1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
BILK: THE LARGEST INTER-MODAL SITE IN THE EAST
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
For all the new entrants to the EU the key to success is the infrastructure they possess. Hungary is in a better position than many of its peers, benefiting from its central location (many important routes transit it) and from considerable recent investment in road and rail.
Waberer's has also been at the forefront of infrastructure development with the construction of the sprawling BILK (Budapesti Interrnodalis Logisztikai KOzpont) logistics centre just outside the city, in partnership with the Hungarian railways MAV. When construction is finished next year it will cover some 200,000m2 and will be able to handle deliveries from road and rail (both regular rail wagons and containers). Not bad for a four-year building programme.
As we survey it from its roof Miklos Marjan, the MD of the centre, reports that its currently the largest logistics centre in central or Eastern Europe. Even some of Waberer's logistics competitors have taken space at the site reflecting the quality of its construction.
About 750 trucks and 150 rail wagons arrive at BILK every day, by 2006 this is expected to increase to 1,500 trucks and 400 rail wagons a day. So far it has created 700 jobs. The development is currently owned 76% by the Waberer group and 24% by MAV. However, this will change by the end of the year when Waberer's will take a 98% stake.
Madan used to work for MAV, where he was responsible for technical development, but he left in 1999 to work for Waberer. He says the success of the project, and the make-up of its funding, was important for Hungary.
"At the beginning this was a unique sort of co-operation. it was the first of this type of publicprivate partnership. combining state investment and private investment for a common goal. To date it seems that it's been a prof itable and fruitful venture for both partners.
"Four years ago I was talking with the relevant secretary of state and he said that nothing would come out of the co-operation. Now the Hungarian railways take delegations round the site because they are proud to show off the project."