It’s yet another significant anniversary for our organisation. 2024 is when we can celebrate our 30th year. In 2019, we ‘went to town’ to celebrate our silver jubilee. We hosted a party aboard the SS Rotterdam and organised festivities in Leusden for our members.
In 2019, we published a richly illustrated book that covers PTC’s history and developments over 25 years.
This jubilee publication is still available, free of charge, for anyone who is interested.
Reflecting on 2019-2024
It would be going too far to reiterate the history detailed in the book here. Instead we’ll highlight key developments between 2019 and 2024 that shaped our organisation.
The Coronavirus and the office
A recap of the past five years wouldn’t be complete without reference to the coronavirus pandemic situation and the consequences it had on the office works. There was an impact for the people on board the vessels, although this was not profound. Of course, not being able to visit friends and family took its toll, but day-to-day work remained largely unchanged. The people working at the office were in very different circumstances. Work in an office that is focused on logistics is 90% made up of contact with others.
These others could be clients or service providers or, indeed, colleagues. The people in the office try to solve the logistics puzzle every day as a team, so that clients and members alike get the best possible service. There is only one way to solve this puzzle: thorough discussion with colleagues and awareness of what others are doing.
So the requirement to work from home, in 2020, presented a range of problems.
Office manager Jeroen Wolswijk acted quickly and precisely. He installed the technology needed for remote work. Our staff then showed dedication and flexibility. Even under challenging circumstances, they maintained our usual high service level.
Sustainability and innovation
The developments in the field of sustainability and all that implies, such as innovation, legislation, questions from clients and members, grants etc. took on such large proportions that, in 2021, we decided to combine all these aspects in a single position. Since June 2021, Ella Hofs has occupied the position of Sustainability Manager.
She closely follows external developments and notifies clients, members and the board of these. She is also the driving force behind the PSST (PTC and Sustainable STep-by-step plan) recently presented to members. A plan in which actual targets for sustainability are set within the organisation, with a description of how these targets could be hit.
The most recent development in sustainability is the decision to tackle sustainability reporting. This falls under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The CSRD is an EU directive under the terms of which large-scale companies are obliged to keep a record of sustainability reporting from 2024. From a legal point of view PTC is not yet obliged to do this. We chose to pursue CSRD reporting proactively to meet future client demands.
Automatisation and transparency
Our in-house software, Cargos, nears completion after significant time, money, and energy investment. The program automates office tasks and processes data faster and more clearly. This will enhance transparency not just for our staff, members and board, but also for our clients, thanks to the client portal. This new system enables us to meet the demands made nowadays of logistics organisations, both in terms of transparency and in terms of sustainability. In short, with this system, we meet modern demands in both transparency and sustainability.
Growth and acquisition
In the past five years our organisation has grown further, in both size and sales. On the one hand due to the efforts and standards set by our acquisition manager Claudio Simbula.
He is able to use the opportunities presented by the market to good effect and is capable of sensing what existing and prospective clients want in the area of logistics. And converting these wishes into concrete solutions.
On the other hand, robust growth has been achieved by the takeover of the Den Breejen freight booking office. They largely operate on the cattle fodder market, a market in which PTC had not previously been active.
In future, too, the aim of growth will continue to guide policy making, and opportunities and challenges will be embraced where possible.
Fleet management and ageing
To be able to keep the fleet at the desired level of both quality and size, in 2022 Johan Cornet was asked to take on the position of Fleet Manager. Johan responded positively to this request and assumed this difficult post. Difficult, because inland waterway transportation and, as a result, PTC, is starting to be confronted with the effects of an ageing workforce. These challenges mirror those in other sections of society. Natural turnover, with young shipowners joining the fleet to replace those retiring, is much lower than it once was. Another factor is the decline in ‘smaller’ vessels as a result of scrapping or other reasons.
Vessels lighter than 3000 tonnes are rarely built from scratch any more, although these kinds of vessels are disappearing from the market. That makes it increasingly difficult to comply with demand from clients who, on occasion, want us to carry smaller cargoes. Johan’s wide-ranging knowledge and experience in the market for inland waterway transportation means is able to tackle this problem head on.
New location
Due to the continuing aim of growth and the restricted opportunities for expansion at our current site, we decided to move to a larger building. As of April 2024, PTC will be given the keys to the building at Scheepmakerij 100, Zwijndrecht.
It’s a nice location, on the waterfront; altogether an inspirational atmosphere, we trust.
On the current timetable, after the necessary building work, PTC will move to the new building in July 2024.
These things will, of course, be given the attention they deserve at that point.
Stronger together
Over 30 years, we have grown from a blank sheet to a €32 million enterprise. More than 80 people and their families now rely on PTC, a little pride certainly seems justified.
Naturally, things have gone wrong. Some things could have turned out differently or have been done another way. But overall, the tendency is positive.
So, in this spirit of positivity, we are facing the future with a large helping of confidence and enthusiasm under the auspices of our good old motto, ‘stronger together’!
A word of thanks
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our clients for the exceptionally fine collaboration, and the faith that so many of you have had in us for so many years. But, naturally, we also appreciate and would like to thank our members, staff and board members for their dedication, flexibility and constructive partnership. Without all these, there could be no PTC!
I would like to wish all a safe and prosperous voyage, in every sense, as we set course for the next jubilee!
Chair
Wim Bennik