KTO - transport and logistics

1971
The establishment
of KTO nv

Start of distribution
activities in
Germany

Start up warehouse
activities together
with KTO Logistics

Establishment of
KTO France Sasu

Construction of
a new platform
in France

2007
KTO takes over Piegay Transports in Lyon

Take-over of KTO
by its present
shareholders

Obtaining an ISO 9001:2000 quality label

Start of distribution in France

Establishment of Transa/ASP nv

KTO track & tracing
'Trans Arch' goes live
on the Internet

2006
New platform at Orléans. Service of national delivery to the United Kingdom.

1971: the establishment of KTO nv
KTO's establishment was inspired by the need of a Belgian carpet manufacturer to distribute his products in Belgium and Germany.

1982: take-over of KTO by its present shareholders
KTO, which was then a one-man-business, was taken over by Mr. and Mrs. Verstraete, who continued the activities of the company, together with a couple of employees.

1990: start of distribution activities in Germany
By concluding partnerships with a few specialized transport companies in Germany, KTO succeeds to develop a German network for floor covering, using a few local hubs.

1994: obtaining an ISO 9001:2000 quality label
In a continuous aspiration to improve the quality of its service, KTO became ISO certified in 1994. Regular internal and external audits support the quality management system.

1996: start up warehouse activities together with KTO Logistics
Next to the mere transport, more and more manufacturers outsource other logistic activities. Therefore, a separate unit is started up within the KTO-group to meet this demand.

1998: start of distribution in France
The German experience serves as a good basis to develop a specialized network in France as well, with the region of Paris and the North being served with direct transport. For the other regions, strategic partnerships are concluded with local specialized partners.

2001: establishment of KTO Germany GmbH
In the aspiration of further integration, the local partner in Baar (Bayern, Germany) was taken over in 2001. Starting From this own platform near Augsburg, the entire southern part of Germany is being served.

2002: establishment of Transa/ASP nv
The efficiency of logistic processes can be improved significantly by using new technologies. This eventually leads to a competitive advantage for KTO and for the customer. This explains the establishment of an IT-daughter in 2002, specialized in the development of soft- and hardware solutions for transport and logistic management.

2003: establishment of KTO France Sasu
Analogous to Germany and in search for further integration, a local partner was taken over in the south of France as well. Both of the original platforms in Casteljaloux and Toulouse, in the meanwhile merged in a brand new infrastructure in Samazan, serve no less than 22 departments in an area reaching From Perpignant to La Rochelle. Thanks to this thorough integration, KTO is already responsible for more than 60% of the deliveries in France, using their own means.

2004: KTO track & tracing "Trans Arch" goes live on the Internet
The IT-daughter Transa/ASP developed an own track & tracing system this year, named Trans Arch. This enables customers to trace their deliveries through the Internet and eventually enables them to receive an electronic print-out of the signed transport document.

2005: construction of a new platform in France
The continuous growth forced KTO to build a new platform in Samazan, near the A62 motorway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. This brand new site has 2400 square metres at its disposal, transit- and storage space, 16 loading and unloading gates and suitable office space. A team of more than 30 enthusiastic KTO employees work there.

2006: KTO opens a new platform at Orléans.
Beginning of September, KTO opens its own platform of distribution at Orléans situated close to the highway A10 on the important logistic axis Paris-Orléans. From this platform, KTO can offer an even better service in the centre of France.
2006: KTO organises a national delivery service for floor covering and small shipments from Izegem to the United Kingdom.
Beginning of September, KTO organises a national service for florr covering and small shipments from Izegem to the United Kingdom. This network permits manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers to create a « competitive advantage » by delivering their goods directly to their clients.

2007: KTO takes over Piegay Transports at Lyon
Beginning of September 2007 KTO takes over the floor covering department of its partner Piegay Transports at Lyon. This integration perrfectly fits into the strategy of the company and this means that, from now on 75% of the deliveries are done with proper means of KTO.