D&C Announces Closure of Container Depot Located in Placilla

D&C Depósitos Division announced the closure of its container facility located in Placilla, Valparaíso, due to financial unviability caused by a reduction in its local operational volume, assuring that the situation does not affect the continuity of its other terminals.

The measure would take place "due to the reconfiguration of shipping line services in the region's terminals and the growing processes of vertical integration in the industry. We have found it necessary to proceed with the closure of operations at the container depot located in Placilla, Valparaíso," the company stated.

"We want to emphasize that this measure strictly responds to an asset optimization process in light of the current environment of the depot sector in central Chile. D&C maintains continuity in the rest of its operations," it added.

Through a letter addressed to employees, the General Manager of Depósitos y Contenedores, Marcelo Hozven, explained that "those of us who are part of the industry have observed that the depot business is facing deep and irreversible structural transformations: high concentration of shipping lines; diversion of services to other terminals in the region, and a strong process of internalization of depot services by shipowners."

"All of the above drastically reduced the local operational volume of our depot in Placilla, making its continuity unviable. Having exhausted all commercial avenues to reverse this situation, we find ourselves needing to terminate the operations of the Valparaíso container depot terminal," he added.

"This has been one of the most painful decisions for the administration, as it has involved the departure of a valuable group of collaborators, people who contributed to the development of the terminal and whom we want to thank for their daily dedication and effort, allowing us to provide excellent service to our clients for years," the document highlighted.

Thus, the statement emphasized that the measure would respond "exclusively to the reality of the depot sector in that locality and does not affect the continuity of the other terminals. Facing market changes with maturity and realism is what allows us to protect operational continuity and, with it, the job future of the families that make up our organization."

To ensure a transition that does not affect the logistics chain, D&C Depósitos indicated that administrative and commercial staff will remain operational to provide comprehensive support for client needs.

Regarding suppliers, it was emphasized that D&C will remain fully functional as an authorized service center, responding with factory warranties and after-sales technical service.