Even when crisis comes knocking, construction keeps going. It keeps getting more sustainable, too. In Orejo, Spain, James Hardie manufactures panels out of gypsum and recycled cellulose fibres. The two natural raw materials are mixed, water is added and, without any further binders, the mixture is flattened into stable boards under high pressure and dried.
In 2020, the global company transported 47,000 tonnes of these gypsum fibre boards by rail from Spain to Denmark. Despite the coronavirus and the lockdown, the company saw gains of 25% over the previous year, owing to far-sighted planning and shrewd warehousing. Given the brisk demand these building materials enjoy even in crisis times, a reliable, competitive and sustainable logistics partner is needed now more than ever.
Full-Load-Transport with strong partners
When transporting goods for James Hardie, DB Cargo relies on its long-standing service providers, such as Railsider Atlantico in Spain. They organise the pick-up and transport by lorry to the Irun railport and handle the transhipment and storage of the gypsum fibre boards there. Previously, only leased Ha wagons from Transwaggon were used here. Since the end of 2019, however, DB Cargo has also relied on its own Ri wagons to ensure wagon availability. Railsider Atlantico's status as an experienced specialist when it comes to loading Ri wagons with palletised cargo is another plus. On the main leg on rail, one wagon replaces 2.5 lorry loads. This is also an area where DB Cargo can put the full strength of its stable European network to work. In Irun, our subsidiary ECR takes over transport, moving the goods via the French Railnet system to Mannheim. From there, the journey continues in single wagon transport via Maschen, Fredericia and Vamdrup to the storage terminal of our Danish logistics partner H. Daugaard. The logistics company's warehouse stretches for more than 25,000 square metres. The ability to transport large volumes of goods across Europe by rail is a key measure of James Hardie's transport concept, which dovetails neatly with the firm's sustainability strategy.
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