North Sea Port welcomes a new investment in Vlissingen. Starck International is developing the Quarleskade into a strategic hub for agricultural commodities in north-western Europe.
This will enable North Sea Port to strengthen its position as a bulk port and logistics hub.
Starck has acquired the warehouses and terminal facilities on the Quarleskade in Vlissingen. In addition, Starck is entering into a long-term lease with North Sea Port for a further 6 hectares of land.
“With the development of the terminal, which covers a total of 14 hectares, we are strengthening our position in international trade, storage and logistics for agricultural bulk flows,” said Vincent Allertz, CEO of Starck International.
Concentration of cargo flows in Vlissingen
Starck International is a trading company in the (livestock) feed sector and forms part of the Italian Borsari Group. The company is already active in the port area as the owner of Feijter-Granen in Sas van Gent.
With the expansion in Vlissingen involving a new terminal, Starck is focusing on further growth and optimisation of its logistics chain.
Starck has a substantial cargo portfolio under its own management, which is currently still handled via various ports. The company aims to consolidate these cargo flows at a single additional, new location in Vlissingen and organise them more efficiently through its own operations. The activities focus primarily on the storage, transhipment and distribution of residual flows from food production, which are processed in a circular manner into animal feed. In addition, Starck trades in various raw materials intended for, among other things, the compound feed and fermentation industries. The investment will create several dozen new jobs.
“The investment by Starck in a new agricultural terminal fits well with North Sea Port as a port for bulk and logistics activities,” said Cas König, CEO of North Sea Port. “This contributes to the creation of additional jobs and the further economic development of the port and the region, as well as strengthening European autonomy for agricultural raw materials.”
Rapid start-up and scope for growth
A key advantage of the site is that Starck can become operational in the very near future. Operations can start in the coming months in the existing warehouses on the former site of Bulk Terminal Zeeland (BTZ), where BOW Terminals is now based. This fulfils the planned activities that BOW intended to carry out on this part of its site. In addition, Starck is taking an additional 6 hectares of land on a long-term lease from North Sea Port. Combined with a future 50-metre quay extension, this land expansion provides the necessary capacity to ensure the company’s continued growth.