With the new model BLG, Bremen boomed as a seaport and trade city. As of 1888, BLG also took over operation of the newly built port "Freihafen I". This was closely followed by Freihafen II, the grain facility, the Freihafen ports in Bremerhaven in 1953, and in the 1960s, Neustädter Hafen was developed in Bremen.
The change from the sack barrow to the forklift truck in the 1950s changed dock work radically. Ro-ro ships were built for overseas traffic. Trailers were stowed in the port and tractors were used to roll them on board via the ships' own ramps. Soon, everything with wheels was rolling independently onto the ships.
In the mid-1960s, the first containers came across the Atlantic to Europe. In May of 1966, Bremen became the first German container port. The containers needed special equipment and ample open spaces, so as a result, construction of the container terminal in Bremerhaven was started in 1968. There was plenty of free space on the Weser river estuary. To date, the terminal has grown to five kilometers in length and Bremerhaven is one of the world's top 20 container ports.
At the beginning of the 1970s, BLG recognized the importance of data processing as a factor of production. The "Datenbank Bremische Häfen" database was duly developed in 1973, and with it the first port information system in the world.
Cargo handling companies, forwarding agents, shipbrokers, tallymen and administrative bodies followed. The foundations had been laid for IT networking.
1966 to 2016: 50 years of container handling in Germany (German)
As the Japanese automobile industry launched its export offensive at the end of the 1970s, BLG was in from the beginning and starting construction of the auto terminal in Bremerhaven. Today, Bremerhaven is one of the largest automobile hubs in the world.
In the 1980s, it became clear that port cargo handling and warehousing were no longer sufficient as a business model. There was increasing competitive pressure and revenue was falling. To increase added value, BLG expanded the depth of its services, and that is how the logistics centers in Bremen and Bremerhaven were born.
The Eastern markets collapsed in the 1990s. With globalization, the revenue from transport services was again declining. Both of these developments hit BLG's core business. Thanks to restructuring with a global strategy in the middle of the 1990s, BLG gained new strength. The company evolved into an international logistics service provider.
BLG LOGISTICS is a seaport and logistics service provider with an international network. For more than 145 years, our hallmark has been logistics driven by both passion and pragmatism. Innovation has always been the driving force behind our development. We create logistics for our customers in industry and retail by applying our expertise to develop and implement innovative, highly sophisticated and future-oriented solutions. And we also go a step further so that our customers benefit to the maximum possible extent from digitalization, automation and globalization.
Today, the BLG Group is represented on all the world's growth markets, with almost 100 locations and offices in Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Our AUTOMOBILE and CONTAINER divisions are market leaders in Europe. The CONTRACT division is among Germany's leading providers.
More than 12,000 BLG employees assume responsibility every day for the smooth operation of logistics for high-quality products. With their high motivation and commitment, they achieve the best possible results for our customers, supporting their success on the markets.
We are proud of our long-lasting partnerships as well as new flagship projects. No destination is too far, no load too heavy, no task too complex. We make logistics easy. And we do more than just a job: At BLG, we always go one step further and develop innovative logistics solutions wherever they are needed.
BLG LOGISTICS aims to be balance sheet climate-neutral by 2030. In fact, we are the first German logistics service provider with a scientifically recognized climate protection goal. As an employer, we foster a personal touch, value our employees' contribution and keep our sights firmly on the future. Including all associated companies, BLG LOGISTICS currently provides some 20,000 jobs worldwide. The BLG Group is headquartered in the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.