News / Munich opens: straight talking at Schiphol; near-shoring at Rhenus

It’s started. Transport Logistic is now in full swing on a beautiful sunny day in Munich, the halls already heaving with men in suits, espresso machines and bits of logistics equipment – in some cases, quite large ones.

For The Loadstar, stop number-one was Schiphol Airport, where union leader Joost van Doesburg has turned the tables and joined the airport he had been fighting as head of cargo.

It was a move not missed by the Dutch media: ‘modern, young, progressive labour leader joins Royal Schiphol Group’. Initially, he thought the offer from the airport to head cargo was a joke. The move may, he thinks, have ended the chances of a political career on the left.

But Schiphol’s interests are now his interests, and he is a fighter, which is why security staff at the airport are now enjoying a 40% pay rise – he led the negotiations.

“We have to make sure airport staff aren’t the victim of competition,” he says.

“But I’m the establishment now,” he laughs, adding that he will continue to be a straight talker. “You need to be yourself to be successful. I say what I think – but I also may need to adjust a bit, to fitting in here,” he concedes. His strategy for the sometime troubled airport, which we will report on in the coming days, looks solid.

Next up, while Lufthansa Cargo was discussing e-commerce (more on that later), Rhenus Logistics held a press conference, which could have been entitled “anywhere but China”.

It sees growth in helping clients near-shore, with a particular focus on Turkey, the crossroads between Asia and Europe. Again, you’ll find more on this in The Loadstar over the coming days – but did you know that Rhenus, with turnover of €8.6bn last year, is now the largest privately owned forwarder in Germany.

Later today comes Flexport: is its European business also going down the e-commerce route?

But for now, it’s back to the vast halls and swathes of people…

UPDATED TO CORRECT THAT RHENUS IS LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED FORWARDER IN GERMANY, NOT THE WORLD.