In a distinctive collaboration, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a leading global shipping and logistics company, and Bertel O. Steen, a major Norwegian importer and distributor of vehicles, are partnering to create and manage a specialized vehicle processing center at the Port of Drammen. This will be a unique facility, custom-designed to meet their specific needs, reports Bertel Steen.
State Of The Art Facility
A new, state-of-the-art vehicle processing facility is being established through a joint venture between Bertel O. Steen and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. This development will enable Bertel O. Steen to bring its vehicle processing operations in-house, thereby strengthening and enhancing its existing value chain. For Wallenius Wilhelmsen, this joint venture presents new and significant commercial opportunities.
John Felitto, COO Logistics Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are excited to further expand our logistics footprint in the Nordics, establishing a joint venture with Bertel O. Steen to build a state-of-the-art facility from the ground up. Bringing together our global processing competence and Bertel O. Steen’s market position and ambitions for the region just makes sense. For this to be our first dedicated logistics site in Norway, just a short drive from our head office, is particularly satisfying.”
Harald Frigstad, CEO at Bertel O. Steen, also highlighted the strategic importance of this move for his company, saying, “This is a strategically important move for Bertel O. Steen that will strengthen our brands’ relative competitiveness in the Norwegian automotive market. The establishment of a tailor-made vehicle processing center in Drammen will also enable us to improve the speed of delivery of cars to our customers and reduce operational risk in the value chain.”
Cutting Edge Production
Upon completion, this advanced, purpose-built facility will possess the capacity to process roughly 45,000 vehicles each year on a single shift. Its design and equipment will enable the provision of a comprehensive suite of pre-delivery processing services, including anti-corrosion treatments, software upgrades, equipment assembly, and cosmetic preparation.
The new facility will leverage cutting-edge production planning and execution software to significantly reduce production lead times and enhance delivery accuracy.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen anticipates that the optimized workshop processes, which will further improve efficiency and shorten lead times, will allow the new Drammen facility to establish a new standard for modern vehicle processing centers.
With a long-term lease agreement secured with the Port of Drammen, the tender process for construction is scheduled to commence shortly. The facility is projected to become operational and begin processing imported vehicles in late 2027.
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Source: Bertel Steel
