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02.10.2018

Luxembourg, 02.10.2018

On 7 March 2013, the EU Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Guideline was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Six months later, on September 8, 2013, the Good Distribution Practice Guideline came into operation.

The risk of counterfeit medicine possibly coming into the legal supply chain as well as adulteration, cross contamination and any other negative impact on the quality and integrity of the medicinal product have to be avoided. For that reason, the GDP Guideline is intended to ensure control of the distribution chain and consequently maintain the quality and the integrity of medicinal products.

In October 2013 Wallenborn became Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified allowing us to confidently service pharma clients. Specifically, the certification covers the Good Distribution Practice of medicinal products for human use. The pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain, particularly in the EU, became subject to increasing regulation, and global GDP guidelines drove the need for better quality equipment and procedures.

The wholesale distribution of medicinal products is an important activity in integrated supply chain management. Today’s distribution network for medicinal products is increasingly complex and involves many players. These guidelines lay down appropriate tools to assist wholesale distributors in conducting their activities and to prevent falsified medicines from entering the legal supply chain. Compliance with these Guidelines will ensure control of the distribution chain and consequently maintain the quality and the integrity of medicinal products.

The objectives of this audit were to confirm that:

• the management system conforms with all the requirements of the audit standard;
• the organization has effectively implemented the planned management system;
• the management system is capable of achieving the organization’s policy objectives.

The audit was conducted by SGS Belgium NV. Wallenborn passed with 0 non-conformities.

To better understand how we can support your pharma or general temperature controlled transport needs visit www.wallenborn.com/our-products/time-temperature/. To request a quote or ask about specific requirements please email LUX.request@wallenborntransp-uk3raodmyj.live-website.com or call our Luxembourg office at +352 26 341 1.

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20.09.2018

Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s leading mid-market private equity investors, today announces that it has invested in Wallenborn Transports alongside the company’s current President and CEO, Frantz Wallenborn.

Luxembourg, 20.09.2018

Founded in Luxembourg in 1920, Wallenborn Transports has since grown to become a leading provider of premium transportation services and one of Europe’s largest road feeder services (RFS) operators. The company has 16 offices in 12 countries around the world and is renowned for its excellence in quality of service, reliability, dynamic customer network expansion and ability to provide highly integrated transport services.

Already a trusted partner to over 800 companies in more than 40 markets, Wallenborn Transports will benefit from Equistone’s support as it further positions itself as a leading player in a fragmented European market, while pursuing geographic expansion and  diversifying its offering. As he has done for the past 33 years, Frantz Wallenborn will continue to play a leading role in the company’s development and will remain a significant shareholder alongside Equistone.

Frantz Wallenborn, President and CEO of Wallenborn Transports, commented: “Wallenborn was founded by my grandfather in 1920. Since then, we have grown the company both organically and through acquisitions to become a leading specialized transport services provider in major markets including Benelux, France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia. Having Equistone as a capital partner, with its own wealth of experience to share, will allow us to further consolidate Wallenborn’s position as a European market leader and keep on developing our premium brand in line with our customers’ growth and demands.”

Thierry Lardinois and Grégoire Schlumberger, Partners at Equistone, added: “Equistone is proud to be working alongside Frantz Wallenborn to continue developing Wallenborn’s range of premium offers and to explore new growth opportunities for the company in its niche markets. Having recently raised a new fund, we have the resources to actively support the ambitious strategy to build a unique platform for consolidation.”   

Completion of the deal occurred in August.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Equistone Partners Europe

Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe’s leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 30 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €150m of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between €50m and €500m. The company has a team of over 35 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2.8bn hard cap in March 2018.

Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Further information can be found at www.equistonepe.com

About Wallenborn

Wallenborn’s mission is to be the most trusted provider of specialised transportation services in Europe. Established in 1920, Wallenborn is a leading provider of transportation services and Europe’s largest air-cargo road feeder services (RFS) operator. Wallenborn is the market leader in major markets including Benelux, France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia, and are proud to have the most extensive European network. Wallenborn has five focus areas of road transport – air cargo, overland, secure, temperature controlled, and outsize. The company has 16 offices in 11 countries across Europe, plus operations in Dubai and Sharjah, and are ISO 9001-2015 certified.

Further information can be found at www.wallenborn.com

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04.09.2018

Luxembourg, 04.09.2018

Liege Airport, the leading cargo airport in Belgium, had an exceptional year in 2017, setting an all-time record of 717,000 tonnes of goods handled with growth of 8.5%, compared to 2016. 2018 has showed no signs of this growth slowing down.

