Contargo Takes Over Container Handling at the Port of Weil am Rhein

Contargo GmbH & Co. KG has been awarded the contract to take over the handling operations at the container terminal from the Rheinhafengesellschaft Weil am Rhein as part of the Europe-wide tender process. Contargo Weil am Rhein GmbH will take over the handling activities at the container terminal starting August 1. The company aims to expand its service offerings in the region and, together with the Rheinhafengesellschaft, drive the further development of the port.

(Press Release/Weil am Rhein) The entire port of Weil am Rhein, with its container terminal, serves as a hub and performance center for the trimodal connection of the southern Baden economy. “Therefore, we welcome the takeover by such a strong partner as Contargo,” emphasizes Carlos Gingado, Managing Director of the Rheinhafengesellschaft Weil am Rhein mbH. “The Rheinhafengesellschaft has so far only offered handling services at the container terminal Weil am Rhein due to its public mandate and has not provided comprehensive logistics services. Economic growth and the expansion of the container terminal were not possible solely with this. The Rheinhafengesellschaft, the customers of the container terminal, and the entire port of Weil am Rhein will benefit from the extensive logistics network of Contargo,” says Gingado.

Expansion of Service Offerings

Contargo Weil am Rhein GmbH has been organizing comprehensive container logistics by inland ship and rail for customers in the southern Baden region for many years. “As a significant, long-standing customer at the container terminal Weil am Rhein, participating in the tender was a logical step for the further development of Contargo, the expansion of the integrated service offerings, and collaboration with the Rheinhafengesellschaft,” says Holger Bochow, Managing Director of Contargo in Weil am Rhein, Basel, and Alsace.

The Rheinhafengesellschaft has prepared for this step over the past four years through investments in infrastructure and will continue this development path for the container terminal with Contargo. Furthermore, the Rheinhafengesellschaft will increasingly focus on port development in the future. This includes the further development of the bulk cargo port, the expansion of infrastructure, and association work at the regional and federal levels. This corresponds to an economically and ecologically oriented approach to the public ownership of an inland port.

Optimization of Limited Handling and Space Resources

For Contargo, leasing the container terminal also creates synergies and opportunities for optimizing the currently limited handling and space resources for the container business, including for Contargo’s Swiss location. The availability of containers is crucial for the import and export container flows of the region. Thus, the existing offerings of Contargo are significantly supported and expanded. In this sense, the competencies and activities at the Container Center Weil am Rhein also complement the Gateway Basel Nord project.

The leasing of part of the Rheinhafen corresponds to the so-called landlord model commonly used in most German inland ports, where port operations are contracted out to service providers. The municipal council of the city of Weil am Rhein, the main shareholder of the municipal subsidiary, gave the green light for the tender for the lease in 2016, thereby initiating the legally regulated tender process. The contract was ultimately awarded to the most economically advantageous bidder.

About the Rheinhafengesellschaft Weil am Rhein

The Rheinhafengesellschaft is a municipal company and the first public port on the German side of the Rhine after the Swiss border. The city of Weil am Rhein, as the main shareholder, holds 90.2 percent of the shares. The Rheinhafengesellschaft operates handling facilities for containers and bulk goods in Weil am Rhein. Throughout the port area, the Rheinhafengesellschaft rents out spaces, warehouses, and offices. The water-side handling amounts to 450,000 tons per year.

About Contargo GmbH & Co. KG

With an annual transport volume of 2.1 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), Contargo is one of the large container logistics networks in Europe. Contargo integrates container traffic between the western ports, the German North Sea ports, and the European hinterland. The company operates 24 container terminals in Germany, France, and Switzerland. Contargo has offices at seven other locations in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Additionally, the company operates its own shipping and rail lines. The 1,158 employees generated an annual revenue of 513 million euros in 2020.

Photo: © Rheinhafengesellschaft Weil am Rhein