Celebrating Innovation, Diversity and the ‘Human Touch’

The special celebration took place at the new iLogistics Center on Saturday, September 29, only a few days after the official opening of the modern warehouse. Over the course of the day, more than 400 guests came together from all around Austria to enjoy the sunny fall day and participate in a range of activities for children and grown-ups. The first visitors arrived at around 10 AM for the family run: children competed on the 2.5 km track, while grown-ups had the choice between 5 and 10 km.

After giving their best on the tracks, the hungry runners – along with the other visitors – had plenty of refreshments to choose from, with several food trucks offering a variety of sweet and savory snacks, all sustainably sourced in Lower Austria. However, the main focus of the event was not physical exercise, but rather a chance for partners and children of cargo-partner employees to get insights into the daily jobs of cargo-partner staff and the logistics industry as a whole. From a forklift parkour to a virtual container crane, a ship simulator and a drone flying station, visitors were invited to experience every transport mode first-hand. The smaller guests got to play with remote-controlled mini-trucks and trains, while those looking for more detailed information had the opportunity of taking a guided tour through the iLogistics Center.

cargo-partner CEO Stefan Krauter kicked off the celebrations with a short opening speech in which he explained his motivations for the unique event: “As a company we are characterized by our company values – ‘we take it personally’, ‘passion for excellence’ and ‘better than others’. This reflects our focus on both performance and the ‘human touch’. We have become great thanks to our employees, who are supported by their families, and because we support these families. And I want this spirit to live on.”

cargo-partner Family Day Video

cargo-partner Family Day: a lot to see, a lot to do

Between enjoying the lovely weather outside and watching the live music performances inside the warehouse, there were more than enough opportunities to mingle and get together with colleagues. Language barriers are not an issue at cargo-partner’s hub near Vienna Airport, which is a second home to staff members of many different nationalities. Aleksandar, who came to Austria from Serbia over five years ago to work at cargo-partner’s HQ, appreciates the international work environment: “I think diversity is extremely important, because cargo-partner is present in many countries around the world. We need a wide range of skills to fulfill the expectations of our customers wherever they are.”

The event in honor of cargo-partner’s 35-year anniversary was an opportunity for employees to look back on their accomplishments and shared successes within the past several decades. Alena, who built up cargo-partner’s first representation outside of Austria and is now working at the company headquarters, recalls the company’s rapid expansion: “cargo-partner has developed in a fantastic way. 25 years ago I started in Slovakia as a ‘one-woman show’ and now we have more than 200 people working in Bratislava, Kosice and Zilina. All together, we now have 2,800 employees around the world – what an impressive growth!”

Robby, who is originally from the Netherlands, came from his current home in Upper Austria to see the newly opened iLogistics Center: “I work in Air Cargo Export at cargo-partner in Linz, and I really enjoy my job there. Today is my first time at the iLogistics Center Vienna. It looks so cool with all the wood.”

Hands-On Knowledge Transfer

Inspired by the innovative construction of the iLogistics Center which provided the backdrop for the event, the themes of timber and sustainability were reflected in several activities of the day. Guests had the chance to watch a live wood carver as he created a number of sculptures throughout the event. Some visitors tested their skills in the nailing competition, while others proved their strength at the two-man saw.

Of course, the guests also received a souvenir to take home – only they didn’t get to take it home right away. Instead, to provide some added hands-on knowledge of logistics operations, visitors were invited to the packaging station in the warehouse, where they went through all the steps of preparing a parcel for dispatch: After picking their preferred goodie from one of the small parts bins, the visitors got to wrap their gift in the appropriate packaging, weigh and label the package, and finally, send it off to their home address.

The modern iLogistics Center is a lighthouse project in regard to both sustainable architecture and integrated logistics services – a striking example of the strategic goals cargo-partner has set out to follow in the decades to come. In keeping with the opening statement by cargo-partner’s ‘founding father’ Stefan Krauter, our wish for the cargo-partner family is that this spirit may live on and continue to be a motor of success and innovation.

Activity stations for young and old