Lufthansa Cargo has given its 2010 Planet Award of Excellence to its global partner CEVA Logistics. The award, which was officially handed over during the Global Partner Council on the Greek island of Santorini, recognises CEVA’s outstanding performance last year as part of the worldwide cooperation between the two companies, which was most evident in their joint growth strategy.

“The collaboration between CEVA Logistics and Lufthansa Cargo in 2010 was based on an outstanding partnership. Together we achieved significant growth in tonnage,” said Lufthansa Cargo CEO and Chairman Karl Ulrich Garnadt. “Once again it has been shown that our top customers and Lufthansa Cargo can achieve a great deal through the Global Partnership Programme. Following the crisis in 2009, we have shaped our economic recovery along with our most important customers.”

Karl Ulrich Garnadt and Dr. Andreas Otto, Executive Board Member Product and Sales, presented the prize to Bruno Sidler, Chief Operating Officer CEVA Logistics and David Lara, Vice President Global Airfreight Procurement of CEVA Logistics. Dr. Otto also stressed the special bond between the two companies. “Despite the global decline in tonnage during the crisis in 2009, we have managed – by working together with CEVA Logistics – to achieve constant growth in the volume of cargo transported. CEVA Logistics is our only global partner to have increased its tonnages annually over the past five years. That reflects the excellent partnership and the strong loyalty between our two companies, which also continued in 2010, which was a record year.”

CEVA’s Chief Operating Officer, Bruno Sidler commented: “We are honored to receive such a prestigious award from one of our key partners. We have always enjoyed a good working relationship with Lufthansa Cargo and the growth in airfreight tonnage during 2010 is evidence of how this partnership has profited both parties. We look forward to continuing to work with Lufthansa Cargo, and expand our cooperation further in the future as we continue to develop our airfreight business. As a company that places high priority on best-in-class Freight Management, it’s imperative that we work with providers, like Lufthansa Cargo, who understand, appreciate and deliver this.”

In recent years, the Lufthansa Cargo Global Partnership Programme has become an important platform for sustainable growth. Lufthansa Cargo now generates about 50 per cent of its revenue with its twelve global partners, who – besides CEVA – include Agility, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV, Expeditors, Hellmann, Kühne+Nagel, Nippon Express, Panalpina, DB Schenker, UPS and Uti. The Global Partner Council is the annual top-level meeting between senior executives of the world’s leading forwarding companies and top-level managers of Lufthansa Cargo.

CEVA is one of the world’s leading logistics services provider. The company employs more than 49,000 people and serves more than 1,200 locations in 170 countries.