DEEP
PICTURES BY GRAEME ROWATT
IMPACT
Teesport is a gateway to the world for many Aycliffe manufacturers . The port is run by PD Ports – and its CEO , Frans Calje , reflects on the lessons of the past as he plots a prosperous long-term future for the business , in an exclusive interview with Peter Barron …
Before he begins discussing the future , Frans Calje is
keen to look back to the past .
The chief executive of PD Ports is standing in the grand old boardroom of the company ’ s Queen ’ s Square headquarters in the heart of Middlesbrough . With its mahogany panels and spidery brass chandeliers , it hasn ’ t changed in a generation .
“ Those guys were heroes – visionaries ,” says Frans , pointing to a framed black and white photograph on the wall .
The smiling men in suits make up the board of directors of the Tees Conservancy Commissioners – the forerunners of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority – who took a momentous decision in 1956 to begin work on creating the largest inset dock in Europe .
They ordered Tees Dock to be made to dimensions far in excess of the depth and width required for any ship built at the time .
“ The project was massively over-specced , but they saw that ships were going to get bigger . It was a colossal gamble , but they had the courage to go ahead ,” says Frans .
“ It enabled the River Tees to become one of the largest ports in Europe , and that decision will still be having an impact on the area ’ s economic fortunes 100 years after it was taken .”
The boardroom history lesson remains valid today because Frans is leading a business that still passionately believes in the importance of making decisions that will stand the test of time .
PD Ports is a business with a long-term view of doing what ’ s best for an area whose fortunes are intrinsically linked to the river that flows through it .
“ The coronavirus pandemic is having far-reaching consequences , but it is a short-term shock to the system ,” he says . “ However , the infrastructure decisions we make now require a business case for the next 20 to 25 years .”
It is 13 years since Frans , who hails from the shipyard town of Schiedam , in Holland , was lured to Teesside by the opportunity to redevelop Teesport ’ s deep sea container terminal .
After two years as projects director , he became managing director for the container business , then group CEO in 2017 .
One day , his photograph will go up on the boardroom wall , alongside his predecessors , but he is far more concerned with framing a prosperous future for the business and , therefore , Teesside .
PD Ports is the Tees Valley ’ s largest private sector employer and , together with its customers , Teesport contributes £ 1.4 billion to the economy annually , accounting for around 10 per cent of GVA in the Tees Valley , and supporting 22,000 jobs .
Teesport also acts as a gateway to the world for many of Aycliffe Business Park ’ s large manufacturers – the likes of Gestamp , Hitachi , 3M , Husqvarna , Roman and Ebac , to name just a few .
And , despite the pandemic , PD Ports enjoyed a strong year in 2020 , keeping vital UK supply chains moving , as well as delivering new long-term investment , and securing major commercial successes .
In August , the £ 9.2m Teesport Bulks Terminal was unveiled in a move described as an important milestone in the revival of the Tees Valley . In October , a £ 3.36m investment in improving Ro-Ro facilities strengthened the port ’ s position as the UK ’ s northern gateway for
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