Moving the future

Our values

What we stand for

EUROGATE is more than just ports, containers and machines: People work here who give their best every day and fill our company with life.

What do we stand for? For a port with a future. To achieve this goal, we have defined values and principles that we stand behind. We believe in our one vision, in our mission. At EUROGATE, it’s what we do that counts and how we do it. Together, transparently and sustainably, we take responsibility: For our team. For our clients and our future. Find out more about our values and management principles. Understand our vision – and our mission. In the gallery, you can find an overview.

Our history

1999 Foundation of EUROGATE

The age of alliances: In the mid-1990s, a rethink takes place among the global container shipping companies – forcing the operators to act. After many years of negotiations between EUROKAI (Hamburg) and the BLG Logistics Group (Bremen), the two companies merge – and found EUROGATE. The largest container terminal operator group in Germany is thus born. Against this background, Contship Italia – Italy’s largest container terminal operator – also becomes part of this new group.

2001 Expansion of the range of services

EUROGATE Intermodal, a subsidiary, founds Germany’s first private rail company for freight transportation, boxXpress.de, together with the companies European Railshuttle and TX Logistics. This enables rail transportation via Hamburg and Bremerhaven to seven destinations. Since 2007, the company boxXpress.hu is also based in Hungary.

2002 Integration of Ravenna

The port city of Ravenna, located on the Italian Adriatic, is now part of the continental EUROGATE network. Contship Italia acquires 30 percent of the shares in the TCR terminal Contenitori Ravenna.

2002 Germany's largest container terminal

EUROKOMBI, Germany’s largest container terminal for combined transport, commences operations at EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg. This is a joint venture between EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg GmbH and Kombiverkehr

2004 MSC permanently in Bremerhaven

By founding the joint venture MSC Gate Bremerhaven, EUROGATE succeeds in bringing the now world’s largest shipping company to Bremerhaven on a permanent basis. MSC Gate Bremerhaven is a joint venture between EUROGATE and TIL Terminal Investment, a holding company of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.

2008 Kilometer-long quay in Bremerhaven

The new CT4 terminal section in Bremerhaven is completed: the quay is extended by a third and now measures exactly 4,680 meters. This increases the total area to 2,900,000 m².

2008 EUROGATE now in Africa

The new EUROGATE Tangier container terminal commences operations in Morocco. Located directly on the Strait of Gibraltar, the port arouses geostrategic interest throughout the industry. Behind the project is a consortium consisting of EUROGATE, Contship Italia, MSC, COMANAV and CMA CGM, which was awarded the operator concession for the Tanger Med I container terminal in 2005 – and started construction in 2006. Project management: EUROGATE.

2012 Commissioning of the terminal in Wilhelmshaven

EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven is Germany’s only deep-water container terminal to go into operation on September 21, 2012. The “Maersk Laguna” is the first ship to dock at the 1,000 meters long quay. It was extended by 725 meters in a second construction phase in 2013.

2016 EUROGATE takes over terminal in Cyprus

In April, the Cypriot Ministry of Transport and EUROGATE signed a contract to take over the Limassol Container Terminal. The partners in the consortium are EUROGATE (60 percent), Interorient (20 percent) and East Med (20 percent). With this strategic addition to the network, EUROGATE is now present throughout the Mediterranean region.

2021 Second location in Tangier

On January 1, 2021, the Tangier Alliance – also known as TC3 in TangerMed II – commenced operations. This makes it the second location in Tangier, Morocco. A consortium consisting of EUROGATE, Contship Italia, Marsa Maroc and Hapag-Lloyd is responsible for operations.

2022 Hapag-Lloyd becomes new partner at CTW and RTW

Hapag-Lloyd takes over APMT’s shares in EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW) and also in Rail Terminal Wilhelmshaven (RTW). Hapag-Lloyd now holds 30 percent of the shares in CTW and 50 percent of the shares in RTW.

EUROGATE Group

Our success factor is our willingness. We enter into strategic alliances and cultivate our long-standing partnerships. This is because the EUROGATE Group is a large network consisting of wholly owned subsidiaries and shareholdings. For example, EUROKAI GmbH & Co. KGaA and the BLG Logistics Group each hold 50 percent of the shares in EUROGATE.

