In November, the Anker Schiffahrt company celebrated its 60th anniversary in Emden – and therefore six decades in which the fully owned Leschaco subsidiary has continued to expand its range of services for the automotive and paper industries as well as its expertise in port services.
Anker Schiffahrt has managed to expand its range of services gradually over the years. The first shipment of pulp was dispatched from Kotka, Finland, to Emden for the customer UPM-Kymmene in 1983, and then in 1993 a decision was made to relocate all Finish transport of pulp, paper rolls and timber to Ostfriesland’s largest city. With this step, the maritime service provider created the foundation for its second mainstay and was therefore “out of the woods” – figuratively speaking, of course. Maritime services now round off Anker Schiffahrt’s extensive range and include clearance, stowage, the handling of ro-ro and project cargo, trimodal on-carriage and comprehensive logistics concepts.
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it’s also good to take advantage of your existing expertise and invest in modernisation and your employees’ capacities,” explains Jan Remmers. To corroborate the second part of his statement, he mentions the most recent activities of the company managed by the Conrad family in Bremen. For example, Anker Schiffahrt expanded its lorry loading station for vehicle transporter loading and unloading to double the size and built a modern terminal in 2021. A new staff building was inaugurated in Emden in May 2023, which was followed by completion of a new office in May 2024, built on the foundation of the old building from 1966.
Partnerships to consolidate the market position
Like the close collaboration with Volkswagen and UPM-Kymmene, further strategic partnerships and alliances form key elements of Anker Schiffahrt’s continuous focus on market needs. For example, Autoport Emden GmbH was founded in cooperation with Volkswagen Logistics and two other shareholders in 1987. This joint venture has since imported and exported well over 20 million vehicles through the Port of Emden. There has also been a close partnership with Peter W. Lampke (PWL) and MEYER WERFT in Papenburg for many years. Another name was added to this list in late 2023, namely STE Stevedoring and Terminal Emden, a joint venture between Anker Schiffahrt and Ems Ports Agency and Stevedoring (epas). The two shareholders now pool their expertise: the first in the automotive industry and forestry products and the latter in onshore/offshore and hazardous goods logistics. Both companies will independently continue their core activities in full but, together, will also provide other companies with a wide range of services and options as part of a comprehensive package. Remmers and the two Anker Schiffahrt Authorised Officers, Sönke Kempe and Tilo Hoff, are in agreement: “We work together as a team here. All these forward-looking steps are essential for maintaining our position as a leading logistics provider in the region and as a key member of a global logistics group”.
No worry lines despite the current economic situation
Despite all the current issues in the German automotive market in general and at Volkswagen in particular, Remmers and his colleagues radiate a certain degree of calm. “In 2024, we transshipped 1.2 million vehicles in import and export through Autoport. And based on the current findings, we don’t expect these volumes to collapse, which VW corroborated, based on the most recent volume forecasts,” says Kempe.
And not even the idea of handling forestry products can add to the worry lines on the faces of those in charge. “Paper and pulp will always be transported, even if many companies have declared themselves to be a paperless office,” says Hoff confi-dently. The reason for that, he suggests, is that both products are “sustainable all-rounders” and can be used not only for printed products and boxes, but also, for example, in hygiene products, textiles and car filters. A few weeks ago, the contract with UPM-Kymmene on the handling of forestry products was extended for another three years – until the end of 2027 – which is also a perfect fit for the Anker Schiffahrt concept. In addition, contracts were concluded with another pulp supplier in South America. And just in case one of the two mainstays weakens more than expected after all, Anker Schiffahrt has a few more maritime aces up its sleeve, thanks to its diversification and wide range of port services. (bre)
Facts
Anker Schiffahrt
Group: Wholly owned subsidiary of Lexzau, Scharbau (Leschaco)
Established: 1956 in Bremen and 1964 in Emden
Headquarters: Emden
Area(s) of business: Vehicle transshipment, forestry products, port services and shipping company
Employees: Around 300, including the sister company Anker Service
