AsstrA news

In global logistics, road shipments are the most popular transport mode. By road, delivery is flexible and available to anywhere there is a road. It is also a link between sea, rail and air transport modes. Mobility, speed, efficiency, and adaptability are qualities that make road transport a good choice – and that make a good transport specialist.

Covering an area of 800,000 km², Borneo is the world’s third-largest island after New Guinea and Greenland. This exotic place is more than 10,000 km away from Poland and is known for its tropical forests, orangutans and proboscis monkeys, and oil deposits.

The World Cargo Alliance (WCA) is a prestigious, global organization of independent freight forwarders with over 9,000 offices in 193 countries around the world. In April 2021, the Polish branch of the AsstrA international corporate group joined the organization. Membership in this prestigious network will help the company continue providing sea and air logistics services tailored to customer requirements.

The Association of Romanian Freight Forwarders (Uniunea Societăților de Expediții din România, or USER) is a Romanian association of transport companies, including logistics providers and customs agents. The association’s members transport 10% of the cargo shipped in this Balkan country. In February 2021, AsstrA Forwarding Romania SRL joined the association.

A logistics company with its own warehouse can provide customers with services more directly and with more safety at every stage of transportation. This way, customers’ total costs are optimized and service quality is maximized. To help clients import and export goods, a temporary storage permit is required.

AsstrA's worldwide presence helps Clients complete complex, ambitious goals whenever and wherever they are doing business. February 2021 marked one year in business for AsstrA New York. Since the office opened, the team has already handled its first thousand import/export orders together with local and international partners.

A year has passed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. 7 billion people have faced unforeseen difficulties including stress, isolation, and financial instability. At the beginning of 2020, humanity did not know the extent of the quarantine measures and how soon scientists would find a way to fight the virus.

According to a report by the Trend Economy web portal, Lithuanian exports in 2020 were worth $32 billion in total. Compared to 2019, the volume of goods that Lithuania supplied abroad decreased by only 1.19% in 2020. The most commonly exported goods were furniture products, accounting for 8.08% of exports, and industrial equipment, accounting for 8.74%. The Lithuanian furniture industry employs over 50 thousand people.

When most people buy something made in another country, they understand that logistics made the purchase possible. And any successful company purchasing raw or finished materials abroad devotes significant resources – and even full-time organizational roles – to managing international cargo flows. Therefore, the fast-growing field of logistics offers excellent career prospects for young professionals.

As modern life becomes increasingly globalized, knowledge of foreign languages is more important than ever. English continues to be the most popular second language to learn. It is widely recognized as the language of international business, with 85% of online and in-person conferences held in it. Three-quarters of global correspondence and documentation is in English.

Generational differences are a daily part of life in large organizations, where people with several decades of experience and new labor market entrants work as a team. Today, most managerial positions are entrusted to people born between 1965–1979, members of the so-called Generation X. It is becoming more common, however, to have a younger person leading a team with more experienced members.

No matter what their cargo is or how they are transporting it, every logistics customer has unique goals and wants a transportation services partner who can achieve them on time and on budget. If one service provider can’t get the job done, the customer will seek competitive solutions from another one. For a logistics provider, therefore, a strong partner network and comprehensive service portfolio are critical for meeting customer requirements.

In 2020 the international corporate group’s turnover amounted to 370 million euros, 7.5% more than in 2019. During 2020 project logistics were an area of focus, with AsstrA Project Logistics departments launched in London, Kotka, and Houston. Compared to 2019, the company’s project logistics customer base grew by 37% and gross profits on project logistics orders were up 12%.

Due to the second coronavirus wave this past autumn, personal protective equipment (PPE) remains a scarce commodity in the in the healthcare industry. Italy, the first Western country to be affected by the Covid-19 virus, has a head start when it comes to internationally sourcing necessary PPE. However, due to the lack of precedent, it has been challenging to develop crisis management plans. The Italians have needed comprehensive assistance in the fight against the pandemic.

Good interior design makes life better. According to research by psychologists, a room’s colors and textures affect its functionality, and the ergonomics of the space can improve the quality of life for those spending time in it. Therefore, proper design makes an office conducive to fruitful work and a home more comfortable and relaxing.

After protracted negotiations on the EU's future partnership with the UK, the Eurozone states, including the Czech Republic, signed an agreement on cooperation and trade. This Brexit agreement came into effect on 1 January 2021 with numerous questions left unanswered for individuals and businesses.

On 31st January 2021, the 29th Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, or WOŚP) took place in Poland. This year the slogan of the event was: “Grand Finale with the Chief.” Every year the foundation supports Polish medicine and raises money to help children. As announced, 127 million zlotys (28 million euros) were raised so far this year, with more to come. WOŚP sets a new fundraising record every year, and in 2020 the organization raised 186 million zlotys (41 million euros). How much will it be this year? The final result will be announced in March.

The saying “teamwork makes the dream work” might seem like a cliché, but it has been proven true at the AsstrA international corporate group. According to a Deloitte study, working in teams helps to reduce the amount of time spent on tasks and improves the productivity of each employee. Furthermore, when working in a team an employee’s work quality is 73% higher than when working alone.

On December 24, 2020, on Christmas Eve, representatives of the European Union and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on the terms of the UK's secession from the EU. Discussions and negotiations concerning Brexit terms had been taking place since 2016, when 51.9% of Britons voted in support of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.

Leap Year 2020, a year like no other, is over. The past year will be remembered for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that transformed everyday life all around the world.