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Leveraging Logistics: How European Innovations Are Benefiting U.S. Manufacturers
June 25, 2025
Cobb Chamber of Commerce
How can logistics become a competitive advantage for manufacturers? In Europe, some companies have cracked the code, becoming essential partners for customers seeking new sources of efficiency and reductions in cost.
Sponsored by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Global Atlanta and the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce Southeast brought industry leaders together to discuss how companies are leveraging logistics — one aspect of their business they can control — in an age of so much uncertainty.
In the Netherlands, logistics is a lingua franca for business — the country is known for Europe’s largest port in Rotterdam, one of its busiest airports in Amsterdam and general global trade prowess. The small country is the second largest exporter of agricultural goods around the world, trailing only the United States, in large part thanks to its blend of automation, infrastructure and connectivity.
Experts from three Dutch companies — Vanderlande, NewCold and Arcadis — shared how they’re bringing innovations forged in Europe to the U.S. market, carving out niches in a changing logistics landscape and bringing new concepts to bear on behalf of their growing rosters of customers, including airports, ports, cities and food producers.
Vanderlande and Arcadis both have their North American headquarters in Cobb, combining for about 2,000 employees. NewCold is investing $333 million in a highly automated cold chain warehouse in Henry County that was inaugurated by the Dutch king and queen, making it the top Dutch investor in Georgia’s history.
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PANELISTS:
Trevor Williams,
Managing Editor, Global Atlanta
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Jaap Tigelaar,
Mobility Expert,
Arcadis
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“For politics and stakeholders — that whole war field is different, so that’s why you need to start learning; Who is pulling the strings? Who do you need to keep as friends? And where can you push?“
-On differences in the European landscape and the U.S. when it comes to urban mobility.
“Sometimes stupid is smart.”–
On how simple design, more than just adding internet connectivity to devices, is the true measure of whether smart-cities efforts achieve their intended results
Rick Bake
Sr. Business Development Manager
NewCold
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“Tariffs have hit NewCold in a bit of a hard way. We’re navigating that on our own or through partnerships with our customers, but in terms of what it does for our customers, I think that level of uncertainty is actually a pretty big opportunity for us. In a lot of situations, our customers are leaning toward wanting to store large volumes in singular locations. So I would say from that degree, the tariffs have actually helped us.“
-On the impact of the new trade landscape on the company’s business.
Art Masri
Director of Sales, Airports and Parcel North America, VanderLande
“When we go to automate a facility, we are turning over a very sophisticated system to a client that will then require a higher level of expertise to operate and maintain it. So really driving people to go get a an education or a background in controls and computer and diagnostics of that nature, instead of the guy just to turn a wrench.”
-On how automation can help upskill rather than only replace labor
