FREJA Transport & Logistics regrets to inform you that the golf tournament Made in Denmark presented by FREJA, which was scheduled to take place from the 21st - 24^th of May at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, has been postponed. The tournament's management team has, together with the PGA European Tour, decided to postpone the tournament, and will in the upcoming time try to find a new date for the tournament.

“We are very concerned about the current development of Coronavirus, and we believe that the best decision is to postpone the event. We will, as soon as possible, together with the European Tour, find a new date for Made in Denmark presented by FREJA. It is still too early to say when, but both we and Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort are looking forward to presenting a fantastic course and tournament to players and fans when we are on the other side of this unfortunate situation”, Flemming Astrup, Made in Denmark presented by FREJA Promoter, says.

About the postponement of the tournament, FREJA's founder and chairman, Jørgen Hansen says: “Of course we think it's a shame that we have to postpone the tournament as we had been looking forward to the festivities in May, but we do agree that it is the right decision. As the situation is now, we do not think it would be justifiable to go ahead with the tournament, as public health and safety is the most important thing after all”.

FREJA will keep you updated as soon as a new date is found, and we can invite you to Made in Denmark presented by FREJA again.

If you have any questions about this, you are always welcome to reach out to your local contact person at FREJA or our Sales Director, Franz Andersen.

FREJA is keeping the supply chains running despite the COVID-19 situation, but unfortunately,  disruptions are unavoidable.

The coronavirus is spreading fast all over Europe, and the situation is changing more or less every hour. During the last few days, several countries have made large restrictions, which most likely will continue in many other countries across the world.

In FREJA, we are as prepared as we can be for the current situation, and two weeks ago, we implemented our COVID-19 contingency plan. Our management directs all key activities during this period to the entire organization, which means that all staff is working in a safe environment and following all the instructions from the local national authorities such as working in small scale teams or virtually from home. Even under these very critical circumstances, the entire organization is ready and fully committed to serving our customers 24/7, and we will continue to make the necessary changes needed.

Several countries have implemented heavy control by the borders, and we have already seen delays. At the same time, many countries are making significant local restrictions to the daily business, to minimize the number of people getting infected. In the Nordics, we have experienced that multiple ferry routes have been canceled. The above means that our current services are less flexible and we expect longer transit times, which unfortunately will have an impact on our capacity. We will do our utmost to find alternative solutions to secure that the transportation flow stays intact.

Since this is an extraordinary situation and therefore also a very challenging time for all, we recommend you stay updated on www.freja.com, and as always you are welcome to reach out to your local contact person in FREJA, who as usual is ready to serve you.

FREJA is pleased to announce that we have opened a third office in China. The new office is located in Qingdao, which is one of the biggest seaports in the Shandong province in North China and the most preferred location for shipping businesses. Currently, many Chinese manufacturers move their factories or build new factories in the Shandong province, and Qingdao is the most favorable port for all kinds of international trading.

The office in Qingdao is headed by Ms. Susan Zheng. Ms. Zheng has a wide experience in the transport and logistics business since she has been involved in industrial project forwarding for 10 years. She will handle all activities such as marketing, project handling, and price sourcing in North China.

[caption id="attachment_12141" align="alignnone" width="800"] FREJA welcomes our new Project Manager in Qingdao, China, Susan Zheng.[/caption]

With the opening of the new office, FREJA now has a service network that covers most of China. With offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and now Qingdao, we offer a wide range of value-added services, so please feel free to contact us to learn more about what we can do for your business.

 

Dear reader.

The year 2020 has started well, and on behalf of FREJA, I am pleased to welcome you to the first newsletter this year. FREJA's largest venture in 2020 will be the opening of a new logistics center in Szczecin in Poland in May. The construction is well under way, and the capacity will be a warehouse with approx. 20,000 pallet places, where we will be able to offer a wide selection of services supported by a modern WMS system. On the site, we are also building welfare facilities for our drivers including accommodations for staying overnight.

To manage the development FREJA has initiated in Poland, we have engaged Tomasz Cegielski. Tomasz started on February 1^st as Managing Director, and in the present newsletter, you will find a closer presentation of Tomasz and his background. In connection with the employment of Tomasz Cegielski, former Managing Director, Torben Mortensen, has taken on a new role as chairman of the board for FREJA in Poland.

In the present newsletter, you will also meet the team behind FREJA’s Danish Sea & Air department and get an overview of the solutions FREJA is able to offer in this field. Furthermore, you will find an article about the company HauCon A/S and their cooperation with FREJA.

This year, FREJA is once again presenting sponsor at the golf event ‘Made in Denmark Presented by FREJA’ which will take place from the 21^st  to the 24^th  of May in Himmerland, Denmark. The event is expected to attract 80,000 spectators to what they call a celebration in red and white.

I thank you for your interest in FREJA’s newsletter and hope you will enjoy reading it.

