Dear reader.
Since the last issue of our newsletter, one subject has had a strong presence – not only in FREJA but in all society – the world-wide pandemic COVID-19. We have constantly initiated the necessary health-related precautions and adapted to the situation in order to keep FREJA and our customers in business.
One of FREJA’s customers, Radius Distillery, has proven to be particularly adaptable. Normally, they produce liquor, but as the Corona crisis started, Radius Distillery changed their production into producing hand sanitizer. FREJA has the great pleasure of distributing the products.
Last year, FREJA started the construction of a new domicile in Szczecin, Poland. Luckily, the construction has not been affected by the Corona crisis and will be ready to open as planned in June. We look forward to having the opportunity to present the result when we will be allowed to gather a larger group of people.
The past months have also been spent on writing our CSR report for 2019. In FREJA, we have taken on a responsibility to reduce the CO2 emission. Therefore, we constantly work on creating sustainable transport solutions in close cooperation with our customers.
FREJA’s annual report for 2019 has been published recently. We have created a minor increase in turnover compared to 2018, and we present a total group turnover of DKK 3.34 billion.
The above mentioned topics are a selection of the articles which you can read in FREJA’s newsletter. Now, we look forward to a summer where the level of activity hopefully will increase following the Corona crisis. The different countries are slowly opening up again, and I am pleased that we receive inquiries from our customers on a daily basis.
I wish you all a fine summer and hope you enjoy reading the newsletter.
Jan Sunde
Improved result for 2019 – FREJA’s annual report gives reason for continued optimism
In FREJA, we have just presented our annual report for 2019 and it shows a total turnover for the group of DKK 3.34 billion. FREJA Denmark’s part of this is DKK 1.7 billion with a minor increase in turnover compared to 2018. In Denmark, we have had a special focus in 2019 on further developing our European groupage system and to offer global logistics solutions. We have carried out a successful integration of Transcargo and obtained positive synergies in the Danish organization. Especially our road traffics, project division, and logistics department have grown in 2019. We have strengthened the organization in sales and marketing, and we are convinced that we have a very solid platform as a basis for further growth.
Through more than 10 years, FREJA has invested massively in the development of our IT tools, and 2019 is no exception. We invest partly to optimize and streamline our own business, but also to become more competitive and to give advantages to our customers in their value chain. The presentation of MyFREJA and not least our associated extra services such as consultancy services have been a success, and we continue to develop our IT-platform. It is still our ambition that the product will give considerable financial advantages to all parties and help lift FREJA’s position in the European transport industry.
2020 has started off well. We had a Q1 that lived up to our expectations, while the outlook for the rest of the year is uncertain because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are optimistic, and we believe to have a business foundation and a team to carry us through the crisis.
Read the annual report for 2019
From hand-crafted spirits to hand sanitizer – FREJA is agile with Radius Distillery
When the Corona crisis hit Denmark in February, and the country was basically shut down, many companies were put to the test. Several companies had to come up with alternative business models to ensure survival. One of these companies is Radius Distillery, which normally produces hand-crafted spirits at Oremandsgaard Estate in Præstø, Denmark.
To ensure survival, Radius Distillery saw the need to restructure their own business. They decided to expand their product range in a slightly different direction, and they started producing hand sanitizer. In a week, they obtained the necessary permits and changed the equipment they normally use so they could start the production. Not only did the restructuring mean that they could save the company, but it also meant they could help the community.
Kristian Larsen, Co-Founder of Radius Distillery, is pleasantly surprised by the kindness and willingness to help with which they have been met. “When we announced that we were going to produce hand sanitizer, everyone was ready to help right away. Our partners and suppliers prioritized our tasks, so we had everything we needed to get started and thus contribute to the community. Among other things, it is because of them that we were able to change the production within a week”.
For Radius Distillery, it is essential to have a transport partner who is agile just like them. “The collaboration with FREJA has exceeded all our expectations. From the very beginning, they have delivered competitive prices and high-quality service. FREJA has always shown flexibility, and it was no problem when we suddenly had to deliver hand sanitizer to pharmacies, hardware stores, and private companies. We are more than satisfied with our cooperation, and we appreciate that it has always been easy to cooperate with FREJA”, Kristian from Radius Distillery elaborates.
At FREJA, we value strong partnerships with our customers, as we then can help each other grow and develop. Just as FREJA has helped Radius Distillery, they have also helped us. Last year, we chose them when we wanted to produce our very own FREJA gin, and we were very satisfied with the result. So satisfied that all our employees received a FREJA gin for Christmas, for which we have only received positive feedback.
We appreciate our cooperation with Radius Distillery, and we are happy that we can help each other when needed – especially in these times when change readiness has proved to be extra important.
