A growing company, a bright future for you?

Steel-solutions B.V.

 At the end of September, Dutch headlines showed us that the crisis in Holland may be over. The national market is yet to show us this recovery. A lot of companies are still struggling to see their business rise. The effect of the crisis however depend on the branch, as well as your market area of interest.

Steel Solutions is a company which has done extremely well in its first year of existence.  Business is going good but we are honest by saying that it could go better. That is something we have in our own hands. As you know Steel-Solutions has the ambition of becoming a big logistic key player on the European market. In order to achieve this, Steel-Solutions knows, you need a broad network and a lot of knowledge. Steel-Solutions already has a lot of knowledge and the network is growing every day. But great ambitions require big thinking. And thinking big we do.

Since a couple of weeks, Steel-Solutions is looking for new human resources. To achieve the European ambitions, more manpower and a broader network are required. Therefor we are looking for a new co-worker, an “Worldwide Overseas Freight Expediter” to be exact.

What exactly are we looking for?

 

(official vacancy)

Are you an agent at heart and are you looking for a new challenge in a highly dynamic environment? Steel-Solutions is looking for a Worldwide Overseas Freight Expediter with at least 5 years’ experience,  a good topographical knowledge and an extended relevant worldwide expedition network.
 

Location: Maastricht, Fulltime.

General job description;

-          The planning, arranging and booking of sea, rail and air transports worldwide.

-          The accepting of, handling of and searching for transport (bookings).

-          Your work area; worldwide.

 

Place in the organisation;

-          The expediter operates within the department Overseas Logistics, location Maastricht.

-          The expediter falls under the hierarchical superior of this department.

Job content;

The expediter is responsible for the timely and correct implementation of the following tasks:

-          The planning and booking of transports via modal-shift (road, rail, air, water) in the most efficient way possible.

-          The accepting of, handling of and searching for transport (bookings).

-          The outsourcing of transports.

-          The composing of customs- and transport-documents.

-          Daily deliberation with the warehouse regarding available loading capacity and load and unloading times.

-          Having intense contact with clients, agents, shipping companies and carriers on the service to deliver in order to maximize customer satisfaction.

-          (price) Negotiation with clients, agents, shipping companies and carriers.

-          The settlements of complaints and damages.

-          Executing administrational and registration tasks.  

-          When necessary, execute replacing tasks within the organisation.

The expediter is qualified to enter into financial obligations with clients, agents, shipping companies and carriers.

 

Function demands;

Education/ experience level.

-          HBO (bachelors) working- and thinking level.

-          Relevant knowledge of international transport and expedition branches.

-          Relevant knowledge of customs aspects/regulations, Incoterms 2010, transport conditions and the associated liabilities.

-          Demonstrational successful experience in a similar expediter function of at least 5 years.

Social skills;

-          Be able to correctly and professionally speak to both internal and external relations.

-          Have a commercial, customer- and service oriented attitude.

-          Consult with internal co-workers as well as officials.

-          Work and consult within a team, being a real team player.

-          Have a hardworking mentality with a problem solving and organising ability.

-          Be able to think in possibilities and solutions.

Other;

-          Have a flexible work attitude.

-          Be able to work under pressure and with tight deadlines (stress resistant)

-          Have excellent geographical knowledge.

-          Be accurate.

-          Have control of the Dutch, English and German language, spoken en written.

-          Have control of the French language is preferred.

-          Have skills in working with automated planning (systems) and the MS Office package.

-          Have an own relevant worldwide expedition network is a must. 

 

We offer;

-          Working conditions package.

-          Pension arrangements.

-         Training opportunities.

-          Career possibilities.

Steel-Solutions B.V. is a dynamic and growing company with a mission; “within the next 5 years, grow to become the most important steel distributor of Europe”. Our corporate culture can best be described as informal and direct, with a lot of space for personal initiative. Would you like to be part of that and are you the type of person that really want to go for it? Apply now by mailing to p&o@steel-solutions.nl. Would you like additional information? Please contact Mr. Gijs van Lier (06-16477376), Director Operations. 

Ukrainian opportunities.

Steel-Solutions B.V.

With a large amount of steel companies situated in Ukraine, there is enough activity and movement of steel to give this a serious try…

And serious we are. The first research has already been done. Ukraine is rich in steel plants and factories, both steel producing as well as steel processing. What strikes the most is that a lot of the companies are located in and around bigger cities in Ukraine. This is no strange phenomenon. There are no inland terminals, solely sea terminals. Transportation thus goes via road or railways. There is no need to situate near waterways if it does not provide you with an additional mode of transportation. So a logic place to establish your company is a place where the infrastructure already has to be good; in and around bigger cities.

Donetsk (displayed in blue on the map), a city with over 1 million inhabitants, and the area surrounding the city are home to 12 large steel companies.

1.       Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol

2.       Azovstal Iron and Steel Works

3.       Makiyivka Metallurgical Plant

4.       Donetsk Metallurgical Plant

5.       Yenakiieve Iron and Steel Works

6.       Kuybyshev Metallurgical Plant of Kramatorsk

7.       Konstantinovka Iron and Steel Works

8.       Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant

9.       Energomashspetsstal

10.   Donetsk Metal Rolling Plant

11.   Artyomovsk Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Works

12.   Avdiyivsky Metal Construction Plant

Dnipropetrovsk (displayed in purple on the map), a city with over 1,1 million inhabitants, and its surrounding area are home to the following companies:

1.         ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih

2.         Nikopol Ferroalloys Plant

3.         Dniprovskyi Iron and Steel Works

4.         Dnipropetrovsk Pipe Plant

5.         Dniprovskyi Pipe Works

The Zaporizhzhya region (displayed in orange on the map), home to over 0.8 million people, is also the home of the following 6 companies.