Best regards

Jan Sunde

Managing Director

Previous Managing Director in Poland, Torben Mortensen (left) welcomes Tomasz Cegielski as the new Managing Director. 

FREJA welcomes new Managing Director in Poland

On February 1^st this year, FREJA welcomed Tomasz Cegielski, the new Managing Director in Poland. Tomasz has taken over from Torben Mortensen, who instead continues as Chairman of the board in FREJA in Poland, as well as Regional Director South Denmark.

On joining FREJA, Tomasz says: “I am incredibly pleased to have been given this opportunity at FREJA. I am proud to work in a company like FREJA, as they are one of the largest in the Nordic countries, and now also has several locations in my home country, Poland. I am truly excited to see what the future at FREJA holds".

Tomasz brings valuable competencies to FREJA, which he has gained from previous positions in Raben Logistics, DB Schenker, and most recently Geis. On top of that, he has a Master of Economics and he has studied Management & Marketing at the Academy of Poznan.

“FREJA is pleased to have Tomasz on board, as he can contribute with relevant experience and knowledge from the industry. Together, we will focus on continuing the growth of FREJA in Poland, and we look forward to the opening of our brand new logistics center in Szczecin”, says Torben Mortensen.

FREJA's new logistics center opens in May. On nearly 8 hectares, we have built modern warehouses with a capacity of approximately 20,000 pallet spaces and parking lots for approximately 250 trucks. Not only will there be plenty of room for our customers' goods, but we will also be able to offer a wide range of services such as handling, packaging, labeling, storage, and other value-added services, which will be supported by a modern WMS system.

Contact your local FREJAN if you want to know more about your options with FREJA in Poland.

Special products require flexible transport solutions

HauCon A/S's journey started in 1988 in a small workshop in Aarhus. Today, HauCon A/S is one of the leading distributors of special products and technical solutions for the construction industry and element factories in the Nordic countries, as they have delivered products to large, well-known projects such as the Øresund Bridge, AARhus, and the Opera House in Copenhagen.

HauCon A/S strives to be the preferred partner in the construction industry by providing innovative solutions. To maintain their position in the market and increase growth, all parts of their supply chain must be carefully considered. For HauCon A/S, their partners must match their values and meet their high demands for service. FREJA lives up to these demands, which is why we were chosen as HauCon A/S’s transportation partner.

“FREJA is a stable partner with deliveries every day. Our start-up process has been very good, and we have received training in their online system. Our contact person at FREJA, Kasper Hansen, has supported us with relevant feedback and good solutions, and we have been extremely pleased with this. Furthermore, FREJA is flexible, and they deliver on time, which is important in our industry and the reason why we chose them”, says Sandra Knudsen, Intern Seller/Purchaser at HauCon A/S.

In the construction industry, changes can occur from day to day, which is why it is important with a partner who can keep promises and deliver the goods, even if changes occur.

“For FREJA it has always been important to adapt to our customer’s needs and do our utmost to get the goods delivered no matter what. All partners need to work focused and dedicated for a collaboration to be successful, and FREJA has appreciated the clear communication and close dialogue there has been with HauCon A/S from day one", FREJA’s Sales Representative, Kasper Hansen, explains.

If you want to learn more about FREJA and find out if we are the right supplier for your business, please contact us to hear more.

FREJA handles your Air & Sea freight

Did you know that FREJA  offers transport solutions by air and sea? We have done so for many years within the group, and in Denmark since January 2017, where we established our Air & Sea department as more and more of our clients were asking for services reaching beyond our well-known trucking services.

Get to know the team

Meet Hongyi Niu, Global Project Director, Torben Stenshøj, Airfreight Manager, and Mikkel Lübker Andersen, Ocean Freight Manager, who are running the Air & Sea department. Hongyi was amongst one of the people who helped establish FREJA’s Air & Sea department. He was hired by FREJA’s founder, Jørgen Hansen, back in 2015 and has since then also helped establish the Global Forwarding Services in FREJA. Torben started in FREJA in January 2017 and has been in this department since the very beginning. Torben started his career  back in 1981 and he has gained a lot of knowledge and experience in his 39 years of working within this industry. Mikkel joined the team in 2018, and with the competencies, he has gained from being in this industry since 2002, FREJA formed a great team to approach the market as a full-service provider.

Why choose FREJA on Air & Sea?

Transportation by air and sea offers you alternative  solutions for transports that might not be smart by road. With our experience and knowledge, we can help assess if this way of transportation could be the right choice for your company.

FREJA offers both LCL and FCL movements of goods to and from any destination in the world, and we are fully licensed with IATA, which allows us to prepare the relevant air freight transport documents, no matter where your shipments need to go to. We can also assist you with X-trade services if you need to move cargo directly from your supplier to your customer, as we are a member of the World Cargo Alliance (WCA). WCA is the largest network of independent forwarding companies with nearly 7300 offices in 190 countries in 843 cities. The membership allows us to connect a well-known agent to handle your shipment, as moving shipments from one place to another without a trusted agent present, is challenging due to the complexity and regulations on this area.

