The family company reached a turnover of EUR 1.293 billion, a proportion of which was affected by sea freight rates. Despite the challenges, HOYER raised its equity ratio to 45.3 per cent, and achieved earnings before taxes of EUR 46.2 million by efficient transport and fleet management combined with a high-capacity utilisation rate of its tank container equipment
Dr Torben Reher, CFO of the HOYER Group said: “Global economic performance recovered dynamically in 2021. Whereas the pandemic had a negative impact on commerce in 2020, this new dynamic confronted us with equally new challenges.”
Transport capacities became a bottleneck within global logistics, in particular freight space on container ships was scarce, and freight costs rose significantly.
Multiple disruptions
Reher says, “The HOYER Group safely and reliably maintained logistics services for our customers despite multiple disruptions in the global value-added chain.”
The comprehensive services portfolio of HOYER and the dedication of the workforce are the decisive success factors: our own workshops, cleaning sites and depots support their efforts with short turnaround times and quick provision of equipment for their use.
Global logistics know-how enabled fast, flexible transport adjustments in the event of bottlenecks and pandemic-related port blockades. Value-added services in on-site logistics safeguarded the needs-oriented further processing and provision of customers’ products for transport. In addition to overseas tank container logistics, services relating to intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) with smaller volume capacities up to 1,100 litres also recorded high demand.
There was continuing high call for consultancy services in Europe due to the effects of Brexit, but also in China the USA. The demand for stainless steel containers as a more sustainable alternative to plastic IBCs increased, and HOYER was able to satisfy it.
HOYER cushioned significant demand fluctuations in the fuel logistics area. In the course of the year, a demand peak coincided with a shortage of drivers throughout the sector, causing supply shortfalls in the United Kingdom and Germany. HOYER countered these with a comprehensive catalogue of measures to recruit and train new drivers, together with health precautions to reduce the Covid-19 infection risk.
Stabilising supply at high levels
Gas logistics showed a comparatively stable demand at a high level of capacity utilisation, especially for medical oxygen. To meet the great volume of transport requests, HOYER switched parts of the logistics over to intermodal transports, and was able to stabilise the supply at a high level.
Björn Schniederkötter, chief executive officer of the HOYER Group said: “We also saw opportunities in the crisis. The entire workforce of HOYER greatly respected our creed of ‘when it matters’ – beginning with our drivers and our industrial staff, and extending all the way to our management. Everyone made his or her contribution.
“We interacted closely with our customers, and did everything possible to reliably and safely deliver performance of the customary quality.”