THE "FRESH HUB LUXEMBOURG" PRESENTS ITS ASSETS FOR THE SECOND TIME AT THE FRUIT LOGISTICA
The pavilion showcased Luxembourgish know-how as well as products and services at the specialized Trade Fair FRUIT LOGISTICA in Berlin from February 6th to 8th, 2019. Arthur Welter, Cargolux, DuPont™ Tyvek®, LuxairCARGO and Grosbusch Fruits & Vegetables joined the “Fresh Hub Luxembourg” national pavilion organized by Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Ministry of Economy.
It is the second Luxembourgish participation at the specialized fair. The exhibition is the leading industry get-together with a focus on perishables and fresh produce businesses. It provides a complete picture of the latest innovations, products and services on every level of the international supply chain. The fair is a perfect networking ground with key decision-makers and attracted over 78,000 visitors and 3,300 exhibitors.
Fruits and vegetables are very sensitive products, says Grosbusch Director René Grosbusch, and therefore require special handling. Luxembourg is more than capable of offering the required full high-quality services, and the “Fresh HUB Luxembourg” pavilion regrouped companies that complement each other throughout the supply chain: Grosbusch is a renowned fruits and vegetables distributor in Luxembourg and the Greater Region, the industrial global player DuPont offers best in class Tyvek® cargo covers “made in Luxembourg” to protect perishables against temperature excursions while the logistic aspect can be handled by Arthur Welter Transports, one of the major national players in road transport, the integrated air cargo handling service provider LuxairCARGO and Cargolux, Europe’s leading all-cargo airline.
“We are very pleased that we were able to assemble the main actors of the Fresh HUB Luxembourg. With DuPont’s Tyvek Covers, Arthur Welter’s Services, Grosbusch’s Distribution, LuxairCARGO’s handling and Cargolux’ know-how, we can highlight a full offer of services around the Cargocenter which is the sixth largest air freight hub in Europe,“ said Cluster Director Malik Zeniti.
Luxembourg has a role to play in a growing business
With its high value adding services, Luxembourg certainly has a role to play in the specialised fruits and vegetables sector. Dedicated companies offer professional cargo handling of sensitive produce and cool zones. Next to the extensive road feeder system, Luxembourg offers specialized players with modern warehouses like Grosbusch and Arthur Welter and dedicated hubs like the Cargocenter at the airport and the new multimodal rail platform in Bettembourg.
Moreover, 70% of EU market can be served within one day and fast lane solutions are readily available as time- and cost-efficiency play a crucial role. Arthur Welter’s preloading team at the Luxembourg airport guarantee the preservation of the cool-chain with their trucks ready to quickly load the goods and distribute them from the airport to the last mile in temperature-controlled vehicles. The multilingual service at the airport and easy access to customs and release agencies allow for tailor-made solutions compliant with clients’ needs.
Grosbusch Fruits & Vegetables was pleased with the joint presence at the Fruit Logistica : “We confirmed the international potential for our business here in Berlin and found interesting opportunities worldwide through the visibility of the Luxembourg national pavilion”. The well-known company based in Ellange is well prepared for future growth with its new warehouse, offering 18,000 m2 of space for fruit and vegetables. The company has been successfully exporting over the past years and is constantly trying to supply new customers and markets.
The demand for fast and reliable air transport is steadily increasing according to Cargolux. Over the past two years, more than 6.4 billion kilos of fresh products have been transported via air on a global scale. The top commodities are fresh foods, perishable non-foods, frozen foods and cured foods. Cargolux alone shipped over 400.000 tons of perishables over the past five years.
“We are very pleased that we could participate again this year alongside our Luxembourg partners to showcase our DuPont™ Tyvek® Covers and Active Packaging Solutions, there’s an increasing trend to focus on sustainable cost-effective packaging within the Perishable market“ said Global Key Account Manager Kristof De Smedt. DuPont™ Tyvek® Covers are approved as pest netting by the USDA and address the treat of cold chain breaks during air transit – when perishable and temperature sensitive products are at their greatest risk for temperature excursions.
The national presence on this fair supports the recognition of Luxembourg as a diversified logistics hub. To raise awareness and facilitate networking, the pavilion organised a booth party on February 7th that attracted a high number of international clients and partners, as well as a variety of Luxembourg-based visitors at the fair.
Putting Luxembourg on the map
By joining forces and building a national pavilion with public and private actors, Luxembourg managed to position itself as a hub for agricultural perishables, non-food and ultra-perishables in Central Europe.
With more than 78.000 visitors last year, the Fruit Logistica is a very popular fair, considering that it focuses on a “niche” aspect of the logistics sector. The spectrum of exhibitors comprised:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Packaging and labelling
- Transport and logistical systems
- Produce handling and storage
- Computer and internet solutions
- Cultivation systems
- Greenhouses and greenhouse technology
This second edition of the Luxembourg “Fresh Hub” at the Fruit Logistica paves the way for future participations at the fair, but also for further collaborations between Luxembourg-based actors and partners abroad.
Many passers-by, be they visitors or exhibitors at the Fruit Logistica, admitted that the pavilion and the messages it conveyed, helped put Luxembourg on the map.