FREJA can soon offer extended solutions from our brand new logistics center in Poland
The construction of our new logistics center in Szczecin is progressing as planned, and it is almost ready. In May, we completed the IT installations and set up racking systems in the warehouse, and we are currently installing electricity and water supply in the building. We are putting the finishing touches to the offices, and we expect to get the keys to the building in mid-June. We plan to move from the old location around the 21st of June, and if possible, we hope to have the official opening in September.
We have welcomed three new Business Development Managers to the team – Łukasz Kaczmarek, Przemysław Kulbat, and Remigiusz Gumowski. All of them have several years of experience within this industry, and with their professionalism and competencies, they will contribute to FREJA’s growth and development in Poland. Their role is to provide the best contract logistics opportunities for our customers and help them find the right solutions for their businesses.
Szczecin is an optimal location for logistics activities as it is close to Germany and provides easy access to the rest of Poland. With the new location, we can offer efficient solutions through our strong distribution system, as well as a state-of-the-art logistics center. The new logistics center in Szczecin contains modern warehouses with 20.000 pallet spaces, and with space for 250 trucks, this location is the focal point to and from Scandinavia and the Continent. There is plenty of room for our customers’ goods, and we offer services such as handling, packaging, labeling, storage, and other value-added services that are supported by a modern WMS system.
In addition to the Szczecin location, we have offices in Łódź, Błonie, Gdynia, and Tczew, so we can help ease your flow of goods via Poland. With the new facility, FREJA in Poland will be one of the largest logistics operators in the country and a valuable partner for your company.
In Poland, we will continue to offer the reliable, dedicated, and flexible solutions that we are known for, and you can expect to receive the same high-quality service that we always strive to provide. We are excited to expand our services, and we look forward to welcoming you to our new logistics center.
Click on the pictures of our logistics center to see them in full size.
For questions regarding your opportunities with FREJA in Poland, please contact your local FREJAN or our Managing Director in Poland, Tomasz Cegielski.
FREJA presents CSR report for 2019, which is based on the UN’s SDGs
We are proud to present our CSR report for 2019. We have previously sent out a CSR report for 2017 and 2018, and this marks the third report.
At FREJA, we take responsibility. By issuing a CSR report annually, we strive to increase transparency across all stages of the supply chain so that our customers and partners have the best prerequisites for running a sustainable business.
CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility, is one of the strategic areas we focus on. As a transport and logistics company, we are well aware that our activities affect the environment, and we do our best to minimize our impact. We are actively working on creating innovative solutions and optimizing our work processes to be more eco-friendly. However, CSR is not just about the environment and climate, it is also about the responsibility we have for society and our employees. In FREJA, we make a virtue of cultivating both the internal and external community. We provide good working conditions for all our employees, and we support the local community.
Our efforts and values are reflected in 8 of UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also referred to as the SDGs. The CSR report for 2019 is based on the 8 SDGs that we at FREJA focus on, as they help give a good overview of our actions in these areas. We have chosen to work with the SDGs as they provide a good framework for guidance and inspiration. The SDGs that we focus on are:
- 3. Health and well-being
- 4. Quality education
- 5. Gender equality
- 8. Decent jobs and economic growth
- 9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- 12. Responsible consumption and production
- 16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions
- 17. Partnerships for the goals
We hope that we can inspire other companies to make sustainable choices and that we can introduce even more sustainable initiatives in 2020.
To learn more about our approach to CSR, you are always welcome to contact QES Manager, Eric Clausen.
COVID-19 – a special situation, which requires special precautions
Naturally, COVID-19 and the worldwide pandemic has had an influence on FREJA during the past three months. It is a very exceptional situation, which has spread rapidly throughout the world with large consequences for humanity and the world economy. In FREJA, we have experienced a relatively large cutback in activities on certain markets, while we have seen increased activities in other segments. We have continuously adapted to the situation, and to the farthest extent possible, a group of employees have worked from home, in order for us to limit the presence in the offices as much as possible. On the other hand, our terminal and warehouse staff have met for work facing huge changes in the daily work such as working in smaller teams with proper distance between each team, modified working hours, and other precautions. It has been a time with a new kind of team spirit, we have imposed on the flexibility of all employees, and we have also discovered other means of communication and ways to meet.
All FREJA countries have been affected by the situation. As we all know, it started in China, and FREJA’s employees began to work from home in the beginning of February. Many companies in China are now back to normal, and all means of transportation operate close to normal again. If we may assist you with transport assignments to/from the Far East, the team in our project department is ready to take your call.
Coronavirus has not disappeared from the society, and we continue to take our precautions and act responsibly with respect to everybody’s health. We clean, we use sanitizer, we keep our distance, and we show consideration for one another.
But we are also very ready to look to the future. Our physical surroundings, as well as our organization and employees, are ready to handle the wide range of inquiries which we receive from our customers.