Responsible port operations in Naantali for over 44 years – new investments in Naantali
Last December, a new Mantsinen 120DER material handling machine, in the company’s brand colours, was commissioned in the Kantasatama area of the Port of Naantali.
Text: Tarja Siekkinen
Port operator Stevena Oy began its operations in Naantali in 1982. In its early years, the company’s primary mission was to ensure the cleanliness and high-quality handling of feed raw materials imported into Finland. Through cooperation between feed mills and authorities, Finland had established a unique monitoring system to ensure the purity and salmonella-free status of imported raw materials. This system was considered so important that quarantine and supervision procedures were retained even after Finland joined the EU.
The system required significant investment in port storage and cargo handling. In the early 1980s, a terminal area was developed in Luonnonmaa, Naantali, through which substantial volumes of raw materials for the feed industry were imported. Even at that time, the operations had a significant impact on the quality and competitiveness of the Finnish food industry. A key prerequisite was that all individuals and organisations involved took responsibility for maintaining raw material cleanliness.
Stevena’s approach to responsibility originates from these early years. The company has operated responsibly long before sustainability became a central business trend. With the same care, precision and attention to customer needs, the company approaches all handled cargo, even when no specific requirements are imposed.
A new warehouse and investment in material handling equipment support the path towards energy-efficient and low-emission port operations
Stevena Oy, a Naantali-based port operator now part of the KWH Logistics Group, made two significant investments in Naantali last year, with a total value exceeding EUR 2.5 million.
Stevena’s headquarters are located in the port terminal, and the company operates in two terminals within the port (Kantasatama and Luonnonmaa). In Naantali, the company currently has more than 34,000 square metres of versatile storage space, where in addition to storage, various value-added services are provided, such as packaging, bagging and bulk handling.
CEO Markku Mäkipere states “We are the only general cargo port operator and provider of logistics services in the Port of Naantali.”
At the end of last year, Stevena made strong investments in the Port of Naantali, reflecting its confidence in the future. In December, a new warehouse of over 3,200 square metres was completed in the Luonnonmaa port area, intended for the storage of bulk cargo transported by sea. This facility is the first of the Luonnonmaa warehouses to be modernised through new investments and represents approximately one-fifth of the covered storage capacity in the area.
Mantsinen 120DER material handler commissioned in the main port
Last December, a new Mantsinen 120DER material handling machine, in the company’s brand colours, was commissioned in the Kantasatama area of the Port of Naantali. This new-generation port crane increases lifting capacity and enhances the port’s competitiveness well into the future.
The commissioning of the new machine supports Stevena’s goal of moving towards more energy-efficient and low-emission port operations. The Dualpower feature of the Mantsinen machine allows it to operate using both electricity and diesel. Immediately after commissioning, the machine was put to use unloading biofuel for the local power plant.
CEO Markku Mäkipere emphasizes the significance of these investments:
“We strongly believe in the future and in our positive development at the Port of Naantali. That is why we will continue these well-considered investments and the development of our operations going forward.”