Looking back on the first quarter of 2012

Published on 25 May 2012

The first 4 months of 2012 are over and the most important conferences in our industry are being held. The most frequently attended congress is that of FIDI Global Alliance, the umbrella organisation in the field of international relocation.

piet_van_herk222The congress was held in Boston and over 600 people from 75 countries had come together. A good indicator to determine the status of international mobility. It can be deduced from this that Europe is lagging behind, Asia still attracts a great deal of mobility to itself and also some countries in South America. If we look at our own company, we see a small increase of 3% compared to last year. The Eastern European branches in particular receive more orders, both international and local.

In the Netherlands, we started with the internet site GOEDKOOOPVERHUIZEN.NL, where everyone can calculate, book, plan and pay for their future move. The first bookings come in automatically, a unique experience within the Dutch removal industry.

On 1 May we started United Logistic Services International BV, briefly referred to as ULSI. This organisation led by Danny van der Meer focuses on complex logistical issues that we receive from our foreign partners. You should think of, for example, the design of hotels or special shop furnishings, but also the transport of high quality electronic equipment. A completely different branch of sport, which does require specific services.

Despite the current economic period, we are reasonably positive for the rest of the year, but realise that long-term planning is very uncertain in the current international market.