INTERVIEW with Boris Vavra, Sales Director of Primaco
Boris Vavra is a sales and business development expert with a rich background in the international logistics sector. Boris is a former licensed IATA cargo agent and boasts a Master’s degree in Transportation Management with a focus on maritime studies, transport technology, and management. Proficient in Supply Chain Optimization and Warehouse Management Systems, he has made significant strides in the international freight forwarding arena. Since 2020, Boris has been the Director of Sales at PRIMACO helping to navigate the company towards success.
How has your company been navigating the current post-COVID situation, considering the fluctuations in inflation, price volatility, and market uncertainties? What strategies have you implemented to safeguard your operations and ensure stability during these challenging times?
We are going case by case, customer by customer. Not all cases are the same, and not all customers are the same. For example, the military became interesting, and pharmaceuticals not so much. So you cannot have the same solution for both.
In the context of digitalization, what specific solutions and advancements are you offering your clients to enhance their logistics experience?
Real-time tracking of shipment thru edi connection for instance. Customers can now see in their SAP when goods are coming to their warehouse.
With the rise of large shipping lines offering full-service solutions directly to clients, how does your company view and respond to the competition? What unique value propositions do you offer to differentiate PRIMACO and maintain a strong position in the market?
We do not have any challenges in this regard, because we offer specific services and specialize in goods that are not common general cargo. Therefore these customers will always ask for something different than a general “click” on web site. We listen to our customers and do not offer low prices as a solution. A cheap price is not a solution!
The green deal and sustainability are becoming increasingly important in the logistics sector. While striving for environmentally friendly practices is essential, initially, higher costs are associated. What measures are both affordable and effective in achieving sustainable logistics operations for PRIMACO?
We are following the “green deal,” but still, there are many challenges, especially in infrastructure. Simply put, you do not have a charger for the truck in Croatia, especially not in Bosnia. Half of Europe does not have any infrastructure for electric trucks. We have adopted EURO6 norms from the first day the standard was introduced. We do not use EURO5 for years already!
I am not sure that anybody will reach a goal to be on zero of CO2 except calculated CO2. Achieving zero CO2 is not possible until you are using computers, since any button on the computer (even if the computer runs on green electricity ) needs some other infrastructure somewhere else that is not green. For example, if you send an email from the EU to China, can you advise me on what is included in the email transfer? Is everything really under green electricity?
Boris, you are one of the panelists for the conference discussion panel debating the “Intermodality challenges in the road freight.” What are the main “obstacles on the road” for PRIMACO in this regard? Can you name a few theoretical but practical solutions for the case?
The main obstacles are still the same as 50 years ago, customs, construction works on highways, and waiting time for transfer, containers. Also, the railway is not on the same level everywhere. In Germany, it runs perfectly. However, in Portugal… Also, authorities are pushing towards a „green deal “ while having to cope with insufficient infrastructure in reality. The industry is, therefore, under enormous pressure. The practical solution is to work on infrastructure.
PRIMACO is a reliable high-quality transport partner with more than a 30 years of experience in transportation & freight forwarding with modern Fleet equipped according to the highest standards for temperature controlled transport. PRIMACO employs more than 140 professionals in 13 offices located in Southeast Europe.