'From a grumpy business to a confident operator' - Outgoing boss Frans Calje on PD Ports' transformation

PD Ports is set for a new chapter as chief executive Frans Calje prepares to stand down. Here, in an exclusive conversation with Bdaily, Frans reflects on a decade at the helm of the national operator, revealing how careful long-term planning - and building on the vision of his predecessors - has transformed the organisation from a "stale, grumpy business that did not like change to an engaged, confident and battle-ready operator". Looking back on infrastructure investment, cultural change and decisions that shaped the company, he also reveals why chief executive-designate Paul Foreman is the right person to lead PD Ports - whose estate includes Teesport and sites in Immingham, on the Humber Estuary; Groveport, on the River Trent; Felixstowe; and the Isle of Wight - into its next era of success.

When I arrived in Teesside in 2008, PD Ports was a business with great intentions, but one that had stood still for too long.

It was steeped in tradition and heavily shaped by the industrial landscape that had dominated this region for more than 50 years – steel, oil and chemicals. 

Those sectors had been the backbone of Teesside, but even then it was clear the world around us was changing and that PD Ports had to change with it.

The credit for recognising that early belongs to two of my predecessors: Graham Roberts and David Robinson. 

Graham saw, as far back as 2003, that the business could not remain dependent on a few major industrial customers. 

He understood steelmaking in the UK faced serious challenges, that the North Sea oilfields were coming towards their natural end and that the chemical sector would face its own pressures in time. 

David then took that vision when he became chief executive and began to turn it into reality, with a new focus on containers, logistics and warehousing.

My background is in container terminals at major ports, and I was brought in by David to help execute his strategy. 

When I first walked around Tees Dock, I saw a business that had not been given the care it needed by previous owners. 

I asked myself where we should start, and the answer was always the same: greatness starts with sorting out the small things.

If people work in a tidy and well-managed environment, things grow from there. 

Better standards lead to better service, better service builds customer confidence and customer confidence creates the conditions for growth.

We were fortunate that Brookfield came in as shareholder at a similar time. 

It understood the strategy David had set out and had the confidence to back it, including the biggest investment the business had made in 40 years through the redevelopment of the container terminal at Tees Dock. 

That investment was about more than infrastructure; it was about making PD Ports a stronger, more resilient business.

Over time, we moved from being reactive to proactive. 

We worked hard to engage our people, our customers, our stakeholders and our shareholder.

We began to win market share and build confidence in what PD Ports could offer, not just as a port operator, but as a logistics business serving customers across Teesport and Hartlepool, while also growing our assets in the Humber at Groveport and Howden, plus operations in Felixstowe and beyond.

From the outset, I knew that company culture mattered just as much as the commercial strategy. 

I have always believed in collaboration and engagement, rather than strict hierarchy. 

Some people have called it ‘Dutch liberalism’, but to me it is simply common sense. 

You have to spend time in the business, especially in operations, and understand the people doing the work.

What I found was a workforce that wanted PD Ports to succeed; people were proud of this business. 

Once they understood the direction of travel, they supported it right across the organisation, from the operatives on the dock and in logistics to colleagues in head office and our shareholder.

That mattered enormously when the Redcar steelworks closed. 

We knew it was coming one day, but nobody was ready for the speed of it. 

Within 48 hours, it was gone. 

The impact on PD Ports was immediate and significant, but the work we had already done meant we were as ready as we could be.

One of the things I am most proud of is that we preserved employment through that period. 

It took a huge collaborative effort between the leadership, the shareholder and the workforce.

We kept people on, probably beyond what was economically sensible, because we knew we would need their skills when the business bounced back. 

David said you cannot cost-cut your way out of a crisis and he was right.

It meant that when I became chief executive in 2017, the foundations were already strong, despite the upheaval of the steelworks closing just one year earlier.

We had invested in our infrastructure, both in bulks and unitised cargo, and we had a business that understood why diversification mattered. 

We were no longer dependent on a small number of major customers that could take us down with them if they failed. 

We had become multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted and far more resilient.

That strength showed again during COVID-19; we never missed a beat.

PD Ports understood its role in keeping food, energy and building materials moving for the country, and our people understood how important they were. 

I did not have to tell the organisation what to do. 

In many ways, they told me what mattered and that made my job much easier.

Looking back, the change has been remarkable. 

PD Ports has gone from a stale, grumpy business that did not like change to one that is engaged, confident and battle-ready. 

Its customer base is broader, its operations are more diverse and its culture has changed for good.

That matters because the challenges ahead will be different again. 

Economic headwinds, changing markets and the energy transition will all require focus, ideas and resilience.

I have absolute confidence in Paul Foreman as he takes on the role of chief executive.

Paul is a man who knows PD Ports inside out. 

He understands the business, its people and its customers, and he understands the weight – and the opportunity – of the challenges on the horizon.

I can say with absolute confidence that my ten years leading PD Ports have been the highlight of my career. 

I will always be grateful for the welcome I received, not just from colleagues across PD Ports, but from the whole of Teesside. 

People here were always willing to engage with me in a positive way. 

They gave me their trust and I like to think I gave them mine in return.

I leave PD Ports a stronger, more resilient business, with a workforce that gives its all every day. 

I will keep watching and look forward to seeing what those people go on to achieve, for the business, for Teesside and for themselves.

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