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Karl Mierka founded the company under the name Karl Mierka Lagerei- und Umschlagsbetriebe Donauhafen Krems an der Donau.
Alongside this, the Donauhafen Krems was formed by the city of Krems. Due to this mutual history, a close on-going cooperation with the city of Krems and its subsidiary Kremser Hafen- und Industriebahn Ges.m.b.H. was established.
Grain handling was the principal activity. The war had an adverse effect on the company's development.
As the company underwent expansion, refinery activities for sugar beet were also incorporated and the company became a transshipment port.
The 1960's saw the expansion of covered and open storage space as well as the development of the Danube-Sea-Transport to the Middle East.
The extension of the Krems´ports (quay wall, north quay, harbour basin 2) began alongside the construction of the Altenwörth barrage.
Hubert Mierka (born 1956) took over the company after the founder, Karl Mierka, died.
The extension of covered and open storage spaces continued and the product range grew steadily. Ship to land handling volumes also rose. To manage these needs the railway track on the south shore was extended and investment for handling equipment increased.
In 1985 the fertilizer terminal Danufert Handels Ges.m.b.H. was built.
In 1989 the first transshipments took place on the north quay of the port and the company became known as Mierka Donauhafen Krems Ges.m.b.H. & Co KG (100% Ltd. company and limited partner Hubert Mierka).
WIENCONT KREMS was founded in 1990/91.
A long term contract was signed with the city of Krems for the use of the north shore with a view to developing a market-oriented and efficient centre for goods transportation.
The RMD Lagerterminal GmbH [Owner: Mierka Donauhafen Krems Ges.m.b.H. & Co KG and Franz Welz Internationale Transporte GmbH] was set up for operations, and a 6,000m² warehouse was constructed.
Due to an increase in transshipment activity on the north shore a 10,000m³ raw material warehouse was constructed for loose goods handling and a 50 tonne overhead crane was put into operation - financed by the HIB.
Mierka Donauhafen came second out of forty four nominees behind the worlds biggest domestic port of Duisburg in the "Port of the Year" competition, and for the first time more than 1 million tonnes were handled in the port that same year.
Due to a continued increase in shipping/handling volumes a 40 tonne crane bridge was brought into operation on the south shore (also with HIB investment).
Mierka Befrachtung Gesellschaft m.b.H. and the Danugrain Lagerei GmbH were founded in this year. A bulk goods hall with a storage capacity of 8,000m³ was constructed on the south shore. Novi Sad (deployed by NATO) destroyed the Danube bridge in the course of the Kosovo conflict.
The storage area of the container terminals increased by 30.000m².
Mierka Donauhafen Krems instructed the company Exterstahl to build a production site for steel panels on the north shore.
Major flood year. In spite of the damage caused on the south shore all handling and storage buildings were quickly rebuilt and record shipping/handling volumes were achieved.
Storage hall 6, with a storage capacity of 2,000m² was constructed on the south shore for palleted products. The city of Krems decided to construct a flood control (harbour gate) for the Port of Krems.
In autumn a 2,000m² light construction hall was put into operation. We invested in a new barcode system for efficient administration of inventory.
The installation of a new flood protection gate was another milestone in the history of port of Krems.
The total capital investment was shared by state, province of lower austria and town of Krems. In spring the town of Krems finished the extension of dock 2 including a quay wall extension of 360 metres.
Mierka Donauhafen Krems organised a port festivity "Hafenfest" in September 2005. The 7100 m² logistics and storage hall 7 at the northern dock was put into operation in October.
The total volume increased to 1,695,000 tons and achieved a new record in the company history. Kremser Hafen- und Industriebahn GmbH (HIB - 100% City of Krems) invested in the expansion of the terminal railway tracks. So now tracks for 3 container block trains are available.
Biodiesel Krems initiated the construction of the biodiesel plant, which was to begin in summer 2007. Mierka Donauhafen Krems became responsible for the operational management of the plant.
A major export project was acquired for the new logistics warehouse 7. As a result of this positive development the number of employees was raised to 75.
Represents an important milestone in the history of Mierka Donauhafen Krems – up to now, the year with the most intensive utilization of operational facililtes. Due to increased business in our company the number of employees grew by nearly by 50 %, up to approximately 100 persons. In summer the operational management for the Biodiesel Krems GmbH started successfully. Mierka Donauhafen Krems operates the plant twenty-four-seven.
