Nippon Express opens new branch in Helsinki, Finland

To augment the Group's network in Europe, Nippon Express' local company in Germany, Nippon Express (Deutschland) GmbH (Keiichi Nakatani, President; hereinafter, "NE Germany") has founded a branch office in Helsinki, Finland, which opened for business in July 2004. The Helsinki Branch is NE Germany's fourth overseas branch - joining those in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic - and is the only business location established in Finland by a Japanese forwarding company.

NE Germany has stationed a Japanese employee in Finland since February 2003 with an eye to pursuing logistics between the Northern Europe market/EU and Russia. NE Germany has thus far conducted market surveys, assisted agency sales, and provided logistics support for Japanese companies expanding into Finland, and expectations of Russia as a major consumer market are on the rise, as are the needs of manufacturing companies for product transport and parts supply.

Given that the only transport routes for EU-Russia logistics run through Finland and that local transport and customs clearance are very complex, NE Germany deemed it essential to enhance the services available from its own organization and accordingly set up a new branch office in Helsinki. Nippon Express' warehousing system (REWARDS) has been installed in the Helsinki warehouse and a system developed that will allow the warehouse to engage in logistics processing and logistics operations in addition to ordinary storage operations.

With this latest addition, the Nippon Express Group now has 55 locations and 12 companies in 15 European countries. Regarding the European region as a single arena, Nippon Express is pursuing a "pan-European logistics concept" that offers and achieves for customers the best solutions overall for their regional logistics needs. In conjunction with this approach, Nippon Express will also be pursuing logistics business in Russia and Central/Eastern Europe, areas expected to grow even more important in future.

Nippon Express (Deutschland) GmbH Helsinki Branch