	Kareltrans- & Market News
	KT News Merger of Kareltrans and Saimaa Lines. (Press release 2.1.2001) Two Finnish companies specialised in the transportation of goods between Finland and Russia, Kareltrans Oyj and Saimaa Lines Logistics Oy, will combine their businesses and form a strong, Finnish-owned forwarding and logistics company. The new company will be called Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd. Of the companies to be combined, Kareltrans, which is Finnish-owned and was established in 1993, is an international trucking company specialised in the provision of road transport services between Finland and Russia. Kareltrans' fleet of trucks presently employed in the cross-border traffic is the largest one on the market. Saimaa Lines was established in 1968 by Finland and the USSR but it became a privately and Finnish-owned company in the 1990s. The company has its own terminals in Kouvola and Mustola and a rented terminal in Lappeenranta. The pro forma turnover of the new company will exceed 100 Million FIM. A logistics company having such a volume of activity is rated middle-sized in Finland. The company has app. 60 owners of which the largest one is a Helsinki-based capital investment company Gateway Finland Oy . All the employees of the units to be combined, including the executives, will continue as existing employees in the new company. Besides, Mr. Reijo Niiranen, who has a long-term experience in the transportation business, has been invited to join the Board of Directors. Mr. Niiranen has formerly (1983 -1990) worked as the Managing Director of Saimaa Lines, for example. Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd. will be an important and experienced operator in the road, maritime and rail transport between Russia and Finland. The company has offices in Helsinki, Kotka, Hamina, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Mustola, Niirala, St.Petersburg, Moscow and Singapore. The large technical and office complexes of the company are located in the Kotka-Hamina and Kouvola-Lappeenranta area as well as in Moscow. Next to the Saimaa Channel, at Mustola, the company has its own full-service customs terminal that will be able to meet all the road, maritime and rail transport needs of both Finnish and foreign customers. Besides, as far as the container traffic on the trans-Siberian railroad and through the Finnish ports is concerned, the customers of the company will get perfect service from Mustola terminal. "The companies to be combined make a perfect match. The new company will be able to give excellent service in its main area of operation, i.e. in Russian logistics. Now that the economy of Russia is beginning to recover and is predicted to grow sharply, the future looks very interesting for us", Mr. Niiranen says. For more information please contact `Mr. Reijo Niiranen, Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd tel +358 400 414289 tel +358 400 414289` September, 2000 Ms. Paivi Kasurinen will leave Kareltrans after several years. Ms. Kasurinen will be missed by all of Kareltrans' employees and by many of it's clients. Her tasks will be devided to the remaining Client Services employees. September, 2000 Per August 28, 2000 Ms. Milla Hakala will be replaced by Ms. Heidi Lehessalo as assistant. August, 2000 Per August 1, 2000 will Mr. Pekko Huttu be working in the office of Kareltrans Hamina as representative of Client Services. Ms. Anastasia Briskindova will take care of the duties of Mr. Huttu in Moscow. May, 2000 As per May 1, 2000 Mr. Matti Nevalainen has stepped back as the Managing Director of Kareltrans Oyj, and his successor is Mr. Jaakko Pohjanvaara. Mr. Nevalainen will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Pohjanvaara has an extensive background in the Transport industry and was previously vice-president of Kareltrans Oyj. At the same time Mr. Mika Himanka will concentrate on his position as Director Command and Order in Moscow, Russia. Therefor has Mr. Viktor Haimi been appointed as the new Director of Command and Order in Hamina. Mr. Haimi has been traffic manager in Kareltrans. April, 2000 Kareltrans is launching on it's web site a rate request enquiry for all parties involved in trucking to Russia and the former Soviet Republic. Kareltrans employees will answer wothin 24 hours to your request, and will contact you with the best rates possible. Try it here March, 2000 The Kareltrans website has been renewed and updated for the requirements of the transport sector. October, 1999 From Monday 11 October 1999 on, Mr Pekko Huttu is working in Kareltrans Moscow. He will support the operations department, which will have a proper intruduction of KISS, the new tool for tracking and tracing Containers. This System is based on Internet technology. The amount of containers transported by Kareltrans is approaching the level of 1997. Kareltrans is expanding its' coverage in the Gateway Finland. Besides the already existing offices in Helsinki, Hamina, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Singapore, a new office has been opened in Hamina Freeport and a Mobile Office at the Vaalimaa border crossing was established. Market news Russian imports have grown ovewr the last period, and have a stabile growth perspective. The Russian Customs Committee approved a resolution (no. 1894) requiring that Poultry imports enter the country ONLY thru Russian seaports. That is, such imports cannot enter Russia by road or rail. This resolution does not cover poultry imports that originate from countries having access to Russia by land. In other words, European poultry imports are not effected. If actually implemented, this resolution could greatly disrupt present delivery systems of American chicken in containers routed via Finnish ports or transported in break-bulk ships via Riga.

