Belgian Firm Opens Georgia Logistics Site for Equipment
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Belgium’s Aertssen Logistics has opened a North American hub near the Port of Savannah in Georgia for agriculture, mining and construction machinery on a 35-acre site and plans to expand into Baltimore, Houston and Tacoma, Wash.
Aertssen Logistics, a unit of family-owned and -operated Aertssen Group based in Antwerp, recently announced the start of operations at an international logistics site in Rincon, Ga., 14 miles from the Garden City Terminal at the Port of Savannah.
Griff Lynch, CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, said the Belgian company’s new establishment in Effingham County “will enable them to significantly grow their logistics business model and provide the region with value-added service for our respective customers.”
Lynch
Georgia Ports touts the Garden City Terminal’s access to key interstate freight networks — I-16 for the East/West regions and I-95 for the North/South) — which together are able to reach 44% of the nation’s consumers and manufacturers.
RELATED: Georgia’s auto port was busiest its ever been in April
The new facility is an equipment processing center serving manufacturers of agriculture, mining and construction machinery. Aertssen officials chose the location based on its potential for expansion, a strong local workforce, strategic highway connections and “quick access to the Port of Savannah’s 35+ weekly services to world markets.”
“We see significant opportunities for growth, fueled by a strong U.S. economy with substantial investments in infrastructure, which are driving an increased demand for our customers’ machinery,” said Guus Verhaagen, Aertssen Logistics’ USA business development manager. “At the same time, there is a growing need for more efficient logistics solutions. With our broad range of high-quality services, we are perfectly positioned to meet these demands.”
The Georgia equipment processing center manages “complete outsourcing of logistics activities, including machine inspections, repairs, technical services and complete assembly,” Aertssen noted. (Aertssen Logistics)
Aertssen Group has multiple offshoots, such as Aertssen Infra for infrastructure and Aertssen Lifting for the crane industry.
The parent company has been strengthening its logistics operations. It serves the European market through a trio of equipment processing centers around the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, including the world’s largest roll-on/roll-off port in Zeebrugge. A fourth processing center is being developed in Belgium.
The new U.S. operations are meant to provide logistics services to the company’s North American customers via indoor and outdoor storage and specialized technical services, the company said. In the future, the company plans to open other logistics operations in Baltimore, Houston and Tacoma.
A pin shows the location of the facility in Rincon, Ga. Savannah lies to the southeast. (Google Maps)
The Georgia equipment processing center manages “complete outsourcing of logistics activities, including machine inspections, repairs, technical services and complete assembly,” the company noted. Combined with the three European locations, Aertssen Logistics is expected to prepare some 30,000 machines annually for global delivery to end customers. The first machines arrived at the U.S. site in late May, “and the collaboration with various partners has already necessitated further expansion,” Aertssen stated.
Sam Aertssen, director of Aertssen Transport and Logistics, said, “While we’ve had a strong start in the USA, it’s crucial to sustain this growth responsibly. I am incredibly grateful for the journey we’ve undertaken so far and look forward to what lies ahead. Our customers and employees are at the core of everything we do.”
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