In English (1.10 MB) - Finnlines

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Contents Setting Up a New Standard 4 Finnlines starts-up Mediterranean Connection 6 Russia’s Hub role for Helsinki 8 British trade strengthened 9 20 Years of Finnlink 9 What about a car holiday in Finland or a tour around Europe? 10 Agents & Schedules 12 news Issue 1 – June/August 2009 Editor in Chief: Giovanni Paci Graphic Designer: Marco Di Lorenzo Printed by: Multiprint Oy Published by: Finnlines Plc, Porkkalankatu 20 A FI 00180 Helsinki www.finnlines.com press@finnlines.com Printed in Helsinki, 25 May 2009 Circulation: 27,500 copies news Sailing Fast Finnlines, like many other companies in the civilised world, has experienced, since late 2008, a severe downturn linked to the global economic crisis that has had a particularly severe impact in the Baltic region. When the crisis arrived, Finnlines was not prepared for it. There was a total lack of analysis and understanding on what was going to happen. The company was too much auto-referential; no measures were taken in order to adapt its size and organisation to the difficult times ahead. Finnlines was simply operating too many ships, most of which were not trading on routes fitted for their characteristics. Additionally, there was a lack of control on the costs while the structure formed by the company and by its subsidiaries was too complex and not efficient at all. This was the scenario just a few months ago, in March 2009, when I was asked by the Board of Directors to accept the interim position of President and CEO. Since then, many things have happened. Finnlines likewise all other business, due to the global economic recession, had to reduce the number of ships operated in order to find a new, healthy, balance between supply and demand. At the same time, the best ships were re-allocated on the most suitable line, whilst new lines and opportunities have been studied, designed and promptly started. The unfolding of this process lead to some misunderstanding on what was happening. I wish to stress that all the operations and line services exploited by Finnlines in the past few years are still operated today. Nothing – not a single service - has been shut down. Not a single operation has been closed. On the contrary, we have launched a number of major developments that I am sure will create substantial opportunities not only for Finnlines but also for the entire Finnish and European economy. I firmly believe that once completed, the process undergoing will indeed result in an improved level of services rendered to our customers, whilst the utilisation of the capacity of Finnlines’ ships will improve from the extremely low 50% averaged between December 2008 and March 2009 to a more acceptable 70% as from June. As from 1 June, we will start the most superior network of services, for passengers and cargo, performed in the Baltic by the best and largest ro-ro passenger vessels in the world: our Star-Class vessels. This includes: •The upgrade of the Motorway of the Sea between Helsinki and Travemünde to ten departures per week. •A new Motorway of the Sea between Finland and Poland. •A new Motorway of the Sea between Poland and Germany. Additionally, a direct link between Helsinki and St. Petersburg has started and it has been established a direct connection between Finnlines’ Scandinavian Service and Grimaldi’s EuroMed service. This resulted in what we call the BalticEuroMed service and means that Finnlines will be able to accept any kind or rolling cargo also for more than 20 destina-
tions in 13 different Mediterranean countries. The introduction of fast, large and modern Star Class ro-ro/passenger ferries on the Helsinki/ Gdynia route is indeed a big step forward. There will be three sailings per week in each direction with a transit time of less than 19 hours. With such superior characteristics, in terms of speed, cost, and low pollution, the Helsinki/ Gdynia link is a real alternative for trucks that are today using the ‘Via Baltica’ on their way to or from Helsinki. Boarding our vessels in Gdynia means saving about one thousand km, cutting the emissions of CO , and avoiding any risk of 2 driving along busy roads. Furthermore, Gdynia is strategically located so that its economic hinterland in Central and Eastern Europe is a complement to the Economic hinterland of Travemünde. There is no doubt that with the two services – Gdynia/Helsinki and Travemünde/Helsinki - at full steam, Finnlines will extend its leadership on the Baltic trades confirming its role as the preferred carrier for Central and Eastern European unitised cargo bound to Finland. As for the Gdynia/Travemünde route, it is the first ever Motorway of the Sea for passengers and freight between Poland and Germany. We believe it has a potential when it comes to fight traffic congestion and pollution. Finnlines as well as Grimaldi, have always been supportive of the European Commission environmentally friendly policies: the development of the Motorways of the Sea is the most efficient tool to ease the congestion on the road network and therefore to reduce car incidents and the external cost for the community. The Motorways of the Sea also bring huge environmental advantages in terms of a lower emission of CO in 2 the atmosphere compared to that of trucks and cars. We strongly believe that it is our duty to protect the environment by switching as much as possible highly polluting trucks from the road network onto the ships. Grimaldi has successfully launched dozens of Motorways of the Sea lines in the Mediterranean, I hope that this new route between Germany and Poland will be very successful. A number of measures have been taken so that Finnlines can benefit at once from its unique leadership in the Baltic and from the fact that it is part of the larger Grimaldi Group, which gives access to a much wider clientele in many areas of the world. Finnlines has never been in the position to take advantage of the substantial import/export flows between the whole Mediterranean and Finland, but now a vessel deployed on Finnlines’ weekly Scandinavian Service calls every week the Swedish port of Wallhamn to interconnect with a large multipurpose ro-ro car carriers of the EuroMed Service. By means of the new BalticEuroMed service, Finnish importers and exporters have now a direct connection from Helsinki to 13 Mediterranean countries - Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. The Grimaldi customers will share the same opportunity: forwarding their cargo to Helsinki and even to St. Petersburg via Helsinki. The advantage for both the companies and all of their customers is evident. One area of business particularly neglected in Finnlines was the passenger services. We own ten ro-ro/passenger ferries that have 200 cabins each: there is a lot of potential there and indeed, it will be exploited: companies part of the Grimaldi Group have a big tradition in transporting passengers. Minoan Lines of Greece is a leading operator in Eastern Mediterranean and Grimaldi Lines is a leading operator in Western Mediterranean. We are doing all the necessary to see Finnlines’ passenger business growing and the company becoming a Baltic leader also in this sector. In reorganising Finnlines’ services, we have always considered as a priority to support Finland as a country. This, I believe, has always been and will remain one of the tasks of Finnlines. This is why we have decided to create a weekly ro-ro and passengers service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Helsinki has therefore gained a position as a hub for all the freight destined to Russia and collected in all the ports called by Finnlines and Grimaldi Lines. It is important to understand that the latest financial crisis and the following recession have changed the world. We have to work hard, focusing on the industrial aspects of the business and on the values we were taught by our fathers. There is not easy cut to success but building it day after day with our own work, our professional skills and our commitment. I have been living and working in Helsinki for a few months now, and have entirely dedicated my time to restructure Finnlines and make the company able to sail the troubled waters of the global crisis. I am fully convinced of the huge potential of Finnlines. I believe that thanks to the new services we are launching and to the actions taken, the company will soon be successful again. The good professional skills of the management; the excellent hardware - ships, terminals and logistics in general - the care for the customers, are the right receipt for a prolonged success also in the difficult environment of the global recession. Soon, a new President and CEO will join Finnlines, Uwe Bakosch. He is a very experienced top executive with a proven track record. I am looking forward to cooperating with him. Emanuele Grimaldi President and CEO 3
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In English (1.10 MB) - Finnlines

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