Shipco, Saco Shipping form joint venture NVO in Antwerp, Rotterdam

Shipco, Saco Shipping form joint venture NVO in Antwerp, Rotterdam    Shipco Transport, a U.S. non-vessel-operating common carrier, and Saco Shipping of Germany will launch a joint venture neutral freight consolidation service at the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, starting Oct. 1.
   The new organization, SSC Consolidation, will take over all activities handled by Shipco Transport in both Antwerp and Rotterdam, and will be staffed with Shipco employees already in place in these ports.
   “This initiative was taken not only to strengthen both companies’ presence in their respective countries of operations but also to tap into the cargo base concentrated in western Germany, moving via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, as well as to capitalize on potential from Austria and Switzerland,” the NVOs said in a joint statement.
   Shipco told its customers in the Netherlands and Belgium to expect “business as usual” after Oct. 1. The Hoboken, N.J.-based NVO said the transition to SSC Consolidation is expected to be “seamless.”
   Shipco added that the combination of its existing presence in the Benelux region combined with Saco’s network in northern continental Europe will provide broad coverage both in and out of the Netherlands and Belgium, and “immediately result in added export and import services.”