Crossing Borders with Added Value
Interview with Jan Dykhuizen, Managing Director of ALS Holding GmbH
They are complex and play a major role in international trade – customs clearances. Companies that want to ensure that import and export processes are legally compliant, efficient, and cost-effective, thus keeping supply chains stable, avoiding delays, and reducing operational costs, rely on competent partners like ALS Customs Services GmbH – a leading partner for customs solutions.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Dykhuizen, ALS has been in the market for 35 years and is thus a very experienced service provider in the field of customs clearance. How did this specialization in a niche market come about?
Jan Dykhuizen: The ALS brand has existed in this formation since 1989. Originally, the focus was on customs clearance services at the Swiss border, on the German, French, and Swiss sides, and has then increasingly spread across the entire German market. Since 2016, the company has grown significantly, is present in 17 countries, and is consciously decentralized. The individual branches operate relatively autonomously as independent legal entities but are part of a strong, international network to optimally serve customers both nationally and internationally. With a total of 700 employees, we focus on our core service, services around customs.
Wirtschaftsforum: How can the portfolio be described?
Jan Dykhuizen: Our three core areas are customs clearance, customs consulting, and customs technology; the majority of our revenue comes from customs clearances.
Wirtschaftsforum: 700 employees and 17 countries – do you expect to continue to grow in the future?
Jan Dykhuizen: We are very optimistic about the future and see good conditions for growth both organically and inorganically, through acquisitions in new countries as well as through regular sales activities. Unlike logistics companies, for example, we can buffer economically challenging times well. Moreover, companies that have previously considered our services as value-added services are now pushing them more as stand-alone services due to current developments in international customs policy.
Wirtschaftsforum: How long have you been working for ALS and have you always had an affinity for customs?
Jan Dykhuizen: I studied industrial engineering and entered the customs sector immediately after my studies; the topic of customs is exciting and holds much potential. With a brief interruption, I have been working for ALS for eight years. After joining in 2016, I was responsible for implementing the expansion strategy, initially as a trainee, later as a project manager, and finally as CEO. Together with other colleagues, I am responsible for managing the group.
Wirtschaftsforum: Are there specific impulses you want to bring to the company?
Jan Dykhuizen: Digitalization is a major issue that directly affects our services, as they are very data-intensive. International supply chains are complex structures with many stakeholders and many different systems. Interfaces for electronically based processes are not yet standard; however, this will change in the coming years. For example, there are now AI-based models that enable data digitization. Constantly adapting to new situations is not new to us. We are accustomed to ongoing change, also because new legal regulations and reforms continually come into effect. Also, continuous growth requires successful change management, which has occupied us in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Wirtschaftsforum: Can you specify that?
Jan Dykhuizen: We need to develop more into a consulting company that ensures efficient, cross-border traffic and provides customers with value and transparency. We are already very efficient and can anticipate a lot because we receive orders before the goods reach the border. However, legislative changes are planned in this regard. International customs authorities are striving to decouple the controls of physical goods flows; data anticipation should allow certain predictions to be made, on the basis of which physical goods can be controlled more targetedly. Processes are to be massively accelerated.
Wirtschaftsforum: ALS has consistently evolved and plans to continue this course. What strengths can the company rely on for this?
Jan Dykhuizen: There are many things that have contributed to success. Our decentralized organization, flat hierarchies, a very loose and open culture, and motivated, independent employees who have the freedom to shape and drive things forward. We take our customers and their needs seriously, want to create added value for them, and have excellent services for this purpose.
Wirtschaftsforum: Is there a concrete vision for the future?
Jan Dykhuizen: We aim to be the global number one in customs services and see ourselves as being very well-positioned for this. We offer software and services – no other company on the market does that.