Press Release 27 Feb 2012

Contargo takes over Wincanton’s container business

Duisburg, 27 February 2012: Contargo took over six Wincanton terminals on 3 January 2012 and acquired holdings at three other sites. These business locations are already being integrated into Contargo’s existing trimodal container network, although the legal takeover will still take some time for technical reasons. Afterwards Contargo will have a total of 25 container terminals in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland and will employ 800 people. 

“Contargo is gaining greater capacity and higher frequencies as a result of these takeovers in every respect,” Heinrich Kerstgens, Joint Managing Director of Contargo, explains. “Our container logistics is becoming even more flexible and we can offer our customers more space at the terminals, greater loading capacity and additional departures on inland waterway vessels, railway services or trucks.”

Contargo is merging the new business centres at Mainz and Frankfurt-Ost with the Contargo terminal in Koblenz to operate as Contargo Rhine/Main. The Contargo terminal at Ludwigshafen will join forces with the terminal at Mannheim to become Contargo Rhine/Neckar. The Contargo terminal at Wörth and the former Wincanton terminal in Karlsruhe will be pooled to become Contargo Wörth-Karlsruhe. Contargo is also integrating three other container terminals within its existing network and they will operate under the Contargo Neuss, Weil am Rhein and Worms trading names. Rhinecontainer B.V. will remain as an independent brand in Zwijndrecht near Rotterdam. Contargo Network Services is being reinforced by Contargo Network Trucking B.V. in Ridderkerk near Rotterdam and will therefore obtain greater capacity for container/truck (direct truck) traffic.

Contargo GmbH & Co. KG expanded its management team on 10 February 2012 as a result of the takeover: in addition to Thomas Löffler und Heinrich Kerstgens, Konrad Fischer now holds a position of responsibility at the company. The graduate logistics manager had held management positions at Wincanton since 1987; he was responsible for Wincanton’s intermodal business in Mannheim until recently.

About Contargo:
Contargo has one of the largest container logistics networks in Europe and moves 1.6 million TEUs per annum. Contargo’s business operations cover container traffic between the socalled western ports (Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Antwerp), the German North Sea ports and inland destinations in Europe. The company has 25 container terminals at inland waterway ports in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. The company also operates four of its own shipping routes and services on two railway lines. The 800 employees generated turnover of EUR 380 million in 2011.