Port of Aalborg kickstarts container terminal takeover with new strategic partnership

At the turn of the year, Port of Aalborg takes over the operation of the container terminal from Royal Arctic Line. Now, the port has entered into a strong, strategic partnership with ProTruck on the further operation and development of the container terminal’s workshop and associated machinery.

– We are very pleased to enter into the partnership with ProTruck, which we expect a lot from. ProTruck is one of Denmark’s largest suppliers of forklifts, terminal tractors, special machines, and other logistics solutions, and we are convinced that they can develop the workshop in a way that fits our growth plans for the terminal, says Kristian Thulesen Dahl, CEO at Port of Aalborg.

ProTruck is based in Odder, but a full order book has led to a need for additional capacity. In that context, it has been a deliberate choice to choose Port of Aalborg as the new location.

– The location in Aalborg is very attractive to us because we get closer to the North Jutland region, where many of our customers are located and where we generally see a great growth potential. There is already fertile soil for a strong business in Aalborg and combined with Port of Aalborg’s plans for the container terminal, we estimate to potentially have 10-20 employees within a few years, says Michael Laursen, CEO at ProTruck.

Crucial agreement for the development of the container terminal

ProTruck takes over the entire workshop building at the terminal, from where the company’s existing service and repair tasks can be solved, while customers in the region can also be serviced. In future, not only machinery and equipment will be repaired here, but also containers related to the container terminal operations.

– It has been a requirement from us that the users of the terminal have the opportunity to get containers repaired and serviced when using the terminal, which is exactly what ProTruck contributes with, says Søren Bæk Christensen, Director of Operation at Port of Aalborg, and continues:

– It has been of great importance to us that ProTruck takes over the moving machines and at the same time adds their own machinery that is necessary to operate and develop the container terminal. But also that ProTruck continues its green transitioning, by using greener equipment that make operations more sustainable. The full-scale focus on sustainability is a key priority in the development of the container terminal in Aalborg.

Driver for growth among North Jutland companies

When Port of Aalborg takes over the operation and development of the entire container terminal, it will be with a new setup focusing on key areas such as competition, growth, flexibility, and customized solutions. The aim is to increase the competitiveness of the region’s companies.

– This is not just about maintaining operations. It is also about supporting the growth of the companies and their opportunities to keep up with development by constantly optimizing our container terminal to the companies’ needs. The container terminal will be flexible with plenty of space, intermodal logistics and fast turnaround that reduces both transport time, costs and climate impact, says Kristian Thulesen Dahl and concludes:

– We are convinced that with a change in focus and development of the container terminal’s operations, we can help strengthen the development opportunities of companies in Aalborg and the rest of the region both quantitatively and qualitatively.

The partnership agreement between Port of Aalborg and ProTruck starts on 1 January 2023, while preparations are already well-underway.

For further information, please contact:

• Kristian Thulesen Dahl, CEO of Aalborg, Port of Aalborg, tel. 99 30 15 01 and ktd@portofaalborg.com
• Michael Laursen, CEO, ProTruck, tel. 69 66 36 60 and mla@protruck.dk
• Søren Bæk Christensen, Director of Operation, Port of Aalborg, tel. 23 10 98 40 and sbc@portofaalborg.com
• Press service: Maja Thordahl Schou, Head of Branding & PR, Port of Aalborg, tel. 22 61 83 08 and mts@portofaalborg.com