What an incomprehensible year 2020 was. At the end of February, we celebrated our 100th anniversary at the Duisburg branch in a big event, and barely three weeks later the world came to a standstill. What followed were two tough months, also with a drop of volume, in which we adjusted to the new situation, established tools and processes – created a new provisional virtual everyday life.
During this time, the hashtag #haegerundschmidtheroes welded us together at HSL. It symbolises what our absolutely strong team made possible in the company, on board and in the office, with and without a home office – securing our 2020 financial year economically by keeping the business running with great personal commitment. And not only that. Thanks to the commitment of our employees and the trust of our customers, we were able to continue implementing our forward strategy.
A deliberate sign towards securing the future, especially in times of the Corona pandemic, was the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the steel island into a multifunctional hub in Duisburg. The
12 million investment is one of the largest in HSL’s history. As planned, we also continued to develop our office in Hamburg in the middle of the first lockdown. A courageous decision that has paid off. Increased to three employees, they continue to develop the forwarding business in the hinterland and build up transports via the northern seaports.
Furthermore, we have consistently advanced our business model of one-stop shopping across all divisions. With the expansion of our truck strategy at various locations, we now cover the “first” and “last” mile ourselves, so that our customers receive all services from a single source. The articles in our Insight show the broad spectrum of our commitment – from new business ideas to our “hidden heroes” from IT.
Above all, we wish you good health for the new year and a bit of “normality” back for all of us.
Yours Heiko Brückner
CEO Haeger & Schmidt Logistics