August 2010’s winner of the month: Philips

Philips’ results for the second quarter were better than expected. Turnover rose by 12 per cent to more than 6 billion euro, whilst its net profits went from 45 to 262 million euro. Meanwhile, the electronics giant continues to take measures to streamline its supply chain: Philips plans on closing a total of eight warehouses in the Benelux.

Sustainability is also on their agenda. Philips recently announced that 600 of its sea containers were, from now on, going to be transported from Roosendaal to Rotterdam by ship instead of by road, meaning savings of 80,000 kilometres and 200 tons of CO2 emissions. This project will reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 0.1 per cent; a modal shift that is the result of a pilot project between Philips, Maersk Line and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The only prerequisite was that Philips’ transport costs remain unaffected by the change, which looks to be the case. The port is pleased with the project because it has improved accessibility around Rotterdam.