Innovating for and with customers

• Customer: Den Hartogh Gas Logistics customers
• Product Type: the gas industry
• Product: Gas
• Solution: meeting specific business needs of the customers in the gas industry
• Location: n.a.

For Den Hartogh Logistics listening to customer needs is a key asset. Customers who are evolving their businesses often instigate a new innovation for Den Hartogh Logistics. Specific customer demands often ask for new or different approaches, which brings business opportunities for Den Hartogh as well.

Managing these demands and opportunities urge forward both the customer and Den Hartogh Logistics.

The relatively new business unit Den Hartogh Gas Logistics is a perfect example for this process. Originally, Den Hartogh Logistics built its expertise in the field of chemical transports. But with the acquisition of important new customers like Air Liquide and Praxair, Den Hartogh Logistics was pushed forward into new, unknown territory: the gas industry.

When certain conditions are met, the specific business needs of companies in new industries can turn out to be a major opportunity for Den Hartogh Logistics to expand in that particular field. In this case, it urged for new investments, by way of acquiring an experienced other party. In June 2007 Jani Hamburg, a leading player in the European gas industry, was acquired. Den Hartogh formed a new business around this acquisition: Den Hartogh Gas Logistics.

Since every type of gas requires a specific kind of container, further investmens had to be made. Den Hartogh Gas Logistics bought new materials: trucks, specific trailers for CO2 and ammmonia and tank containers. During this process Den Hartogh Gas Logistics kept in close contact with her leading customers in the gas industry, as to meet their specific business needs. In this way, the best integration of services and innovations could be secured for both the customers and Den Hartogh Gas Logistics while keeping costs at a reasonable level.