Just before he was to turn 75, Gilbert Snauwaert, founder of Algemeen Expeditiebedrijf Zeebrugge (AEZ Forwarding), passed away. Until the last day of his career of no less than 57 years, he helped grow the port and port community.
Gilbert Snauwaert died on Monday 5 August after a lingering illness, shortly before he was due to turn 75 this month. “He was a phenomenon, every day he came to work in good spirits,” said AEZ Forwarding employee Rik Debusschere. He started his career in 1967 in the Zeebrugge office of an Antwerp company, before founding AEZ Forwarding with colleague Julien De Bleeker on 1 July 1983. He also founded travel agency Forward Travel, with offices in his hometown of Dudzele and in Sijsele-Damme.
AEZ Forwarding emerged as an active player in the growth of the port. The office was a hub between cargo customers from all over Europe and the shipping lines calling at Zeebrugge. But equally for assisting mainly British customers in their logistics chains via the Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea. In order to monitor the cargoes closely, AEZ Forwarding built up a network of partners at home and abroad.
Golden location
A tough challenge was the Brexit, for which Snauwaert and his team could partly fall back on his experience from when there were still internal European borders before 1993. He called AEZ’s central location at Doverlaan in the middle of the outer port a golden location. “As is Zeebrugge’s geographical location on the open sea, which allows us to differentiate from Antwerp and Rotterdam with speed of service. A cargo arriving here can be delivered the same day right where in Belgium.”
He was an ambassador for Zeebrugge and felt like a fish out of water in the port community. On the sporting front, he was a supporter of Cercle Brugge and loved cycling. For instance, he surprised champion Guido Reybrouck for the presentation of his biography with a unique venue: P&O Ferries’ ropax ‘Pride of Bruges’, arranged through his numerous contacts.
Until his last day
“He was very happy to be with people and always optimistic. He did not flaunt his health condition and kept working. Even on his last day, he was still explaining how we could do certain things. Gilbert and his wife remained childless but his businesses were his children. We are well organised and can continue working operationally while succession arrangements are made,” Debusschere said.
Gilbert Snauwaert’s farewell service will take place on Saturday 10 August at 11am in the parish church of Dudzele near Bruges. To the family and colleagues, the editors offer their condolences.
