Kursiu Linija invests in Europe

Short sea operator Kursiu Linija has expanded its European office network and invested heavily in improved IT systems in order to meet growing demand for short sea transportation linking Eastern and Western Europe.

On July 1, 2005 Kursiu Linija will open its own fully staffed offices in Felixstowe, Rotterdam and Hamburg. These will be followed by a new Latvian office in Riga in August.

"Kursiu Linija is now an established brand moving over 120,000 teu annually for major shippers, linking low-cost Eastern Europe suppliers with retail chains in Western Europe," explains Arijus Ramonas, managing director of Kursiu Linija. "We have had a long, fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship with our previous agents, Eimskip, but the demands of the trade now require us to have our own offices in key locations. These offices will improve customer service, as we will be able to deploy one integrated IT system across all of them. The costs we save through not using an agency can be deployed into efficiency improvements in tracking units and getting closer to the customer."

Kursiu Linija will employ 12 people in its Felixstowe offices, who will deal with UK customers and goods moving through Teesport and Ipswich, Kursiu Linija's UK gateways. In Rotterdam it will employ 8 staff and in Hamburg 6. "All of these staff know our customers' needs well, as they have come with us from Eimskip," explains Martin Dale, marketing director. "That gives us continuity and a platform to build on. At the same time, we are equipping them with a ShipNet-based system which will improve communication, booking and tracking. The next step is to open another customer liaison office in Latvia, and to consolidate all our operations staff at a new centre in Klaipeda, Lithuania. That gives us the benefit of having booking and liaison offices close to the customers, while improving efficiency and cutting operational costs. At the same time, by taking the agency out from between us and our major customers, we will be able to understand their needs and serve them better."

Kursiu Linija has recently expanded its fleet of high-cube pallet wide 45 ft containers and chartered a vessel capable of lifting a full load of these units. This allows retail shippers to ship goods in units which match a full standard trailer size, cutting down handling, improving security and reducing costs for the customer.