhaven, it will primarily be by the community terminals.

Drought in automobile logistics
BLG does not expect growth at the car terminal in 2009. Vehicle turnover has been in decline since August, meaning the 2007 record of over two million vehicles cannot quite be achieved. The major car manufacturers are currently responding with long production pauses around the end of the year.

“The first quarter will be a dry spell with a turnover decline of up to 25 percent,” says Detthold Aden. From the second quarter, however, BLG expects a gradual normalisation of the car markets. The crisis is also reflected in the car parts logistics in Bremen with a declining volume. BLG currently assumes that the flexible working hours systems are a sufficient buffer for the slump in growth. Layoffs are not expected.

Another top performance in 2008, but slowing in 2009
According to Aden, there is no reason to complain about the 2008 financial year. “We will achieve our planned turnover of 970 million Euros and pre-tax earnings of 84 million Euros. This is another top performance after 10 years of growth.” He does not, however, believe that this will be achieved in 2009, and expects an earning potential of some 60 million Euros.

Over the last few years, the ports have enjoyed excessive growth rates. Container shipping worldwide grew by an average of eight percent. Aden believes that this will not change drastically by a temporary growth slump. “We assume that the markets will recover during 2009 and will return to normal growth in 2010. Globalisation does not stop just because the financial markets and some industries are flagging,” concludes the BLG CEO.

Bringing forward investments in transport infrastructure
For this reason, the planned investments in the infrastructural development of the ports and inland connections are imperative. The ZDS (Central Association of German Seaports) is even advocating the idea of bringing the plans forward, which would decrease the backlog in the development of inland connections, and at the same time speed up internal economic activity.

Detthold Aden displays no signs of crisis or panic: “We will use the pause in growth to further optimise the quality of productivity of our service processes. BLG has a well-established structure and is no longer as fragile as before when it only operated in port turnover in Bremen and Bremerhaven. We expect that we will be one of the companies to emerge from the crisis all the stronger.”