The Kälteforum, a symposium for temperature-controlled logistics organized by the partner associations Verband Deutscher Kühlhäuser and Kühllogistikunternehmen (VDKL) and Deutsches Tiefkühlinstitut (dti) made a stop this year in Bremerhaven.
Around 190 enthusiastic participants came to the 13th industry meeting to the Weser. The success of the event series is based on the attractive mix of specialist presentations and company tours. The personal exchange with each other must not be missed: A highlight of every KÄLTEFORUMS is therefore the communicative evening event that is firmly integrated into the program – this time in the Climate House Bremerhaven.
With his lecture, Stefan Krautwurst-Leister (Dachser SE) emphasized that the logistics situation at the retail ramps has dramatically escalated. The causes are manifold: driver shortage, shortage of cargo space, lack of infrastructure, volume fluctuations, restrictive time slot management and last but not least the high standstill and waiting times at the ramps of the retail warehouse make it difficult to secure the logistics service. Krautwurst-Leister appealed to all participants to seek dialogue with their customers and not be frustrated.
An insight into the holistic logistics at Lieken Brot was granted to Mark Vogt (Aberle GmbH). From the production, the handling up to the storage of frozen bakery products, his field report showed how a state-of-the-art refrigerated high bay warehouse – as part of an integrated production logistics, which requires a precise conception and implementation – can contribute to the optimal result.
Jan A. Eggert and Sebastian Werren (Federal Association for Wholesale, Foreign Trade, Services BGA) gave an overview of the status of the Brexit negotiations and outlined scenarios of the effects of Brexit on the food industry in Germany. In the case of a tough Brexit, the impact on both sides would be dramatic: the reintroduction of WTO-level tariffs would add significant price increases and make foreign trade sensitive. Customs controls would cause endless queues and traffic jams on the border.
Several thousand employees and customs staff would have to be recruited and trained. The British government is slowly realizing that the implications of Brexit will be considerable as a result of the negotiations in Brussels. The willingness of the British to meet their financial obligations is still low, which is not least a reason for the more than slow negotiations. Werren noted that at the moment no one could say whether it would come to a hard or soft Brexit. But companies should be prepared for the future business relationships with the UK to become more difficult.
More information on the event to follow soon.
