Regional winner of Young International Freight Forwarder Award works at a. hartrodt

Glauc Fornes Gil, General Manager at a. hartrodt España, based in Barcelona, has cleared an important hurdle as the European regional winner of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award (YIFFYA) organized by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (Fiata). The Spanish Young Freight Forwarder of the Year 2021 triumphed over European competitors in early August. "Being nominated is a nice recognition of my work," he says. Now the 31-year-old also hopes to win the YIFFYA at international level in London later this fall. There he will compete against the regional winners from Asia/Pacific, America and Africa/Middle East.

Freight forwarder 3.0: Traditional tools plus new technologies

With only 29 years, Fornes took over the general management of a. hartrodt's Spanish company with 14 employees in July 2019. In his YIFFYA application, he highlighted what characterizes the forwarder 3.0: "He is able to adapt to every single client. And he combines traditional tools and knowledge with new technologies." This mix, he says, offers a. hartrodt's customers the best possible service.

Freight forwarding consultancy offers added value

Fornes has a qualified vocational training and attended the Fundació Prat Foundation in Barcelona. He wants to explain his profession to customers: "The forwarder is a strong partner to overcome any challenge in freight." Many customers don't know what they need, he says: "That's why our advice is important and brings added value." Fornes wants to develop the sector on a fair and sustainable way. For example, he is developing with the port of Tarragona, train operators and customs how to simplify the customs clearance for rail shipments. And for Catalonia's important pharmaceutical industry, a. hartrodt has recently started offering special warehousing options.

Fornes' next objective is to promote the freight forwarding industry in Spain and around the world. "Although I am still considered a young forwarder, I have been in the business for more than 15 years," he says with a smile. He started out as a stock boy at the age of 16.