1.       Zaporizhstal Integrated Iron and Steel Works

2.       Dneprospetsstal Electrometallurgical Works

3.       Zaporizhzhya Iron Works

4.       Zaporizhzhya Ferroalloys Plant

5.       Zaporizhzhya Steel Rolling Works

6.       Zaporizhzhya Constructional Iron Works

The last metal company rich region is the Lugansk (displayed in yellow on the map) with over 0.5 million inhabitants. 3 companies choose this region as their place of settlement.

1.       Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works

2.       Stakhanov Ferroalloys Plant

3.       Rubezhansk Pipe Works

What is very interesting about all these companies, is that it is a rich combination of steel producers and steel processors. But the organisation of the correct transportation, customs formalities and shipments via harbours remains a big challenge. A challenge that Steel Solutions is willing to accept; the perfect base for an international cooperation. If these things form a challenge for your company, why not give them to another company which already has experience in this department, and solve the difficulties for you? There are endless possibilities when it comes to logistics. Especially since there are multiple seaports in Ukraine and a wide network of railways tracks. 6 seaports (displayed in red on the map) all have short sea and long distance possibilities and over 21.500 km of railway track provide a lot of options for transport of steel products. Steel-Solutions already has experience with supplies and deliveries from Eastern Europe using the train. This can be the experience that these regions need.  

 

As you have been able to read in our previous blogpost, Ukrainian culture and habits in daily life as well as in business life differs from the Dutch culture. But that does not mean that Steel-Solutions will be put off by this. In order to create a new cooperation, you have to be willing to put in time and effort. A country that is so rich in steel and already so active in exporting steel is interesting for a company as Steel-Solutions. Consultation and agreements will have to be held in order to provide the Ukrainian companies with the information and security they need. It will take time and effort but something interesting could come out of the successful Factfinding Mission Logistics Ukraine.

Factfinding Mission Logistics Ukraine.

When you search the web for factfinding missions, you get quite some results. These missions have been successful for many years and are being organised by different institutions and for different companies.

September 29^th till October 2^nd was the date set for the “Factfinding Mission Logistics Ukraine”. This mission was organised by the Limburg Chamber of Commerce and the European Logistics Centre Limburg (ELC Limburg). This mission will lead the attendants though Kiev and Odessa. But that’s not all. Companies in Irbin and  Brovary will be visited as well. Director Wibo Feijen attended this mission on behalf of Steel-Solutions B.V..

Why would a company as Steel-Solutions attend this mission? As the name of the mission says it, logistics and transport form a central point of attention during this mission. That is exactly what Steel Solutions is about. In the next decade or so, Steel Solutions wants to become the biggest steel logistics service provider in Europe. In order to achieve this, a big network and the right information can help you halfway. Attending a mission such as this can help you expand your network and you can see how other companies, that may have more experience, are doing their business. You can learn from everything you see and take advantage of it.

The visit in Kiev started off with a visit of the old city centre and the evening ended with a joined dinner with other Dutch guest that work in Kiev. This gave the attendants a chance to get to know each other a bit. Among the attendants were:

-          Mr J. Tindemans from Maastricht Aachen Airport.

-          Mr A. Assink from the Chamber of Commerce Limburg

-          Mr A.J. Boekestijn from Boekestijn Transport Service

-          Mr J.M.C. Emons from Emons Group Holding BV

-          Mr W. Feijen from Steel-Solutions BV

-          Mr W. Houben from the Chamber of Commerce Limburg

-          Mr K. Kuijken from KLG Europe Venlo BV  

-          Mr E. Loijen from KLG Europe Venlo BV

-          Mr P. Swinkels from ELC Limburg

-      Mr C. Werner from Acces business Group International BV

After a good night rest, the second day of the mission started off with a seminar at the Dutch embassy in Kiev. After that, some Ukrainian companies where visited. Traxsim, the Ukrainian location of DAF Trucks NV was visited, as well as  Raben, an international logistics service provider.

 

 On Tuesday the company flew to Odessa where the two container terminals were visited. Odessa and Illichevsk are two large harbours in Ukraine. Illichevsk even is a short sea connection of the harbours of Antwerp and Rotterdam, ideal for cost-saving and environmentally conscious transportation. Odessa is well-known to be a steel transhipment harbour with a lot of container traffic. Interesting places to visit if your company, like Steel-Solutions, has its own covered dock and possibilities to load and unload vessels and containers.

But not just the harbours and companies were interesting. Steel Solutions is very open minded about engaging in new business relations. In order to know what you are getting yourself into, is it important that you get to know the country, its people and its business life. Especially when there is a language or cultural barrier is it important that you try to know as much of the country and the functioning of business and daily life.

Going on this factfinding mission gave Steel-Solutions B.V. an insight of what it can expect if this journey would lead to a promising business cooperation. It is a fact that Ukraine has been under the watching eye of communism until 1991. This has left its mark on not just daily life but also on the way business it being dealt with. Everything is rather formal; documents and stamps for everything. This coincides with the drive of the Ukrainian people to work. They are very eager to work but they require a lot of information to feel safe and take action. But Mr. Wibo Feijen has seen more than enough reasons to take action. The steel sector takes up a large part of the Ukrainian economy. Since Ukraine is not a member of the EU (yet), is it hard to import steel into the European Union. Nevertheless Steel-Solutions sees opportunities here and will investigate possibilities in this area. On top of that Steel Solutions sees  opportunities in exporting Ukrainian steel to the growing economy   Africa. As a logistic service provider, Steel-Solutions would like to become a pioneer in this logistic connection between these two economies. With a large amount of steel companies situated in Ukraine, there is enough activity and movement of steel to give this a serious try…

(If you would like to have a better impression, please click here to see more photos of the mission.)