Gefco Romania’s general manager Christophe de Korver says that 20% of the customers generate about 80% of the business and the company signed new contracts with large customers.
The clients added since April last year include Pick Toys (the contract was signed for exports by sea), Nefab, a maker of packaging, which is partly exported, Trimsol, which manufactures textile products for the automotive industry and Valeo, for which Gefco is about to start exports by sea, de Korver added.
The list of new clients also includes Ford Romania, Gefco’s general manager said, without providing any details, because Ford will not allow it yet.
The logistics market was hurt by the slowdown in Western Europe first of all, where orders declined on most markets, and part of the business that used to go West is now headed East. As for the Romanian market, Gefco’s official believes it remained stable, and did not see any growth because consumer spending remained low.
More and more Romanian companies are expanding East, because of longer distances, which are more efficient for trucks. Such markets include Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the Middle East, de Korver said, adding that more and more Romanian trucks are carrying freight to Iraq, Israel and Lebanon, countries, which are Romanian export targets.
Peugeot Citroen (PSA), the owner of Gefco, is in talks with Russian Railways to sell part of the logistic operator. The talks are ongoing and Gefco Romania is considered for inclusion in the deal.
The company’s customers include Dacia, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Delphi, Nissan, Nintendo, Nespresso and Ford Romania. Gefco delivered 700 trains with 200,000 vehicles from Romania to Italy for Dacia between 2008 and 2011.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)