EUROKAI GmbH & Co. KGaA, one of the EUROGATE shareholders, acquires the Italian Contship Italia Group in 1999. EUROKAI thus brought a 33.4 percent stake into the then newly founded company EUROGATE. The remaining 66.6 percent are still held by EUROKAI GmbH & Co. KGaA. The container terminals La Spezia, Ravenna, Salerno and the intermodal transport network are united under the umbrella of Contship Italia S.p.A. Milan.

The southernmost facility in our network: EUROGATE Tanger S.A. The container terminal is located in a free trade zone east of Tangier in Morocco. In addition to EUROGATE and Contship Italia, Terminal Link (a joint venture of CMA CGM S.A.) and China Merchants Port Holding Company Limited are among the members of the operator consortium.

The Tangier Alliance Terminal TC3 in Tangermed II is the second hub for container logistics in Tangier. 40 percent of the company shares are held jointly with Contship Italia. The consortium also includes Marsa Maroc and Hapag-Lloyd as other major players.

EUROGATE Container Terminal Bremerhaven is a common user terminal where various shipping companies have their ships handled under the best possible conditions: The container terminal in Bremerhaven has a favorable geostrategic location directly at the mouth of the Weser – with a direct connection to the North Sea.

EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg is also a common user terminal. It is located in Waltershof in the middle of the Port of Hamburg. The EUROKOMBI intermodal rail station is located directly at the terminal and offers excellent connections to the hinterland.

NTB North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven is a joint venture between APM Terminals, a company of the A. P. Moeller-Maersk Group, and a sister company of the shipping company Maersk Line. As a dedicated terminal, NTB has been handling the shipping company’s large container ships at the northern part of the Bremerhaven container terminal since 1998. One reason for the success at the site is the good partnership between Maersk Line and Containerterminal Bremerhaven.

MSC Gate is located in the southern part of the Bremerhaven container terminal. It is a joint venture between EUROGATE and TIL Terminal Investment Limited – a holding company of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. The signing of the contract in spring 2004 was followed in the fall of the same year by the joint commissioning of the berths and areas at the Bremerhaven Container Terminal – exclusively for MSC ships.

EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven is Germany’s only deep-water port. It offers all shipping companies excellent, fast and flexible handling options. In addition to EUROGATE, Hapag-Lloyd holds a 30 percent stake in the operating company.

Our management

Tom Eckelmann Chairman

Industry expert: Tom Eckelmann, born in 1983, is very familiar with the Group. After studying at the University of Edinburgh and the Cass Business School of the City University of London, he gained his first professional experience. As a line manager at X-Press Feeders in Singapore and an analyst at Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners in London, he gained a foothold in professional life. Eckelmann joined EUROGATE in September 2012 and has held various management positions since then: From January 2019 to February 2022, he took up the position of Managing Director of EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg. Eckelmann has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Contship Italia S.p.A. in Milan since April 2015.

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Michael Blach Chairman

Michael Blach, born in 1964, has been at home all over the world: as Trade Manager in Copenhagen, Managing Director Maersk Indonesia in Jakarta, Country Manager Maersk in Malaysia and Poland and finally as Area Sales Manager Central Europe in Hamburg. Blach has already held various management positions at several locations in the Maersk Group. In 2008, he took over the position of Vice President Key Client in the management of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. Five years later, Blach moved to BLG. n addition to his function as a member of the BLG Board of Management, he also holds the position of Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board together with Tom Eckelmann.

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Marcel Egger Member of the Group Management Board

Marcel Egger, born in 1965, has been with EUROGATE from the very beginning. He began his professional career in 1991 in the financial management of the EUROKAI Group. When EUROGATE was founded in 1999, Egger took over the position of Head of Finance. He was also responsible for international activities and business development. Since July 2009, Egger has also been a member of the EUROGATE Group Management Board. A qualified banker, he graduated with a degree in banking from the Bankakademie in Frankfurt am Main.

