Some follow their passion, some follow in the footsteps of their parents, and some combine both. This was the case for Christopher Huysmans. Levaco’s Business development director picked up the tricks of the trade at a young age from his father, Luc Huysmans who currently holds the position of CEO.
While studying Logistics, Christopher accompanied his father on international trips to gain experience and knowledge. He didn’t plan on joining Levaco after graduating. But a staff shortage prompted him to enter the company, and years later he’s still happy he did.
Work local, think global
Christopher manages all Belgian customers along with all international agents. Before the pandemic, a big part of his job consisted of travelling to anchor the international network of partners. “Due to long-standing and trustworthy relationships with our foreign agents, we are able to maintain close relationships, even during uncertain times”, Christopher says.
Levaco is a forwarder with a global reach. “We always act on behalf of the client and try to provide the best possible transportation options by sea, rail, or air, depending on their shipment and route. We do a lot of rail transport, specifically between China and Europe”, says Christopher. “Sea transport has become heavily congested, so rail transport can provide a good alternative for consolidated containers as well as loose shipments per palette. Once arrived in the port, we take care of the ongoing shipments by inland waterways, train, or road”.
Challenges and communication
Christopher says that their line of business can be quite stressful. “You never know what the day will bring and what issues you’ll have to resolve, but at the same time, that’s what makes it interesting”.
“Service and innovation are our core values and set us aside from other players”, says Christopher. As a family-run business, we work closely with SMEs who share the same values. I know all our customers personally and treat them with the same level of care, regardless of their size. We always offer a tailor-made approach depending on the client’s volume, markets, and expectations. Do they want the fastest delivery time? Or the cheapest price? We provide the best solutions for each and every order. In addition, we also take care of import, customs, warehousing, and further transportation to the end destination”.
“The fact that some of our customers have been with us for over ten years, shows their satisfaction. We even managed to gain new clients during the pandemic. Some competitors had difficulties adapting to the changed working conditions and struggled to inform customers properly and in a timely manner. Those dissatisfied companies found their way to us”, Christopher concludes.
“We value communication. And always try to be as transparent as possible, even if that means sharing bad news. If clients are waiting for a shipment that’s delayed, it’s better that they know sooner than later, so they can manage their expectations and take fitting measures. It’s never easy to pass on bad news, but it’s part of our job”.
Innovation and family spirit as main drivers
Levaco is a young, dynamic team that strives to stay on top of the latest technology. “We invest strongly in automation and try to minimize administration. This way we can put more resources into our services while keeping overhead costs stable. The desire to innovate is also reflected in our employees, some of whom take French lessons, to improve their language skills”, says Christopher.
“Levaco is a real family business with a close-knit team. We work well together because we share the same values and aspirations for the company, and we thoroughly enjoy contributing to the same goal. Many of the employees who join us, start out as interns, and end up staying after graduating. This illustrates that they enjoy working at Levaco and want to be part of the team. The strong bond has helped us navigate the turbulent COVID-times. Even when working from home, we were able to offer the same service-level”.
Here’s to a bright future
“We’d like to expand our global network and explore more options for rail transport. We’re also looking at ways to improve our operational efficacy and have some projects in the pipeline. Levaco has grown throughout the years and with the support of its promising team, we’re looking at a bright future”, concludes Christopher.