Port of Kolding sets new records

The municipally owned company Port of Kolding has presented fine results in recent years. In 2019, the port delivered a record operating profit of DKK 7.2 million.

The Port of Kolding continues its positive growth journey and once again delivers a solid result on both turnover and bottom line, despite uncertain times. It was only a year ago that the future of the Port of Kolding was threatened by political ideas, but that did not stop the development or the ambitions at the port. For the fourth year in a row, the port has set records, and the companies at the port continue to hire employees to keep up with the development.

Supply to industry, construction and agriculture
"The major driver for the port's activities is the triangle region's many manufacturing companies, the construction industry and agriculture. The supply via the port of steel, paper, glass, building materials, asphalt, feed, coarse goods, etc. is a prerequisite for running hundreds of companies in the region. At the Port of Kolding, our primary task is to provide good service and the right facilities and processes, but we do not drive development alone. It is the many port companies at the Port of Kolding that deserve the credit for the fact that we have succeeded in setting records at the Port of Kolding for the fourth year in a row", says Chairman of the Board Tobias K. J. Jørgensen and continues:

"We must remember that the net turnover of the Port of Kolding organization, which in 2019 was DKK 23.5 million, is only a modest part of the total turnover of the port with all the port companies. In popular terms, the Port of Kolding lives by earning a small bit per ship and per ton, every time goods pass the quay to or from ship".

Whether the increased number of jobs and the port's economic growth has helped to soften the politicians is left unsaid, but both the Port of Kolding and the companies at the port are delighted with the result.

"There should be no doubt that it was a hard blow for many of us who run businesses at the port when the politicians talked about how they could take away our livelihood. But when the initial shock had subsided, I think there were also many of us who wanted to show what the Port of Kolding actually contributes," says CEO Michael Frihagen from H. Daugaard, which is one of the companies that has helped create progress at the port in recent years, and he is backed up by Peter Grau from Grau Shipping A/S:

"For us, it is much more than just a few random jobs. The port has been part of Kolding's history and development for more than 175 years - with the results we have created in recent years and again in 2019, I do not think anyone can doubt that the companies at Kolding Port can continue to contribute to the development of the city and the region in the coming decades".

Fewer nuisances with more growth
At the same time as the turnover at Kolding Port has increased, the nuisances that can be associated with port operations have become much less.

"We are continuously investing in new high-tech terminal equipment and improving our work processes at the port in order to minimize our impact on our surroundings. We work according to the mantra that we want to be 'the world's best neighbor'. While there is still room for improvement, I am personally very happy that we have created an environment at the port that is very much respectful of our neighbors while doing our jobs. For me it was very telling that this summer we could see guests sitting on the terrace of Restaurant Admiralen and enjoying a refreshment and the view of the harbor", says Kolding Port's director, Anders Vangsbjerg Sørensen, who together with his board is pleased with the end result in 2019 with a bottom line of DKK 6.3 million.