Ricardo Monfil, Director of PET Specialties at Novapet, shares how Den Hartogh helped strengthen Novapet logistics performance and support its growth ambitions in the UK market.
As a producer of food-contact PET resins, maintaining product quality and service reliability is critical to our business. A few years ago, we were looking for a logistics solution that could consistently serve our customers across the UK, 365 days a year, while remaining competitive and supporting our growth ambitions in the market.
At the time, one of our biggest challenges was ensuring a reliable and integrated logistics operation. We experienced service irregularities throughout the transport chain and often faced difficulties caused by limited coordination and availability among local transport providers.
As a result, deliveries were not always as predictable as we needed them to be, and obtaining real-time information on the status of shipments was often a challenge.
Our CEO had identified growth in the UK as a strategic priority for the business. However, it became increasingly clear that our existing logistics setup would not be able to support a sustainable and profitable expansion. We needed a partner with a strong footprint in the UK, proven expertise, and the ability to manage complex logistics operations while maintaining the high service standards our customers expected.
That is why we chose Den Hartogh.
From the very beginning, it was clear that Den Hartogh offered much more than a standard logistics service. Their deep understanding of intermodal logistics between mainland Europe and the UK, combined with their operational presence and infrastructure across the British market, gave us confidence that they could support our ambitions. More importantly, they developed a solution tailored to our specific requirements rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach.
The impact of the partnership became visible quickly.
One of the first improvements was a significant reduction in transit times. We also gained much better visibility and control over inventory in transit, allowing us to manage our supply chain with greater confidence. Most importantly, our customers noticed the difference. Reliability improved substantially, and our ability to consistently deliver according to agreed schedules strengthened our reputation in the market.
Internally, our teams immediately recognised the professionalism and expertise of the Den Hartogh organisation. Within just a few weeks, customers were already describing the service as punctual and reliable, reflecting the improvements we had worked hard to achieve together.
Looking ahead, we believe logistics will become increasingly agile, data-driven and resilient. Companies will need to respond quickly to market disruptions while maintaining service continuity and meeting growing sustainability expectations. Decarbonised supply chains will become an essential part of future logistics strategies.
Technology and data will play a central role in this transformation. Artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and advanced planning tools will help organisations move from reactive problem-solving towards proactive and automated decision-making.
As we continue to grow, we see Den Hartogh as far more than a logistics service provider. They are a strategic partner and an important pillar of our UK operations. Together, we will continue to focus on operational excellence, supply chain optimisation and long-term collaboration, ensuring that we can keep serving our customers reliably in an increasingly dynamic market.
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We can transport your Dry Bulk using global containarised transport and road transport. Intermodal transport is the preferred way to move freight over longer distances. Owning over 700 trucks, we can provide both regional as well as international transport. Our scale of combined operations together with our intermodal expertise ensures capacity, pricing efficiency and reliable service to the Food industry.
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Intermodal transport is the preferred way to move freight over longer distances.
It optimally combines various modes of transport.
This method has proven to be a safe, cost-effective, flexible and sustainable way to ensure that shipments are efficiently carried to their destinations.
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Owning over 600 trucks, we can provide both regional as well as international transport.
So no matter where your products need to go, we’ll make sure they get there.
Every year, the fleet is expanded with dozens of high-standard new trucks, which are then provided with annual functionality updates by Den Hartogh’s dedicated M&R department.
