GTO is a family company originally founded in 1933, which is still under full private ownership today. Throughout the years, all growth in GTO activities was achieved autonomously. The activities started with the local distribution of dairy products in and around the province of �Zuid-Holland�.

In the early 70�s the Dutch Telecom Company, P.T.T. (today KPN), required a specialized transport for the national distribution of telephone exchanges and peripheral equipment and the on-site delivery of this equipment. This was in connection with the large-scale replacement and expansion of the telephone network within the Netherlands. In partnership with P.T.T., GTO used its expert knowledge and established distribution network in urban areas to devise and realize a transport concept, implemented on a project basis.

Another market segment in which GTO proved an initiator was temperature-controlled transport between Scandinavia and the Iberian peninsula. During the early 80�s, GTO was approached to offer logistic solution for the movement of fresh fruit and vegetables from areas like Southern Spain to the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland. In view of Holland�s central location, it proved to be the ideal site from which to direct these activities.

The advent of the sea container was another development of which GTO took full advantage. As one of the first logistic companies in the Netherlands GTO was to recognize the potential of this transport unit as a way of expanding the service package to clients and to enable to offer multimodal transport solutions and services.

Supported by all previously mentioned expertise GTO decided to make its first steps into the Russian market. At first the main activities merely involved temperature-controlled cargo, but the success of this venture rapidly led to the development of complete transport services for this market. The further expansions into the opening markets of Central and Eastern Europe was conducted from the opposite direction: GTO used its knowledge, experience and logistic network in Russia to move into these countries. In contrast with many of our competitors, GTO did not expand eastwards, but opened up the West from the East.

GTO decided to centralize its extensive service package at the current location in Rotterdam since 1994. In the Botlek-area, GTO has optimized the present activities through central coordination, thus realizing a new logistic concept. This concept is based on handling shipments arriving by sea container in Rotterdam, in which control of specialized cargo flows, volume processing and cross-docking operations have become key focus areas.

Needless to say that time-critical deliveries are usually part of logistic concepts. The most efficient solution when time is the determining factor is to transport goods to their destination by plane. To do this effectively, to be present at Schiphol airport is a must. GTO therefore opened a subsidiary in Hoofddorp, situated right next to Schiphol airport.

As a direct result and at the same time GTO's biggest highlight so far was reached in 1997 when GTO achieved 17th place in the annual top-100 list of fastest-growing autonomous companies in the Netherlands (Source: Elsevier magazine).

In the long history of GTO as a transport organisation, our motto has always been:

"GTO doesn't see the problem; we accept the challenge"

By this motto we have always sought solutions that enable us to offer the appropriate transport modality and functionality to our wide range of clients. By accepting the challenge, instead of viewing new developments as a threat or a problem, GTO has consistently succeeded in opening up new markets for our existing and potential clients.