With the agreement of a long-term lease contract with the City of Krems for over more than 52,000 m² expansion area, now all available areas are leased to MDK. This is the basis for the extension of the trimodal logistics development of Mierka Donauhafen Krems. Mierka Befrachtung took a share of 45 % in Panta Rhei Slovakia (PRS) – other partners of PRS are Panta Rhei Wien (45 %) and TTS Transport Trade Service Bucharest (10 %). PRS invested in the inland vessel “Panta Rhei 1”.
This was the most successful year in the company history. The operational plant was optimally utilized. New customers and products were acquired.
the worldwide finance and economy crisis let the volume of transport strong decrease. Mierka Donauhafen Krems was also affected. The company had to accept strong losses in steel products and fertilizer. Furthermore the container handling and all the strong achievements of our MMFS (Mulit Modale Freight Station) of previous years decreased. The company reacted fast to the adverse development where by that difficult situation could successfully be handled. It was worked hard on the optimizing of intern processes to serve the customer in difficult times with special flexibility.
was an important year for Mierka Donauhafen Krems. The volume of ship- and train handling increased a lot compared to the year before. With the strategically partnership with the RHENUS (the Rhenus participated in June 2010 with 26% in the Mierka Beteiligungs GmbH) opened a new chapter in the history of the company. The aim of the partnership is to expand the service of logistic for the customer - on the habitat Krems, but also on other trimodale locations of logistic and through intensive activities in the Danube inland waterway transportation. Hubert Mierka manages Mierka Donauhafen Krems together with Patrick Schäffer of Rhenus Logistic.
Mierka Donauhafen Krems could increase the cargo-handling in 2011. Plus 23% in ship handling and plus 11% in total cargo handling. New projects (e.g. wind power stations), handling of gravel, new big bag products and agricultural logistics were the reason of this development. A new handling-location in Bad Deutsch Altenburg was prepared.
The total through put in 2012 remained nearly unchanged compared to 2011 amounting to 1,130,00 tons. Fertilizer, mineral bulk and project cargo increased in volume. The special transshipment site in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg started operation in May – 40,000 tons have been handled until end of the year. An important strategic decision was taken regarding the container terminal: Metrans (subsidiary of HHLA Hamburg) has been operating the terminal since October and offers competitive maritime connections via block trains, providing the regional industry with attractive prices and offering new chances for Mierka, the location Krems and Lower Austria.
The total throughput in 2013 amounted to 1.3 million tons, representing an increase of 15% compared to 2012. The waterside handlings increased by 20% to 458,000to. Rail handlings improved by 14% to 277,000to and truck handlings by 12% to 569,000to. Most important growth rates were achieved in agri-bulk commodities and industrial raw materials. Rhenus increased its holding in Mierka Beteiligungs GmbH (owner of MDK) to 51%.
The total throughput 2014 showed the figure of 1,54 million tons as significant increase of 18% compared to 2013. The waterside handlings even increased by 40%.
With a total throughput of 1,53 million tons the high amount of 2014 was reached again, the rail handlings even improved by 18%.
With a total throughput of 1.4 million tons the amount of last year was underrun. The ship handling dropped about 12 % to 467,000 tons, the rail handling improved insignificantly to nearly 400,000 tons and the truck handling fell down about 8% to 555,000 tons.
The year 2017 was a good business year. With a total throughput of 1.45 million tons the value of 2016 was exceeded by 3%. The ship handling including gravel increased by 15%, although there was an ice related closure at the Danube in January/February. The port achieved a plus of 3% to 565,000 tons at the truck handling. On the other hand there was a minus of 11% to 352,000 tons at the rail handling. Product groups that had the most increase last year were steel, mineral raw products and components for wind power plants. The port invested in the expansion of the container- terminal, in a new weigh-bridge and in a new wheel loader. The renaming into Rhenus Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co KG. took place in November 2017.
End of February Rhenus acquires the remaining share of the capital stock of Mierka Beteiligungs GmbH (MBG). Hubert Mierka withdraws from his role as managing shareholder. The second half 2018 was dominated by a historical low water period at the Rhine and at the Danube. In total 1,21million tons were loaded and unloaded in Krems, which was 16 % less than 2017. Itemised by all modes of transport the figures of the waterside transshipment decreased by 35 %. The signifant decrease is due to the low water level and the lower transport volums of gravel and wind turbine components. The truck handling with a volume of 368.000 tons remained stable, the rail cargo increased by 5 %. Rhenus Donauhafen Krems invested in switching over to organic products in the excisting grain silo, in new forklifts, in a sweeper vehicle and accomodation containers. The customs services were restructured and a new certification of ISO 50001, additionally to our exsiting ISO 9001 certification, was succsessfully implemented.