Although the official paperwork states they began operations in 1953, it was 1848 when the company that would become De Keyser Thornton Group began operations, making it one of the oldest and largest privately owned shipping agencies in Antwerp.

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DE KEYSER THORNTON GROUP0032 3205 3100 WWW.DKT.BE

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Chief Commercial Officer, Sven De Meester, was on hand to discuss some of the particulars of the company, which has played such an intricate part in the industry across of Europe.

“The industry is facing some trouble at the moment,” he says, “But since we began, our company has overcome many hurdles, found opportunities in many new areas and our secret is investing inwards, training and developing our staff and being receptive to new opportunities and ideas.”

Liner agency duties are still the core business, but the De Keyser Thornton Group (DKT Group) has expanded over its long life and today offers a range of transport related services. Sven explains that in addition to shipping agency services, they are active in a number of logistics related fields including chartering, shipment management and tramp-agency, forward and warehousing, container logistics, trucking and intermodal transport, “Our range of activities enables us to offer a completely integrated service to our customers; a one stop shop for their needs,”

Much organic growth led the company’s expansion and diversity for over two centuries until the early part of the 21st century which saw a sudden thrust of growth. This began in 2000 when the DKT Group joined the ranks of Naxco, a leading French group that also specialises in shipping and transport related activities, which practically overnight opened up even more doors to them, “Thanks to this alliance, we are in a position to extend our services further afield than just Belgian ports, into ports in France and the Netherlands,”

In 2002, the current CEO Philip Van Telburgh joined the company and Sven says he has been instrumental in driving the business into new fields and sectors. In 2006 DKT Group acquired two companies, Unamar and Trimar, both of which were Antwerp liner agencies known for their enviable reputation, which was another boost for their ultimate reach. This was followed in 2008 when DKT Group took over the activities and staff at SBTC Sotramar, a renowned Antwerp forwarder specialising mainly in

project cargoes and chemicals. “Our growth has continued,” Sven reveals, “With new businesses

being set up in other countries as we determinedly grow into new countries and open up new opportunities for ourselves.”

Not leaving any opportunity unexplored, DKT Group are also members of a number of worldwide organisations such as the Multiport Independent Ship Agencies Network and the Aerocen Network (AON). These affiliations provide a network of contacts around the world, all of whom have proven records of quality and reliability, “Having contacts and relationships with such a wide selection of prominent businesses means that when we see a new opportunity we are in the position to explore it fully and invest time and resources into should we need to.”

It is also the strength of this network, combined with the incredibly strong financial backbone of the company, that has helped it weather a number of storms that have come their way over recent years.

Sven is candid about where logistics stands in the mind of business owners, “It is often their last thought,” he says, “The economic downturn for logistics has put Europe into a very slow growth period and businesses have taken to cutting costs in production of their products and only think about who is shipping these products as an afterthought. Often the very last thought. “

This has created a price war between DKT Group and their competition and added to this is shipping contracts into the middle east and North Africa being hit by the Ebola outbreak, which led to a number of ports and harbours being summarily closed to prevent outbreaks. While this may have helped in stopping the spread of the virus, it also prevented trade from entering countries at a time when it was most needed. Before Ebola, the Egyptian riots caused a great deal of trouble as they couldn’t access the necessary ports and the on-going trouble in Syria and Libya has provided a number of hurdles for the company to scale.

While smaller businesses have been unable to cope with such

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Originally responsible for shipping blocks of ice from glaciers in Norway to Antwerp, where they were used in basements by restaurateurs and wealthy home owners to keep their meats and vegetables from spoiling, their start was a prodigious one and soon led to them becoming a shipping agent, which evolved into chartering and ship management to finally becoming the group of companies it is today, which currently represents seven different businesses covering logistics from shipping, brokering, forwarding and logistics.

issues that have an effect across the entire industry, DKT Group have a deeply ingrained philosophy of looking for the opportunity in every obstacle. Thanks to this, they have found themselves in a position to further develop their trade routes, create partnerships with new businesses and test their ability to excel. Of course one of the clear benefits is the trial by fire that has seen a number of smaller businesses close doors and hand over clients, while DKT Group has been able to rely on its foundations of reputation, position and financial strength that have been hardened since the 19th century.

“Some opportunities are clearer than others,” Sven tells us, “For example, our industry is known for being one of the worst polluters, thanks to heavy vessels using a lot of fuel. Many companies have introduced a low sulphur surcharge which has seen older ships being scrapped.”

He goes on to explain that while not all clients are aware of the issues facing them, which include new vessels and fuel, there is a difference between being aware of a problem and trying to solve it, but this has placed DKT Group into the position where they are having to change and develop for a good reason, “Inevitably putting ourselves in a better position, for tomorrow.”

State of the art computer systems and cutting edge new

technology is readily available, but only support what Sven explains is DKT Group’s most valuable asset; their staff.

“Our staff are all experienced and highly skilled,” he says, “We recruit both professionals in the industry with a quantifiable background and newcomers who require training. The combination of this, with the best tools available, allows us to face any challenges that the marketplace can throw at us today or tomorrow, while giving our clients the very best quality service that they have come to expect.”

Like a vast network of roots, the relationships that DKT Group has established over its long life have given it massive clout when it comes to delivering on their promises. They know the value of a well protected and healthy relationship and as such, Sven points out that after-sales is crucial to their business, as much of what they do relies on repeat custom. Of course there are certain key elements that he says are used to ensure the best result, “Competitiveness, personal face to face service and our ability to provide innovative, out of the box solutions,” he lists quickly, “Also, that we aren’t afraid to go the extra mile for our customers. A client that knows they can trust you to get the job done will always return.”

Speaking of returns, what can we expect of DKT Group from the forthcoming years? Sven is very optimistic, “We have opened

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a new company in the UK, something that we’ve built up from scratch DKT All Seas UK, based in Britain, that will play a significant role in helping us further develop our scope of business.”

He explains that as a business, they have to remain realistic and that doors can close as often as they open and while you have organic growth, you can also have organic loss, “This shedding is vital to keep things efficient,” he explains, “and we work hard to ensure that our growth compensates the loss.”

He mentions how working with Eurochem has given them access to 400 extra vessels and a number of as-yet unexplored ports in which they can ply their trade and build new relationships with new customers and reaffirm old relationships with current ones.

“In addition,” he adds, “We continually aim to build on our vast diversity of clients and principles and to create synergy between ourselves. This keeps us in the best position when it comes to new opportunities, to ensure that we continually have positive organic growth. When an opportunity arrives, you want to make sure you have sure footing to make the best leap possible.”

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