PROFILE

The Berg family provides the Finnish people with food favourites from the country next door

Berg Trading is a private sales company and agent that imports high quality foodstuffs mainly from Sweden, but also from Germany and Italy. From earlier experience they know that quality and reliability are the most important criteria when choosing a logistics partner, and for a few years now all of their transport has been handled by Scandic Trans vehicles. The company’s history dates back around 20 years. Haulier Sven Berg transported pastry and meat products all around Ostrobothnia, and when Dan Cake shut down their business in the area, the idea of importing products of their own started to grow.

“My father was familiar with the majority of the retailers in the area through his work, and that’s how it all started,” says Magnus Berg, one of the sons involved in the company since 2004.

Berg Trading in its current form was founded in 2007 and over the years the range has varied with different products and brands.

“We started collaboration with Leksands Knäckebröd Ab, Sweden’s second biggest manufacturer of crisp bread, already in 1999. Nyåkers Pepparkakor, which is one of the oldest ginger bread bakeries in Sweden, with a very long history, has for many years been a part of our selection and since 2015 we have imported different beverages from Herrljunga Cider, mainly cider, but also mulled wine and Christmas root beer,” Magnus tells us.

A few other brands are included in the product range, and when choosing them, the first thing to do is to look at the Finnish market and what sells here.

For Berg Trading, the exceptional spring has had a positive effect on their numbers. “Sales of dry goods increased noticeably,” Toni Lieskoski and Magnus Berg note.

“We know the market and what is consumed in Swedish Ostrobothnia. We choose neutral products that are popular all over the country, but the challenge is to also find a viable selection for the northern and eastern parts of Finland,” Magnus further explains.

New collaboration comes through their own and the producers’ initiative, but having ”the world’s greatest product” doesn’t automatically mean that the stores want to include it in their selection.

“It was considerably easier 10-20 years ago; today the stores’ assortments are very centrally managed,” says Magnus.

Quality is also one of the priorities, when it comes to both the products and the state they are delivered in. The orders and transports are carried out according to storage needs.

“Normally it’s one full trailer a month from Sweden, but before the high season, Christmas that is, that amount is ten times as big. The goal is, for profitability reasons, to always fill whole trailers, because logistics makes up a big part of our yearly costs. But when it comes to foodstuffs the crucial criteria isn’t the price,” Magnus continues.

Nobody benefits from goods damaged by damp during transport, and if that happens it’s almost always the importer’s responsibility.

“We coordinate all the transport ourselves, both coming into the country and continuing on to the retailers,” Magnus explains.

For a few years now all imports have been carried out with the help of Scandic Trans.

“They only have well-functioning vehicles and are very flexible. They have a big fleet, and thanks to that they can take on jobs at short notice. They are also very flexible when it comes to volumes.”

All products are transported in so called cage cars as many of the producers don’t approve transports covered only in tarp, and even if the goods aren’t chilled, some producers demand temperature-regulated conditions even before loading them.

“When it comes to the transport of foodstuffs and cold chains, Scandic Trans know what they are doing,” Magnus states. “A sign that everything has gone smoothly is that there is no need for follow-up communication after a delivery. The company also seems to have a genuine interest in development,” he concludes.