The expression GATES TO THE WORLD is as valid today as it has ever been. And as long as people have been sailing the seven seas, they have upheld the tradition of packing goods for overseas markets. The expression also forms the backbone of a variety of services offered in the Port of Hamburg, offering the consignment industry a service package under one roof, tailored to the global export of machines and factory plants. akf - otherwise known as Altonaer Kistenfabrik Adolf Siemers - is proud to call itself one of the longest standing companies in its sector in the whole of the 'Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg'. The company has remained in private hands since it was founded in 1886, and is now in its fourth generation.

Our packing station is on the doorstep of the entire dockland area. It is directly connected to customs and has quick access to the 'Hamburg-Georgswerder' motorway junction as well as railway and canal links. What more could a supplier ask for? We also offer spacious covered warehouses for packing goods and producing packaging materials. Of this, 6000m² are serviced by cranes with a load of up to 50tns for transfer to carriages, lorries or barges. This makes it possible to process large machines in-house. All of our packing services can also be provided in other areas of the docklands. In fact, if you need support beyond the local area, consider it all part of our professional service. Everybody working for us is employed by the company and receives full training in developing, organising, constructing, producing and repairing packing materials of different sizes. To maintain and build on the high standards we have always adhered to, staff receive regular training. We also train our own next generation of managers in commercial subjects and business administration by providing executive training.

akf is a member of the German HPE (the 'Federal Association of Lumber Packaging Materials, Pallets, and Export Packing'). As a member, all of our packing services automatically adhere to pertinent directives laid down under DIN and HPE quality standards. This also ensures that the individual quality standards of industrial customers and destination countries are always taken into consideration. Packers are, by their very nature, expected to know their trade inside and out. Everything pivots around preservation of the packed item and thinking about external influences. This involves building on the experience of both consignor and packer. Innovative packing technology and the akf IT system ensure that every part of the logistical process is taken care of, from warehousing to picking and packing, from small parts to turnkey industrial plant. Using OSB 3 as a packaging material is just one of many options. Adherence to import and German tariff regulations ('K & M') are also part and parcel of the professional management of packing goods for overseas shipping.

Individual consignments can involve a variety of suppliers. Companies and their suppliers could do no better than turn to a packing station directly next to a sea port. When the consignment has been prepared it can be forwarded immediately to the packer. The packer provides the company with a welcome, additional production area and safe temporary storage. It can also optimise consignments by consolidating shipments. When disassembling industrial plant, akf works in partnership with specialist engineering companies to ensure that even in this area everything is taken care of under one roof. Operating in this manner is pivotal to remaining flexible and managing projects within schedule, with a constant focus on customer needs. Other important services relating to the packing of consignments for overseas shipping include stowing containers and securing loads in open-top containers and on flats - lending particular attention to the careful preservation of the goods being stored. Rounding off our services is cardboard packaging which we manufacture in-house and is especially welcomed by customers who need support with hazardous goods and air freight going through Hamburg's other 'port' - the airport.

Framework contracts make it possible to capture long-term agreements between the forwarder and the packer. As a rule they encompass terms and conditions, the type, format and specification of packaging, duration and supplementary services such as transportation by rail or road, or even transfer via barge to sea-going vessels. To ensure the contract maintains momentum there are regular meetings between all parties involved. If necessary, supplementary services and support packages can then be captured officially within the contract. Of course these days everyone is trying to cut costs and this has spilled over onto packaging where companies are keen to optimise solutions. Areas used to pack goods in the factory can be transformed by shifting the process to a third-party supplier at the port. The port is the ideal location for temporary storage and consolidating freight from subcontractors. So cutting the cost to the customer of shipping goods to our sites is yet another way of expanding our concept of 'service under one roof'. Also, by operating in close proximity to the docklands and local shipping agents, packing companies based near the port can help companies process consignments quickly and provide FOB delivery. Of course packing companies are also keen to remain competitive, so loading companies tend to buy a full range of professional services from a packing company that instils trust.

Hamburg - an ideal location for packing consignments for overseas shipping Seize the opportunity! Use our expertise - to your advantage.

In the 1950s, Ernst Plate, a German senator from the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg made a statement that still holds true today:

Wrongly packed goods: loss you made
Correctly packed goods: loss you evade