Despite increased congestion, higher costs and more demanding consumers throughout the EU, the logistics-savvy Netherlands again has proved that it is the right choice for global companies looking for a European base of distribution operations.

A conversation with Dan Ludwig, senior vice president of DHL and head of the company's new office of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Management for the Americas. DHL, a leading global express and logistics company and a subsidiary of Deutsche Post World Net, recently created a new humanitarian and emergency management office to formalize procedures and provide oversight for all the company's regional disaster preparedness and response efforts. This includes management of DHL Disaster Response Team Americas, which is part of a worldwide network of disaster response teams developed in partnership with the United Nations to support humanitarian relief efforts in the international community. Dan Ludwig was tapped to head this effort.

Few analysts predicted the surge of ocean containers that moved across the Pacific in 2006-or the surprising lack of congestion that accompanied it.