The success story of HSW Logistics, a joint venture between Norway’s Wilson Eurocarriers and Haeger & Schmidt Logistics (HSL), began in October 2014. Since then, HSW Logistics has developed into the leading provider of short sea connections in Europe.
The Duisburg-based company combines the experience and expertise of the short sea activities of Wilson and the HSL Group. The team of logistics experts combines the best possible transport chains for the customer from the areas of inland shipping, project logistics and handling/storage with its own short sea liner services to the UK and Norway.
Eleven years ago, the idea of a joint venture quickly took shape following initial preliminary discussions. HSW Managing Director Björn Zirotzki looks back: “Both companies were looking for an opportunity for further development. For HSL, it was mainly about access to the fleet and for Wilson it was about market access and the HSL network in Germany.” The complementary corporate values and expertise were also a perfect match. The Norwegian shipping company Wilson operates around 130 coasters. One of HSL’s unique selling points is its range of sustainable transport services along the Rhine with its own trimodal terminal in Duisburg.
As a team, the current ten employees, seven of whom have been with the company since it was founded on October 1, 2014, have managed to form a common corporate culture. HSW authorized signatory Daniela Kirsch confirms: “We feel part of the family at both HSL and Wilson and can use the strengths of both companies to our advantage.”
Scheduled and charter services complement each other
One focus of HSW’s business is liner services to and from Norway and the UK. “This business segment accounts for around 70 percent of the volume. The charter segment contributes around 30 percent,” says Zirotzki. A special feature of the scheduled services is the flexible organization within the week, which is not based on a rigid timetable. The HSW Managing Director explains: “The weekly departures are determined in consultation with all those involved and in consideration of the daily business.” Different ship sizes are also offered. Depending on requirements, ships with tonnages of between 1.600 and 2.700 tons can be made available.
Win-win for all parties involved
The joint venture is a win-win situation for everyone involved. “We have significantly strengthened our market position in the liner services sector,” explains Zirotzki. This development is also reflected in the market environment. HSW is now the sole provider of a liner service to Norway and the market leader in liner services to the UK.
The manager uses the fleet to show how the short-sea specialist was able to generate more business under the new umbrella. In the UK trade, the fleet was expanded from the original three to five time charter ships. The ships currently sailing for HSW are called H&S Fairness, H&S Honesty, H&S Wisdom, H&S Bravery and H&S Patience. Parallel to the expansion of the fleet, the number of ports has increased from one to three. The new ports of call are Boston, Flixborough and Seaham. “This allows us to cover the entire east coast and serve various final recipients in the individual regions of England,” says Zirotzki, explaining the advantages.
The operational process is supported by a very well-developed IT structure, so that short-term changes can be implemented flexibly and quickly. “Many customer requests have been implemented step by step in recent years in order to offer an exclusive service.”
Strengthening overall multimodality
Since its foundation, HSW has developed from a specialist for short sea transportation to a service provider that bundles all services along the supply chain under one roof. As an example, Zirotzki cites a weekly direct train between Boston and Swindon and the West Midlands to transport steel coils sustainably to the plants. Delivery is just-in-time, for example for the production of the BMW MINI Cooper. The establishment of the HSW hub in Seaham is also based on the supply chain concept. The location 200 kilometers north of Boston enables a further reduction in truck kilometers on the last mile. “Our focus is no longer exclusively on the short sea business, but now encompasses the entire transport chain. Our strategic approach is aimed at strengthening multimodality as a whole,” explains Zirotzki.