Page 27 - a.hartrodt Business Report 2020 EN

Forwarding revenues
Higher revenues, lower margin
Even though a. hartrodt Group’s forwarding revenues increased by 2.7 per cent in 2020 in comparison to the previous year, gross forwarding revenue fell slightly by 0.9 per cent. As a result, the margin decreased,
Sales by business fields
Future
in particular due to the increase in freight rates, to 23.6 per cent (2019: 24.5 per cent). We were thus able to generate forwarding gross profit of 112,095 kEUR (previous year: 113,134 kEUR).
Boost in demand in air freight and road transport
High demand, shortage of cargo space: air freight was massively affected by decreases in volumes in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus crisis. For example, order volume fell by 17.5 per cent to 216,187 air freight shipments (previous year: 261,911). Nevertheless, encouraging developments are becoming apparent as a result. Due to higher income, which was achieved as a result of the increased rates, we realised 178,811 kEUR in the business segment, more than in the previous year (150,215 kEUR).
It is a similar picture in road transport: although the number of shipments decreased by 9.6 per cent to 31,641, revenue in­ creased to 14,083 kEUR (previous year: 13,421 kEUR).
In the sea freight segment, the extreme increase in rates could not be fully passed on to customers. Here, revenues
Forecast
decreased to 267,002 kEUR, after we had still been able to generate 284,957 kEUR in the previous year. The number of orders decreased by 9.7 per cent to 227,574 (previous year: 252,078).
Accordingly, the total tonnage transported fell for the group, reducing from 3,414,334 tonnes in 2019 to 3,137,613 tonnes in 2020.
Nevertheless, very encouraging development was seen overall in the division for the reporting year: for example, we generated an operating profit (EBIT) of 9,960 kEUR in 2020, a significant increase compared with the previous year
(7,508 kEUR). This is largely due to the increase in own work, decreased operating expenses and other operating income (without currency gains).
Growth in quantity as a result of economic recovery
It is hardly possible to make truly reliable forecasts of the economic development of markets, regions and companies in these times. Nevertheless, the signs of recovery are clear to see. As a result of catch­up effects, there will in all probability be a significant growth in quantity in 2021, which is sure still to be characterised by a shortage of transport capacity.
A development that is thus also emerging for the coming reporting year makes us optimistic: customers are prepared to pay more for logistics services in times of disrupted supply chains. Consequently, one focus of our activities in 2021 will be to provide our regular customers with services with which they can keep their delivery promises, including under excep­ tional circumstances, and emerge as winners from the crisis.
We are going to deliberately use this added value we offer companies on the basis of our global network of our own national companies to acquire new customer groups. To ensure a. hartrodt Group’s expected growth is achieved in all areas, we are going to significantly invest in staff. The reason we have come so well through the difficult months of the pandemic so far is, first and foremost, our dedicated employees and all the partners who have supported us in this period.
We are very confident that both our revenues and operating profit will rise significantly in 2021.
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a. hartrodt (GmbH & Co) KG | BUSINESS REPORT 2020