Kareltrans- & Market News

KT News

Merger of Kareltrans and Saimaa Lines. (Press release 2.1.2001)

Two Finnish companies specialised in the transportation of goods between Finland and Russia, Kareltrans Oyj and Saimaa Lines Logistics Oy, will combine their businesses and form a strong, Finnish-owned forwarding and logistics company. The new company will be called Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd.

Of the companies to be combined, Kareltrans, which is Finnish-owned and was established in 1993, is an international trucking company specialised in the provision of road transport services between Finland and Russia. Kareltrans' fleet of trucks presently employed in the cross-border traffic is the largest one on the market. Saimaa Lines was established in 1968 by Finland and the USSR but it became a privately and Finnish-owned company in the 1990s. The company has its own terminals in Kouvola and Mustola and a rented terminal in Lappeenranta.

The pro forma turnover of the new company will exceed 100 Million FIM. A logistics company having such a volume of activity is rated middle-sized in Finland. The company has app. 60 owners of which the largest one is a Helsinki-based capital investment company Gateway Finland Oy .

All the employees of the units to be combined, including the executives, will continue as existing employees in the new company. Besides, Mr. Reijo Niiranen, who has a long-term experience in the transportation business, has been invited to join the Board of Directors. Mr. Niiranen has formerly (1983 -1990) worked as the Managing Director of Saimaa Lines, for example.

Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd. will be an important and experienced operator in the road, maritime and rail transport between Russia and Finland. The company has offices in Helsinki, Kotka, Hamina, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Mustola, Niirala, St.Petersburg, Moscow and Singapore. The large technical and office complexes of the company are located in the Kotka-Hamina and Kouvola-Lappeenranta area as well as in Moscow. Next to the Saimaa Channel, at Mustola, the company has its own full-service customs terminal that will be able to meet all the road, maritime and rail transport needs of both Finnish and foreign customers. Besides, as far as the container traffic on the trans-Siberian railroad and through the Finnish ports is concerned, the customers of the company will get perfect service from Mustola terminal.

"The companies to be combined make a perfect match. The new company will be able to give excellent service in its main area of operation, i.e. in Russian logistics. Now that the economy of Russia is beginning to recover and is predicted to grow sharply, the future looks very interesting for us", Mr. Niiranen says.

For more information please contact
Mr. Reijo Niiranen, Oy Saimaa Lines Ltd tel +358 400 414289 tel +358 400 414289

September, 2000

Ms. Paivi Kasurinen will leave Kareltrans after several years. Ms. Kasurinen will be missed by all of Kareltrans' employees and by many of it's clients. Her tasks will be devided to the remaining Client Services employees.

September, 2000

Per August 28, 2000 Ms. Milla Hakala will be replaced by Ms. Heidi Lehessalo as assistant.

August, 2000

Per August 1, 2000 will Mr. Pekko Huttu be working in the office of Kareltrans Hamina as representative of Client Services. Ms. Anastasia Briskindova will take care of the duties of Mr. Huttu in Moscow.

May, 2000

As per May 1, 2000 Mr. Matti Nevalainen has stepped back as the Managing Director of Kareltrans Oyj, and his successor is Mr. Jaakko Pohjanvaara. Mr. Nevalainen will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Pohjanvaara has an extensive background in the Transport industry and was previously vice-president of Kareltrans Oyj.

At the same time Mr. Mika Himanka will concentrate on his position as Director Command and Order in Moscow, Russia. Therefor has Mr. Viktor Haimi been appointed as the new Director of Command and Order in Hamina. Mr. Haimi has been traffic manager in Kareltrans.

April, 2000

Kareltrans is launching on it's web site a rate request enquiry for all parties involved in trucking to Russia and the former Soviet Republic. Kareltrans employees will answer wothin 24 hours to your request, and will contact you with the best rates possible. Try it here

March, 2000

The Kareltrans website has been renewed and updated for the requirements of the transport sector.

October, 1999

From Monday 11 October 1999 on, Mr Pekko Huttu is working in Kareltrans Moscow. He will support the operations department, which will have a proper intruduction of KISS, the new tool for tracking and tracing Containers. This System is based on Internet technology.

The amount of containers transported by Kareltrans is approaching the level of 1997.

Kareltrans is expanding its' coverage in the Gateway Finland. Besides the already existing offices in Helsinki, Hamina, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Singapore, a new office has been opened in Hamina Freeport and a Mobile Office at the Vaalimaa border crossing was established.

Market news

Russian imports have grown ovewr the last period, and have a stabile growth perspective.

The Russian Customs Committee approved a resolution (no. 1894) requiring that Poultry imports enter the country ONLY thru Russian seaports. That is, such imports cannot enter Russia by road or rail. This resolution does not cover poultry imports that originate from countries having access to Russia by land. In other words, European poultry imports are not effected.

If actually implemented, this resolution could greatly disrupt present delivery systems of American chicken in containers routed via Finnish ports or transported in break-bulk ships via Riga.