BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven: Karsten Dirks appointed Operative Managing Director / Company rents new outdoor site

From August, Karsten Dirks will be the Operative Managing Director of the AutoTerminal.

With effect from August 1, 2023, Karsten Dirks (53) will take on the post of Operative Managing Director of BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven. Alongside the Commercial Managing Director Jan Bellendorf, he will assume co-responsibility for the location.

Previously, Karsten Dirks spent many years as the CEO of EVAG/ELAG Emder Verkehrs und Automotive Gesellschaft. "We're delighted to have gained the services of Mr. Dirks as an experienced manager and proven expert. We are confident that, with his profound knowledge of the industry, extensive experience, and excellent network, he will be a great asset to our team in the future," said executive officer and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the BLG Group, Matthias Magnor.

Karsten Dirks succeeds Jan Rosenkranz, who will leave the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven at the end of August after acting as interim Managing Director. Matthias Magnor praised his commitment: "In the past months,Jan Rosenkranz has achieved a great deal and created a good basis for the renewal of the terminal. We're already on a very good track with our restructuring process, but there's still a lot to do." A major element will be reducing the number of vehicles on the core area of the auto terminal, which is still very high.

View of the disused Luneort airfield. Source: Fischereihafen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (FBG) / Fotofrizz

Rental of new space at Luneort airfield
Starting from August 1, 2023 BLG will temporarily rent the disused Luneort airfield from Fischereihafen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (FBG). The site consists of four sections totaling almost 186,000 square meters. One section, covering just under 24,000 square meters, is paved and suitable for heavy goods transport. Additionally, the former take-off and landing strips can be used as storage areas.

The new outdoor area increases the parking capacity by some 2,000 cars. "With Luneort as an external storage site, we can reduce the high number of vehicles on the core area of the terminal. At the same time, we will improve productivity on the water and land side," said the Commercial Managing Director, Jan Bellendorf. The vehicles will be transported over the distance of almost 13 kilometers by truck. "However, we're currently looking at greener alternatives," added Jan Bellendorf.

About BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven is one of the world's largest vehicle handling ports. Some 1.7 million vehicles (2022) are handled there per year. Each year, more than 1,000 vehicle-transporting ships dock at the terminal. All the major shipping lines for vehicles regularly use Bremerhaven. The facility in the port city can accommodate up to 70,000 vehicles. The location has been undergoing restructuring since June 2022. This is in response to the challenging economic situation as well as the situation in the automobile industry. A key focus of the restructuring is reducing the number of vehicles on the core area of the terminal. This will increase the efficiency and productivity of vehicle handling.