Nitto Belgium is located near the Albert Canal in Genk, Belgium. As of 14th of February 2019 all containers shipped from Japan and entering Belgium via Port of Antwerp will be transported over the Albert Canal to the Maersk depot at inland port Haven Genk.

Marc Bielen, general manager supply chain management at Nitto: “Our company is only 5 minutes away from inland port Haven Genk. We receive about 10 containers per week that arrive by boat in Port of Antwerp and then travel the last 100km by truck over the road. Thanks to our co-operation with Maersk these containers are now shipped over the Albert Canal to inland port Haven Genk. This will eliminate over 500 container road transports per year.”

Nitto Belgium and Maersk have been partners for 25 years. When Nitto was looking for a more sustainable and more reliable way for these shipments it investigated the situation with Maersk and could convince them to open a depot at inland port Haven Genk.

Samia El Moutaouakil, business development executive Inland-North West Continent at Maersk in Hamburg: “We want to offer custom made solutions to our customers, solutions that fit their supply chain. Inland logistics is an important part of that service. Maersk has already invested a lot in its ‘inland footprint’, especially in the Benelux since this is a very active market open to creative and sustainable solutions. By opening a depot at the inland port, we now connect Genk to the rest of the world.”

Wesley Mazzei, managing director of Haven Genk: “We are very happy that Maersk, one of the largest integrated container logistics companies in the world, has decided with the help of Nitto to open a depot at inland port Haven Genk. I’m convinced that this co-operation will result in a win-win situation for all partners, in which end customers like Nitto and the mobility in Flanders will benefit greatly.”

Marc Bielen: “These 500 containers are only the start. Next to the import from Japan, we also have the export of finished goods from our manufacturing plant in Genk to the rest of the world. The export to the US only is already a lot more than this initial amount of containers.”

Sustainability is an important part of the business strategy at Nitto Belgium. The company invested already in a co-generation unit to produce its own electricity and the generated heat is re-used in the manufacturing plant. All offices work on green electricity generated by highly efficient solar tracking panels.”