Cargo business worldwide has seen overall growth, driven by strong economic performances in Europe, but also by the emergence of new e-commerce opportunities. All the Liege-based operators have made progress. In addition, three new airlines – Air China Cargo, Air Bridge Cargo and Turkish Cargo – have moved operations to Liege Airport. These new additions are proof that the airport’s Flexpress strategy, which prioritizes cargo, is working.

Liege Airport has accelerated its investment programme in order to support the growth of companies and handlers – a new 6,000 m2 cargo hall was put in operation earlier this year, and more than 20,000 m2 will soon be built, as well as 4 new parking stands for large aircraft which will be operational in 2019. It represents a major investment of more than 50 million euros in 2018 alone.

As a result of this rapid growth, Wallenborn has adapted to support the ever increasing activity and customer requirements in Liege. Earlier this year, we added two new staff members to the local team. Last week, we permanently moved two of our trucks over which are now BE registered. These trucks will serve mainly domestic and nearby airports (MST & occasionally LIL), and will do so several times a day, as well as offering our customers flexible pre-loading and offloading.

Donald Schaap, our Liege Operations Manager, noted: “As cargo volumes keep on increasing in Liege, we need to find ways not only to maintain service levels throughout this intense growth period, but also to differentiate ourselves. Therefore, one more staff member will be added in September, bringing our total local headcount to 5 employees. A third truck will also be added, with drivers operating the trucks in 12h shifts to increase domestic capacity and flexibilty 24/7. These additions should put us in a good position to take on the high season challenge that is Q4, and meet the needs of our customers.”

These latest developments are in line with Wallenborn’s customer focus value and principle to grow with our customers. To learn more about how we can support you in Belgium, please contact Donald and his team on + 32 4 235 81 50 or LGG.request@wallenborntransp-uk3raodmyj.live-website.com. 

About Liège Airport

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28.08.2018

Luxembourg, 28.08.2018

The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) concept is based on the Customs-to-Business partnership introduced by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), and is, in essence, derived from the Union Customs Code (UCC). Traders who voluntarily meet a wide range of criteria work in close cooperation with customs authorities to assure the common objective of supply chain security.

The EU established its AEO concept based on the internationally recognised standards, creating a legal basis for it in 2008 through the ‘security amendments’ to the “Community Customs Code” (CCC) (Regulation (EC) 648/2005) and its implementing provisions.

In short, the AEO scheme’s mission is to:

In short, the AEO scheme’s mission is to:

• Facilitate legitimate trade
• Reinforce Safety and Security
• Harmonize and standardize the application of customs controls
• Provide an electronic environment

In part, yes, it is driven by security, i.e. anti-terrorism, smuggling, people trafficking etc., however compliance with customs procedures and how the company is treated by authorities is paramount. Therefore by satisfying certain criteria a company is considered to be reliable in their customs related operations throughout the European Community for goods imported into or exported from the EU.

The programme, is open to all supply chain actors. It covers economic operators authorised for customs simplification (AEOC), security and safety (AEOS) or a combination of the two. Any economic operator established in the customs territory of the Union who is part of the international supply chain and is involved in customs-related operations, may apply for the AEO status.

Companies with the AEOS certification have successfully met the following conditions and criteria:

• Compliance with customs legislation and taxation rules and absence of criminal offenses related to the economic activity
• Appropriate record keeping
• Financial solvency
• Appropriate security & safety measures

The AEO status granted by one Member State is recognised by the customs authorities in all Member States.

AEO benefits are an integral part of the EU legislation governing the AEO status. Wallenborn recognised the value add this could bring not just to the company, but to our clients as well. As such, we moved to become certified early on, first obtaining the AEOS certificate in June 2009. Since then Wallenborn has successfully completed every 3 year audit conducted by the Luxembourgish Customs authorities, and thereby benefiting from advantages such as:

• Fewer physical and document-based controls related to security & safety
• Prior notification in case of selection for physical control related to safety and security
• Priority treatment if selected for control
• Possibility to request a specific place for customs controls
• Indirect benefits (recognition as a secure and safe business partner; improved relations with Customs and other government authorities; reduced theft and losses; fewer delayed shipments; improved planning; improved customer service; improved customer loyalty; lower inspection costs of suppliers; increased co-operation, etc)
• Mutual Recognition with third countries

AEO is governed by European Community law