Antwerp-based shipping company Portmade has a longstanding tradition in customs representation. With over 1 million transactions a year and a presence in the 3 largest ports in the Benelux, Portmade is a major player in the customs world. It currently offers an all-round customer service to support logistics service providers: shipping lines, terminal operators, freight forwarders, industry players, etc. The company focuses strongly on the digitization and automation of declaration flows. Portmade Director Guio Veraart: “All our activities are bond-related. This requires a relatively large surety package, with the necessary flexibility. We found that flexibility at Euler Hermes.”
Why Portmade chose Euler Hermes
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"We expect a guarantee provider to actively look for solutions with us"
Finding the right surety partner did not happen overnight. “We compared the offers of various partners, including our bank. Euler Hermes topped our shortlist from the outset and eventually came out as the winner. Ultimately, the best value for-money tilted the scales in their favour, along with their extensive expertise in customs matters. And whenever they face difficult issues, they can always rely on the know-how at Allianz, their parent company. We find that reassuring.”
- A doer mentality
Sureties are an essential part of a customs agent’s business. They guarantee the logistic flow of the supply chain. “We expect a guarantee provider to actively look for solutions with us to make this process run as smoothly as possible. Euler Hermes works with the customer to find the best solution and then has the capacity to implement it without impacting business operations.” - Flexible surety bond and insurer
Portmade’s surety package represents a total of nine letters of guarantee to the government. “The Euler Hermes system offers enough scope for us to easily change the amounts of the surety bonds.” This flexibility was an important argument in deciding to work with the credit insurer. “Moreover, in an operational environment, it is not always easy to react quickly. Euler Hermes understands this and gives us the time we need to prepare specific administrative documents.” - The right choice
Guio Veraart does not regret making this choice. “Our sureties are in good hands with Euler Hermes. The company boasts a colossal amount of drive and perseverance. Euler Hermes offers us the service that we expect from a guarantee insurer.”
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