Page 51 - Port of Kokkola Handbook & Directory

HALPA-HALLIHT alpa-Hallifirst off the blocken years ago, Finnish low-cost department store boss Janne Ylinen, Chief Executive of 50-Tuomo Simojoki, Business Director & Jari Hänninen, Logistics Manager, Halpa-Halliyear old Kokkola family business Halpa-Halli, had a problem. As a major importer of goods from Asia to his 38 stores across Finland, which retail over 60,000 different product lines, Janne wanted to find a fast and more economical way of bringing his cargo from Hamburg directly to Kokkola and removing the need for an extra sea and road journey via other Finnish ports.Coincidentally, at the same time other industrial companies based in and around Kokkola and Central Ostrobothnia were also seeking similar ways of reducing their transport costs and transit times by using a direct service by sea.when it first commenced operations between Antwerp and Kokkola in 2008. Today it is one of the container service’s oldest and largest customers. From bringing just seven TEUs on the first service, Halpa-Halli now ships up to 600 20ft and 40ft annual containers into Kokkola from China, India and Indonesia, via Antwerp, containing a variety of household goods, furniture, clothing, textiles, toys, sportswear and equipment. Garden furniture from Spain and other items from elsewhere in Europe, including five reefer containers each year from The Netherlands carrying different flavours of ice-cream, also travel on the container ships.store is located. From the logistics centre – the largest single industrial building in the Kokkola region – goods are distributed by road to the company’s stores throughout Finland.For Halpa-Halli, the decision to change transportation arrangements was an environmental one as well as financial. Domestic freight charges in Finland can be expensive and importing goods directly to Kokkola by ship has saved the company money – and at the same time left a reduced environmental footprint.“At Halpa-Halli, we think the Port of Kokkola provides customers with a first-class service,” said the organisation’s Business Director, Tuomo Simojoki. “The port is very important to us. It’s convenient for our business and environmentally friendly, two things we really value at Halpa- Halli. Our business and the port are great partners. Long may it continue.”The Port of Antwerp has proved to be an ideal hub for incoming goods bound for destinations in Central Ostrobothnia and offers regular onward short-sea and feeder services between 200 destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia.The company’s Logistics Manager, Jari Hänninen said that another strong player in the store’s business partnership is Backman-Trummer, which provides Halpa-Halli with tailored logistics solutions including the co-ordination of shipments between the port and its logistics centre once goods arrive in Kokkola. lHANDBOOK & DIRECTORY PORT OF KOKKOLAJanne’s company was among the first to sign on to the new short-sea serviceOn arrival, Halpa-Halli’s bonded containers are transferred to the company’s main 40,000 m2 logistics centre located roughly midway between the port and the City of Kokkola where Halpa-Halli’s flagship49