We are ready to help you with your needs. Contact Hongyi, Torben, or Mikkel anytime if you want to know more about what we can do for you, or go to our website to learn more.

Experiences await you in Himmerland

From the 21^st to the 24^th of May, 2020, Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort will once again host the  “Made in Denmark Presented by FREJA” event. As the name indicates, FREJA is presenting sponsor for the tournament, and we look forward to four days of world-class golf.

“Made in Denmark Presented by FREJA” has been held in Denmark as a part of the European Tour since 2014. FREJA has participated each year, and we have followed the development of the event with great interest. The days in Denmark constitute one of the most well attended  and popular tournaments on the Tour, and the location in Himmerland is perfect with all the spectacular facilities the place has to offer. The courses are extremely audience-friendly with many fantastic spots from where it is possible to follow the players at close range.

Each year, Himmerland sets up a so-called “Village” in a central location. The “Village” offers a lot of places to eat and more than 30 different exhibitors. In the “Village”, it is also possible to follow the game on giant screens and see live interviews with various personalities.

FREJA would like to invite our customers to participate in this event. Therefore, if you are interested in a day-ticket, please contact Franz Andersen. The tickets are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

HIGHLIGHTS: 1) Full house at Made in Denmark, 2) Danish professional golfer, Lucas Bjerregaard, tested FREJA's putting green, 3) Nice view from FREJA's VIP tent, 4) The winner of 2019, Bernd Wiesberger, and FREJA's Jørgen Hansen with the trophy, 5) FREJA's hole number 10. 

[caption id="attachment_11811" align="alignnone" width="2048"] FREJA's Managing Director in Norway, Kjell-Arne Eloranta (left), and Nordic Supply Chain Manager in B. Braun, Freddy Wilhelm Hansen.[/caption]

When the task at hand is to deliver vital products with perfect precision, quality is not just a word. It is a requirement.

When the German pharmaceutical company B. Braun needed a logistics provider with the same high-quality demands as themselves, the logical choice was FREJA. A choice nobody has regretted.

Braun is Germany's largest non-listed company and one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and equipment for the Norwegian healthcare system. The family-owned company, with over 70,000 employees, manufactures and offers products across the health spectrum, something they have done for generations. Today, however, people live much longer than before, and in addition to this, the demands of the healthcare system are entirely different from what they were a few years ago. This requires world-class logistics.

Changed needs

Freddy Wilhelm Hansen, the Nordic Supply Chain Manager in B. Braun, puts the collaboration with FREJA in the right context.

– The age-related center of gravity is changing. Diseases that were previously terminal, can now be kept in check for much longer, prolonging life. Today, more and more people want home treatment. This is possible, but it affects our industry and how we need to organize our services.

In line with the change in patient needs, the manufacturers also had to think «outside the box».

Hansen adds:

– For us to grow and be proactive, we need logistics partners who can think a little untraditionally and be able to change in accordance with the market. That's why we approached FREJA and explained what we needed now and how we envisioned our needs for the future.

No room for error

[caption id="attachment_11819" align="alignright" width="300"] Kjell-Arne Eloranta, FREJA's Managing Director in Norway[/caption]

It is hard to imagine that the need for health services will decrease, in either the short or the long term. Essential medicines must be transported to where people are treated. And in this area, there is absolutely no room for error at all.

– The transport systems we use for medicines must be of the highest quality. Thermo transport and GDP i.e. documented temperature control for products that cannot withstand temperature changes, as well as continuous training and regular revision of services to the agreed standards, are obvious requirements. A drug exposed to frost may still look perfectly normal, but particles may have formed that can have serious consequences. This is why we need a logistics partner who has a firm grasp of their business, Hansen emphasizes.

It soon became clear that in FREJA he had found a partner with a clear understanding of the task and with many of the same values.

– What has been a mantra for us in collaboration with B. Braun is to have a high standard of quality in everything we do, says Kjell-Arne Eloranta, Managing Director of FREJA in Norway.

One partner - all the way

Handling hundreds of thousands of products from manufacturer to patient is no easy task. Good technical solutions are a prerequisite.

[caption id="attachment_11812" align="alignright" width="300"] FREJA's Head of Logistics in Norway, Joar Bjørndal, explains that nothing is left to chance at FREJA's warehouse at Fjeldbo.[/caption]

– Take scissors as an example, seeing as there are over a thousand different varieties. Here at FREJA, we have validated systems that allow us to sort the thousands of scissors B. Braun produces from each other. We’ve invested heavily in IT systems to avoid any picking mistakes.

