One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.

Steel-Solutions B.V.

The reason for writing this blog was an article from “Nieuwsblad Transport” of last November 12^th. Title of the article; ”City throws away logistic future”. Antwerp, one of the biggest transhipment harbours of Europe, has turned into a big industrial area with an even bigger problem. The traffic jam problem is enormous and according to logistics companies trucks are stuck in traffic at least 1.5 hours a day, every day. The breaking point has been reached. Where companies first choose Antwerp to settle because of the logistics advantages, they now have started to leave the city. Companies are leaving the industrial heart of Antwerp. The long travel times which are caused by the traffic jams are anything but profitable. Companies have decided to take matters into their own hands because they are barely able to keep their heads above water. There have been news report that Corneel Geert Transport Group is looking for possibilities in Genk. Wim Bosman already made this step before him.

Companies see Antwerp more as a bottleneck, rather than as an opportunity. The current beltway has been there for the past 45 years. At first this beltway was a one of a kind but now it is completely out dated and inadequate to cope with current traffic flows. New plans of improving the accessibility of both the city itself and the harbour, stand on hold till this very day.

Steel-Solutions read this article with great attention and remembered it. Why? Because Steel-Solutions responded to this problem in an early stage and moved its distribution centre from harbours to more ideal locations such as Maastricht and Born. Through our own inland waterways and railway-tracks, we can transport containers as well as break-bulk to our own distribution warehouses. From these warehouses are we able supply the entire European inland.

 

This makes it that we experience no logistical barriers. There are no long waiting times and there are hardly any traffic-jams. Both of our locations have tri-modal transport possibilities (rail, road and barge). The accessibility and availability of these tri-modal services make Steel-Solutions an excellent logistic partner.