NEWS

Getting to know our member companies and the people who run them is an important part of our job here at AmCham. Adams Express provides a broad range of scalable mobility solutions for professionals moving their family in pursuit of an exciting career in a foreign country, or mass moves of talent and equipment for Norwegian and international corporations seizing global opportunities. We recently sat down with Hans Christian Strand, Managing Director at Adams Express to get to know more about this segment of the logistics industry and what the future has in store.

Hans Christian Strand, Managing Director at Adams Express

How did your company get started in Norway/US?
Adams Express was founded over 115 years ago in Oslo and continues to be a family-run business today. The company extended operations to Stavanger and Bergen, and employs approximately 50 people. Working with our local partners, we are also able to serve customers in Trondheim and Tromsø.

How did you get to where you are now?
This is an intricate business to learn. We have decades of experience and we are constantly working towards perfecting the relocation process. We start the transition with a consultation appointment to assess the volume, amount and any special requirements. The appointment is followed by a survey report to determine the size of the shipment, method, and logistics of the move. The next step is contacting the receiving agency and if necessary, complete documentation for a country’s regulations.

Adams Express is a member of several international trade organizations, giving us access to information not available to the general public, such as import and export rules and regulations.

What is the key for successful growth in Norway?
Key for successful growth is customer service and reliability – this means making sure that every single move is done right. In the relocation industry it is important to maintain our relationship with our customers and ensure reliable service.

What are the main sectors you service?
Our company primarily works within the private sector – private companies who hired Adams Express to relocate employees within Norway or abroad. However we are able to, and do, move all kinds of professionals all over the world.

What is the most important consideration in dealing with customers?
Recognizing that relocation of an individual or a family to a new place can be a personal and stressful time is crucial. Maintaining professionalism in a challenging situation is important to reassuring customers that they are in good hands.

What are your biggest challenges and opportunities today?
This can be a complicated business, especially with international moves, which are subject to strict regulation and customer requirements, both of which can change often. The relocation industry faces several challenges over the coming years, such as increased regulations, compliance issues, and currency fluctuations. Some countries have become more protectionist to fend off external cultural influences, which makes relocation more difficult and time-consuming.

We are also impacted by industry fluctuations, here in Norway primarily oil and gas, which are drivers of the relocation business worldwide.

The biggest areas of growth are emerging markets. Western markets are reaching a saturation point, and a shift towards emerging markets has begun to occur. The traditional bimodal London and New York City hubs are now multimodal with cities like Singapore and Mumbai.
Where do you see this industry in five to ten years?
We see an increase in the use of technology as the use of electronic payment systems eliminates paper mail and costs, considering this is a documentation-intense industry. Second, the amount of international customers will continue to increase. We work with customers in approximately 100 countries and we expect that number to grow.

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