Another point is that we take full responsibility for the products from the time of collection in Germany until delivery to the customer. Having one partner who assumes that responsibility for quality all the way from production site to delivery reduces the margin of error and sources of error, says Eloranta. Medicines are transported directly by FREJA from the manufacturer in Germany to FREJA's warehouse in Norway and Denmark, while medical equipment is now moved from a Scandinavian central warehouse in Sweden to FREJA in Copenhagen, Denmark. From there, daily shipments are sent to all of Scandinavia.

These are goods that, for several reasons, must not go astray. This is where FREJA's Logistics Manager, Joar Bjørndal, comes in. His top priority is that the quality of the pharma-warehouse at Fjeldbo is of the highest degree. And with quality, comes security.

– Security here is paramount. We have very important products, but where the monetary value cannot be compared with the health-related value a high delivery precision entails. It will paralyze the market altogether if our business goes down, and therefore we have good security systems to ensure that will never happen. So when I talk about safety, I’m referring to not only goods getting lost, but first and foremost that the systems are up and running so that the quality is maintained, says Bjørndal.

Good culture is crucial

[caption id="attachment_11814" align="alignright" width="300"] Kjell-Arne Eloranta (left) and Geir Kluge Heiermo, Sales and Marketing Director at FREJA, are very pleased with the collaboration with B. Braun[/caption]

A good culture must exist to ensure that the extreme demands of quality and safety are met. This is best achieved through a common understanding of what good values are. This is something B. Braun and FREJA thoroughly agree on.

– The company I work for has been family owned since 1839. They represent excellent values. When looking for partners, two things are crucial: Long-term perspective and values. I look for management-employee communication, how they treat me as a customer, what kind of management style and foundation they have. Then, of course, other things come into play, including being willing to invest in future sustainable development. I think Richard Branson said that «only those companies that focus on sustainable development before they think about money will survive.» This is something I believe in. The results often come as a consequence of the conscious value-based choices you make. That is why we are here at FREJA, Hansen concludes.

Kjell-Arne Eloranta cares very much about the culture of the company he runs.

– We have an expression we often use in FREJA; customer empathy. It's about understanding the customer's expectations. We must understand the consequences of any errors. We must embrace that at every level, especially when it comes to vital medicines. Failure to do so can be fateful, he states.

[caption id="attachment_11815" align="alignright" width="179"] The concept of quality lives throughout the organization[/caption]

The spreading of good practices

FREJA's pharma transport and the warehouse at Fjeldbo are in many ways an industrial spearhead. But the concept of quality exists throughout the organization and is more or less automatically transferred to all processes in their logistic centers.

– The level of quality our pharmaceutical business is dependent on delivering, is also adapted to other segments in our operation. Customers with products that do not necessarily have equally stringent requirements as B. Braun has, will, therefore, benefit from already incorporated quality processes. If we make mistakes, we go through the specific case, we conduct a situation-triggered training exercise and learn from it. It costs to deliver quality, but mistakes cost even more. Reputation-, customer- and internal wear can hardly be measured in money. That's why we have the right people with the right attitudes. It’s well worth it, says Eloranta.

[caption id="attachment_11735" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The scrubbers are used in the cleaning of sulphur from the exhaust gases.[/caption]

FREJA in Finland doesn’t always transport to or from Finland. At the end of 2019, FREJA in Finland started a project which includes combined transports of scrubbers from Poland to a shipyard in Turkey.

Scrubbers (Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems, EGCS) are used to remove harmful components, such as sulphur oxides (SOx) from the exhaust gasses of ship engines.

“This time the challenge was not the weight but the dimensions of the scrubbers”, Project Director Tom Lunabba says.

[caption id="attachment_11733" align="aligncenter" width="800"] FREJA Finland transported seven scrubbers to Turkey.[/caption]

During the project, seven scrubbers, dimensions 950 x 650 x 450 cm each, were transported by road and sea. The scrubbers' journey was about three weeks. The first two days they were transported by road as a special transport to the port of Gdynia. From there, the journey continued as sea freight to the shipyard in Turkey.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a sulphur content limit for emissions.  From the 1st of January 2020, the maximum sulphur content of marine fuels was reduced to 0.5% (down from 3.5%) globally. Two years ago, the IMO also agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050.

Finland is one of the biggest players in the scrubber system markets, among Sweden, Norway, and the USA.

If you want to know more or have any questions, please feel free to contact FREJA's Project Director, Tom Lunabba.

FREJA China will be closed for Spring Festival Holiday from 24th - 30th January (both days included).

During the holidays our staff in China will have limited access to email. For any urgent matters please contact

Leo Hu: +86 13817583599 (Overall)

Jia Wang: +86 13918941947  (East & North China)

Emma Wang: +86  13828499260 (South China）

From China we wish you good health and all the best in the year of the rat 2020.