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Christian Lankenau Member of the Group Management Board

Christian Lankenau, born in 1977, is the member of the EUROGATE Group Management Board und joined the management team as Labor Director in 2021. After completing his apprenticeship, the trained banker studied business administration at the universities of Bremen, Leeds and Caen, graduating with a degree in business administration. After successfully completing his studies, Lankenau took on various roles at the auditing firm KPMG in Bremen and Chicago between 2004 and 2011. In 2011, he moved to NTB North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven as Commercial Director, where he took up the position of Managing Director on July 1, 2017.

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Sustainability

Container handling is an energy-intensive service – we know that. Currently, our large equipment not only consumes large amounts of electricity, but also diesel fuel. This is where we come in and take responsibility for the environment. We are currently working on concepts to ensure that we are no longer dependent on fossil fuels in the medium term.

Our vision: completely CO2-neutral handling by 2045. With our decarbonization strategy, we want to achieve this goal – step by step. We are starting by replacing all diesel vehicles in the port with hybrid models. At the same time, we are testing green diesel alternatives. But, we will only be able to work in a completely CO2-neutral way once we have electrified our large-scale equipment.

This is a major challenge that we want to master as part of the automation of our terminals – and we want to do so independently. We want to generate the electricity required for this ourselves: with our own wind and solar power plants, as well as thermal power plants, we already provide a stable supply of electricity ourselves. We are now continuously expanding the area of green energy so that we can conserve valuable resources in the long term.

As a company, we lead the way – and live sustainability. For the environment and also for our employees. Because sustainable working is a central element of our corporate culture, which we are constantly developing. For this reason, we create a transparent working environment in which everyone is driven to get things done. So that we can achieve our long-term goals – together.

Innovation

Constant change and permanent progress: innovation is part of everyday life in container handling. Our systems and equipment are constantly evolving. As a forward-looking company, our aim is to actively drive these changes and invest in the modernization of our technologies. With the aim of improving performance, increasing efficiency and maximizing reliability.

Digitalization is an integral part of our working reality – which is why we are supplementing operational processes with fully digital networks. And we are replacing analog processes with technologically advanced solutions. For example, the use of a camera system at the entrances to our terminals and on the container gantry cranes enables us to reliably identify and classify containers. But also the elimination of paper transforms formerly resource-intensive processes into sustainable ones.

Digitalization is not the only constant companion of our core business: the gradual automation of our handling processes also represents a radical change for us. A development that directly affects our industry – and to which we must respond. At EUROGATE, we aim to set efficient and effective standards in this area too. We want to offer our customers optimized services – and open up new dimensions for an entire industry.

We see innovation as an invitation to break new ground: In order to consciously perfect work processes, we do not shy away from technical revolutions. Using the example of artificial intelligence, we are currently finding out what potential new forms of technology offer for our specific needs. For our container handling, this means exciting development opportunities and innovative approaches to optimizing our services.

Compliance

EUROGATE has implemented a compliance management system. This implements the EUROGATE Compliance Guideline, which EUROGATE has imposed on itself. Within the framework of the compliance management system, the EUROGATE Group has, among other things, introduced a complaints procedure. The complaint procedure of the EUROGATE Group serves to receive and process indications of potential breaches of rules or grievances at the EUROGATE Group as well as in the associated supply chains. Details of the procedural rules for the LkSG can be found here.

For questions, notifications or the reporting of suspected compliance cases, please contact the lawyer Dr. Cornelius Polter. If you wish to report a suspected compliance case anonymously, please contact our ombudsman, lawyer Markus Klindwort, who will treat your request in strict confidence.

 

Compliance Officer Dr. Cornelius Polter ppa.

EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG
Kurt-Eckelmann-Straße 1
21129 Hamburg

Phone: 040 7405 2039
compliance@eurogate.eu
cornelius.polter@eurogate.eu

Ombudsman Markus Klindwort

ROSENBOOM MENGES KLINDWORT
Rechtsanwälte in Partnerschaft mbB
Slevogtstraße 48
28209 Bremen

Phone: 0421 33 392266
eurogate-ombudsmann@rmk-partner.de
https://rmk-partner.de/eurogate-ombudsmann

Anti-Corruption Policy
Declaration of principles
Code of Conduct
Rules of Procedure of the EUROGATE Group for the whistleblowing system
Information on data protection in the whistleblower system of the EUROGATE-Group