Contargo wins tender in Weil
Contargo, founded in 2004, has been awarded the contract for handling operations at the container terminal of the Rhine port of Weil am Rhein (Rheinhafengesellschaft Weil am Rhein), near Basel (Switzerland) at the end of a Europe-wide tendering process.
Contargo, which has so far not offered comprehensive logistics services on this site, will take over the new business from 1 August 2021.
The takeover was welcomed by port of Weil am Rhein's managing director Carlos Gingado. According to Holger Bochow, managing director of Contargo in Weil am Rhein, Basel and Alsace, his company prepared for this step by investing in infrastructure over the past four years. Among other things, Contargo will expand the bulk cargo port and upgrade the infrastructure, while keeping the neighbour in mind.
"The takeover will enable us to sustainably expand our range of services in the greater Basel area," says Bochow, because by leasing the container terminal, his company will increase the currently scarce handling and space resources for the container trade, which includes Contargo's Swiss location.
The leasing of part of the Rhine port is in keeping with the so-called landlord model common in most German inland ports, in which 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 to the tender for the lease in 2016, thus initiating the legally regulated tendering procedure. The contract was finally awarded to the most economical bidder. In Weil am Rhein, waterside throughput is 450,000 t per year. (cd)