The pictures of Tobias Quernhorst are very special: photographed in HDR technique and artfully reworked on the computer, they offer a unique view of the boatmen’s world, giving a stylish insight into the daily work of our barge owners.
During this year, we will regularly update this picture gallery to give you unique aesthetic moments every month.
On 1st April 2014, Inge Hartzmann, head of the DTG Andernach office, departed into her well-earned retirement after more than 42 years of employment. The trained forwarding merchant started her career with DTG’s predecessor association Elbia-Eilfracht, where she was at first responsible for the dispatching of vacant ships in the Andernach region. Enhancing her expertise through all mergers until today’s DTG eG, she led the Andernach office from 1st May 1994 until her last working day. We thank Inge Hartzmann for her commitment over decades and will always cherish this competent and likeable colleague, wishing her all the best for retirement.
Goodbye to another eventful year allowing for contemplative memories between scents of Christmas cookies and mulled wine: memories of a DTG year in which we have completed a generation change to herald a new era. And memories of very personal moments, too, that will (hopefully) put a smile on your face.
So why not look optimistically at our own personal future at the end of this year? Enjoy this time of reflection with your loved ones and have a great start into the New Year.
Cordially yours,
the whole DTG team
P. S. Instead of customer gifts, we have donated an amount of money this year to two charitable institutions, the Bunte Kreis Duisburg and the Hamburger Spendenparlament.
Since June 2002, the Bunte Kreis Duisburg e.V. – Niederrhein und westliches Ruhrgebiet have been supporting premature, disabled, severely and chronically ill children, and adolescents and their families on their way home from hospital into a well-organized life. The Hamburger Spendenparlament is an association of citizens caring for people in need by collecting and distributing donations. They promote social projects that tackle homelessness, poverty, and isolation, accounting for the proper use of donations.
On 13th and 14th November 2013, the Rotterdam certification authority Schutter Certification B.V. came to the Duisburg DTG office to carry out a a multiside certification. This activity involves regular certification of all DTG offices. Based on a versatile checklist, the DTG standard GMP+4 was thus raised to GMP+5. Despite tightened demands, the DTG eG and the ARNO-SHIP Befrachtungs GmbH were certified without difficulties after a two days’ procedure.
The Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for animal feed refers to the trade, production, transportation, storage or handling of and with mixed feed products, animal feed, premixed feed, and additives. The scheme is based on the requirements of ISO 9001 and has been further developed for feed, ensuring its quality and thus safe production of food of animal origin.
On 8th October 2013, DTG participated in the forum Europäische Binnenschifffahrt on the issue “challenge and perspectives”. The meeting was held for the first time and jointly hosted by the three leading journals Binnenschifffahrt, Schifffahrt und Technik, and Schuttevaer. Interested industry experts were invited into the Museum der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt (German Inland Waterways Museum) in Duisburg-Ruhrort. In four workshops, around 120 experts from industry and commerce, from banks, insurance companies and shippers, as well as from associations and institutions discussed current developments in inland navigation and future challenges of the branch. A wide range of contents broached issues such as the role of inland waterways in the transport chain, general development of waterways, new technical innovations, more stringent environmental regulations, cargo markets, and (ship) financing. Above all, the current market crisis that has been persisting for years was at the centre of varied analyses answering the question of “why” and making approaches for ways out.
In this context, DTG director Roberto Spranzi demanded investments urgently needed in the inland waterway infrastructure during the panel discussion of the workshop “Verkehrsweg Wasserstraße – Netzausbau versus Priorisierung” (“transport route waterway – network expansion versus prioritization”). “Current shortcomings, such as lack of reliability and overcapacity, could largely be remedied by simply repairing the existing infrastructure. Like that, lost quantities will find their way back to waterways”, Spranzi concluded his appeal to the political authorities to provide the necessary funds.
Again, all DTG ships have been certified for the next two years by the quality management system GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). We thus follow an important consumer protection rule: since 1st July 2007, all ships transporting animal feed have to prove by a valid certificate that they maintain a general code of hygiene. This standard is to ensure a safe and uninterrupted feed chain. For this purpose, a mandatory inspection has to be carried out by an approved inspection body every two years. Based on a checklist, all relevant data and locations are inspected for due order. In doing so, the hygiene level of the ship is evaluated (e.g. for cleaning, cargo compartment inspections, etc.) not only by control of relevant documents. Rather, all shipping spaces and equipment are examined on site (dirt, oil, pests, etc.) for a final assessment. To receive a GMP certificate, among other things, registration of each ship in the PDV is prerequisite. Checks of valid PDV numbers are conducted at the loading points.
Effective from 1st April 2013, the Supervisory Board unanimously appointed Roberto Spranzi Manager of DTG. He thus succeeds Hans Egon Schwarz, who will take his well-earned retirement on 30th June 2013. Hans Egon Schwarz has been with DTG for 50 years, being Manager of Germany’s largest cooperative of the trade since May 1994. With his retirement, 49-year-old Roberto Spranzi (formerly a director of the Imperial Shipping Group) will now lead DTG’s Management Board, together with Matthias Bunger of the Hamburg branch.
Detlef Wirtz, who has been active for DTG as a private boatman for years, will now be rewarded for his conception of a new tug-barge system between 2005 and 2008: the 172-metre-long Futura/Matura, which is particularly non-polluting and safe, was honoured with the Green Award on 6th December 2012 as one of the first German barges. Introduced in 1994 to originally improve the quality of seagoing vessels, also boatmen can now benefit from this eco label – on a voluntary basis.
On 1st January 2012, DTG took over the ARNO-Ship Befrachtungs GmbH, thus expanding its expertise to the field of classical freighting. The main reason for this decision was the aim to focus again on the rivers Danube and Neckar after closing the Mannheim subsidiary. The management was taken over by DTG board members Hans Egon Schwarz and Matthias Bunger, while Volker Jöst (who moved from the Mannheim Wincanton to ARNO-Ship) is responsible for business operations.
We congratulate our long-standing employee Gert Werlich for 25 years of staff membership on 1st April 2012. He started his career in 1987 as a dispatcher with the former Elbia-Eilfracht in Brunswick. Meanwhile, Mr. Werlich works as a registered manager for our Minden office, being a competent partner for customers and boatmen.
