Thursday, April 21, 2016

Another Intermodal Freight Forwarder Enters the Logistics Sector in the Newly Christened Czechia

Czech Republic Sees Turkish Supply Chain Group Open First Facility
Shipping News Feature
CZECH REPUBLIC (CZECHIA) – TURKEY – Another supply chain player has announced its entry into the Czech Republic (or perhaps more properly now Czechia) with Turkish group Ekol Logistics due to open its first branch by the end of June in the Prague area with a Brno facility planned to follow next year. Last month the company announced it was to begin operations in Bulgaria and the new office will mean the intermodal freight forwarder has now established its own facilities in thirteen countries with plans to open in Slovakia in 2017.

Ekol owns five RoRo vessels and currently operates 40 block train round trips each week and was already active in the region prior to this announcement offering various intermodal services. The company plans to increase its current rail service between Trieste and Ostrava from four per week to six and develop intermodal transport using train connections within the existing EU lanes and will offer newly-built solutions within the EU. Martin Zalesky, Country Manager, Ekol Czech commented:

”Ekol Czech will offer intermodal solutions and road freight, not only FTL but groupage transport as well. It will be possible thanks to using the own wide Ekol network. Apart from the transport we will offer warehousing and customs services. We are planning that Ekol Czech will generate the turnover of €5 million in 2018 and the level of employment at this moment will be close to 40 employees.

"Ekol is a dynamic and leading company founded on strong pillars, for example its own trucks, trailers, containers and Ro-Ro vessels. A big advantage is the advanced level of technologies which the company uses, for example the solutions developed by its own R&D. All of this help us to strive to live the motto ‘Logistics for a better world’. That’s why I can say that the fact Ekol has entered the Czech market is good news for our country.”