King of logistics
After solid growth in 2017, DHL Turkey is poised to dominate regional logistics
The decision to make Turkey a hub for road transport is paying huge dividends for DHL Freight Turkey. The logistics giant’s Turkey operation experienced the fastest growth in revenue and profitability in 2017. DHL Freight Turkey General Manager, Hasan Kavcı, said that the company grew by 30 percent in a year in which difficulties were experienced. Speaking about the opportunities created by the Silk Road, Kavci said that they are working on a container route from China to Turkey by rail through Geogia and then for distribution in Europe.
Kavci was appointed general manager for DHL Freight Turkey a couple of months ago and spoke to Dunya about the company’s 2018 targets while evaluating the previous year. Despite all the negative developments in the country and region, he said, the company still managed positive results. “We increased employment by 35 percent with new investments and services,” he noted.
B g nvestments on the way n 2018
There are a number of reasons behind the success. After years of focus on international transportation, DHL Freight Turkey started domestic distribution and storage services last year. Thus, the global giant has begun to provide logistics services locally for its global customers. For this, the company has signed important agreements in various regions of Anatolia and expanded its door to door service network. The project to make Turkey a road transport hub has come to life, providing cost benefits to its customers which in turn has grown DHL’s customer base. “Companies that provide good service during the difficult times of the market proves a great advantage,” Kavci said. The company, which also strengthened its partial distribution network, grew in the Middle East and Russian markets while increasing the number of service points and transfer centers in Europe.
“We are hopeful for 2018,” Kavci added. “Customer satisfaction is very high. We expect to grow 35 percent this year. Our biggest goal is to be involved at all stages, from production to storage to door delivery. We want to reach every region in Turkey. We are now focused on branching out at home. We will open two new branches in Anatolia this year. In Manisa, we have a new 38,000 square meter warehouse. Our Bursa region is moving very quickly. We will also have a warehouse investment there. We are also planning a transfer center for goods coming from the Far East. We will open terminals in Anatolia for domestic distribution.”