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Dear Readers!
At the end of the year, it is never a bad idea to take a look back at what has been achieved and to try and predict what may happen in the coming year. 2014 was a turbulent year in many ways. The current conflicts in Europe and other parts of the world continue to affect the global economic climate. Chancellor Angela Merkel laconically summed up the situation at the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, commenting that it was ‘impossible to overlook the fact that the current geopolitical tensions were not good for growth’. Against this backdrop and despite all the crises, we are very pleased to see that REMONDIS has enjoyed steady growth this year and strengthened its position on the global market. This can, on the one hand, be put down to the realignment and strengthening of our scrap metal activities and our maintenance and services division. On the other hand, REMONDIS has succeeded in expanding its regional presence and extending the reach of its networks both in Germany and abroad. This year, the company has also focused on intensifying its operations in core regions, i.e. in the regions it is expecting to experience long-term growth.
Since the Solidarnosc era, Poland has developed into a kind of model EU member state with great prospects for growth and a genuine enthusiasm for the European ideal. In this positive economic climate, REMONDIS has not only managed to maintain but also to expand its position on the Polish market – and this can all be put down to the quality of its services and its ability to invest. Examples of this can be found in Stettin, Gliwice and Opole as well as in this issue of the REMONDIS aktuell magazine. Let us attempt to predict what may happen in 2015. Discussions are currently being held in Germany about passing a new recyclables law. We must wait and see just what challenges we will have to face. According to a report published by the Fraunhofer Umsicht Institute, carbon emissions could be reduced by 1.6 million tonnes if absolutely all recyclable waste in the country were to be collected and recycled. This would be the equivalent of a good 6% of the German government’s target to reduce its emissions by at least 40 percent by 2020. REMONDIS, as the biggest water, recycling and industrial services company, is ready and prepared to contribute towards achieving these goals.
Healthy growth and sustainability will continue to be two sides of the same coin at REMONDIS in 2015. As always, we will drive our business forward to further stabilise and expand our company divisions. Such growth is only possible with well qualified and highly motivated staff and with satisfied customers and partners.
We would like to use this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ to you all and to wish you a very happy Christmas and all the very best for 2015.
Yours
Egbert Tölle
New business activities in Nordholland and Twente
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The REMONDIS Group’s recycling activities in the Netherlands have been managed by its subsidiary, REMONDIS Nederland B.V., since 2006. The company has now further expanded its operations in the country thanks to a number of strategic acquisitions – by purchasing two Kuiper businesses (Noord-Holland) at the beginning of October and the commercial activities of the municipal company, Twente Milieu, in November.
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Services for private households and commercial businesses
Founded in 1890, the family-run firm, Kuiper, is based in the North Dutch city of Enkhuizen on the IJsselmeer. For years now, this waste management and recycling specialist has primarily served the provinces of Noord-Holland and Flevoland. REMONDIS has now taken over its two companies, Transportbedrijf Kuiper and Kuiper Groenrecycling Hoogkarspel, effective retroactively from 01 January 2014. The majority of their customers are private households and medium-sized firms as well as numerous agricultural businesses.
REMONDIS’ Dutch activities began in Nijmegen seven years ago: in 2007, it purchased a share in the ARN waste incineration plant.
In addition, REMONDIS acquired Twente Milieu’s commercial waste activities by way of an asset deal in the middle of November which will become effective on 01 January 2015. This municipal company was set up by several district authorities located in the region of Twente, which is situated in the east of the Netherlands along the Dutch / German border. The largest shareholders of Twente Milieu are the towns of Enschede and Hengelo who together have around 240,000 local inhabitants. The customers from this region will now be served by REMONDIS’ associated company, J. Grobben from Almelo.
Greater regional presence thanks to acquisitions
REMONDIS’ Dutch arm had acquired a number of other companies in the Netherlands prior to these takeovers. Last year, for example, it purchased two waste collection and recycling companies owned by the family-run business, Methorst Milieu. Located in the towns of Scherpenzeel and Ochten (between Arnheim and Utrecht), these acquisitions helped considerably to expand the reach of REMONDIS’ business activities in the country.
In 2013, REMONDIS took over van Kesteren Milieuservice, a firm previously owned by van Kesteren Holding. Based in Groesbeek in the Province of Gelderland, this business focuses on collecting and recycling commercial waste. The garden and organic waste collected by van Kesteren is recycled in the anaerobic digestion facility operated by REMONDIS’ associated company, ARN, which is located just 15 kilometres away near the town of Nijmegen.
Increasing number of municipal companies working with REMONDIS
The acquisition of the commercial waste activities previously operated by the municipal business Twente clearly illustrates the successful cooperation work that also exists in the Netherlands between the public sector and REMONDIS. The district of Kampen (51,000 inhabitants) has also sold its commercial waste activities to REMONDIS this year. The provincial capital city of Zwolle was the first district authority to make this move: ROVA – one of the country’s largest public sector businesses for managing waste, developing public spaces and generating sustainable energy – sold its commercial activities to REMONDIS in 2013.
An important factor: the company's long-standing presence
Two of the main reasons why these authorities opted to sell to REMONDIS were its long-standing presence in the regions as well as its long-term plans for its future business in the Netherlands. Dr Andreas Krawczik, managing director of REMONDIS Nederland, very much values the trust placed in the company by the authorities: “We’re really pleased that the Dutch public sector companies, which are looking to hand over their commercial waste activities to a reliable buyer, consider REMONDIS to be an ideal partner. Everyone benefits from us expanding and strengthening our regional businesses across the country.”