Month: February 2019

Safety barrier manufacturer and exporter A-SAFE has made the HSBC International Track 200 league table for the second year running. After achieving 68% average international sales growth over two years, the safety barrier expert achieved place 78, outranking their previous position of 82.

The International Track 200 ranks mid-market companies with the fastest-growing international sales. A-SAFE has been recognised by the Sunday Times for export excellence five years in a row, making the Export Track 100 for SME’s in 2017, 2016 and 2015.

The 200 selected companies include a host of renowned British businesses such as Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, BrewDog and Bulk Powers.

A-SAFE’s position in the league table comes at an exciting time for the company, who have recently achieved the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade Category. The award recognises A-SAFE’s outstanding achievement in export and is due to be formally presented to the company in March.

Safety barrier manufacturer and exporter A-SAFE has made the HSBC International Track 200 league table for the second year running. After achieving 68% average international sales growth over two years, the safety barrier expert achieved place 78, outranking their previous position of 82.

The International Track 200 ranks mid-market companies with the fastest-growing international sales. A-SAFE has been recognised by the Sunday Times for export excellence five years in a row, making the Export Track 100 for SME’s in 2017, 2016 and 2015.

The 200 selected companies include a host of renowned British businesses such as Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, BrewDog and Bulk Powers.

A-SAFE’s position in the league table comes at an exciting time for the company, who have recently achieved the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade Category. The award recognises A-SAFE’s outstanding achievement in export and is due to be formally presented to the company in March.

Gulf-based global logistics player Agility today reported 2018 net profit of KD 81.1 million, or 56.06 fils per share, an increase of 18.4% from 2017. Revenue for the year reached KD 1,550.2 million, and EBITDA was KD 154.8 million, increases of 10.2% and 14.5%, respectively.

For the fourth quarter 2018, Agility reported a net profit of KD 22.2 million, or 15.35 fils per share, an increase of 15.1% over Q4 2017. EBITDA for Q4 2018 was KD 40.8 million, an increase of 8.4%.

“Agility has improved profitability for shareholders for 10 consecutive quarters. In 2018, Agility posted double-digit EBITDA growth for the third year in a row,” said Agility Vice Chairman and CEO Tarek Sultan.

Sultan said the company continues to invest in its future by building more than 1 million sqm of new warehousing and industrial facilities across the Middle East and Africa; building, through one its subsidiaries, the $1.2 billion Reem Mall mega project in Abu Dhabi; and investing more than $100 million in Shipa, its digital logistics platform.

Agility Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) revenue grew 8.6% to KD 1,153.1 million in 2018, driven by strong growth across core products. Net revenue also grew by 4.9% year-over-year, with 22.9% net revenue margins, as a result of better air freight yields and stable ocean freight yields. Full year EBIDTA rose 6.3% to KD 35.9 million, attributable to strength in freight forwarding and contract logistics, consistent execution of GIL’s commercial strategy, and management’s focus on efficiency.

On core products: contract logistics grew 8.7% its revenue, and GIL outperformed the market in both air and ocean volumes. GIL air freight tonnage increased 9.2% and ocean freight TEUs grew 6.7% vs. global market air freight volume growth of 4.5% and global ocean freight volume growth of 3.5%.

Imperial Logistics International has named Juergen Mues Chief Operating Officer (COO). He takes up his position on 15 March.

Reporting to CEO Hakan Bicil, Mues (above) will assume overall responsibility for all operational aspects of the business, which employs some 9000 staff at 170 locations in 20 countries throughout Europe, South America and China.

Mues joins Imperial Logistics from SBB (Swiss Railways) Cargo, where he spent 13 of his total of 30 years in logistics, in a variety of senior posts – most recently as its Head of Production, and an Executive Board member. Prior to that, he was Director of Logistics and Informatics at Roche Consumer Health, and Supply Chain Manager at SANOFI, based in Paris and Cologne. He holds degrees from the University of St. Gallen and Cologne University of Applied Sciences.

The appointment of Mues as COO at Imperial Logistics International is part of a rationalization of the business, which is currently geographically diversified and comprises many subsidiaries that are highly-specialized: for example, in hazardous materials warehousing, automotive logistics, chemicals road transportation and inland waterways barge operations.

Explains CEO Hakan Bicil: “Imperial Logistics International is composed of many very strong operators with unparalleled capabilities and track records in their own fields; but few of these currently exploit their potential across all available geographies. In order to realise Imperial Logistics’ ambitious growth plans, we need to take these highly-successful businesses, and create a framework that will support their expansion into new locations. The creation of this new COO position is a key component in facilitating this lateral growth of our businesses.”

Former Doosan executive Tim Waples has been named the new Chief Executive of the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA).

His appointment, which kicks off on March 1, comes at a time when the recruiting and development of engineers within the fork truck sector has reached near-crisis point. In recruiting Waples, whom it describes as a true “fork-trucker” the FLTA will draw upon a lifetime of practical and strategic experience. Having begun his career as an apprentice, he rose rapidly through the ranks, working in both service and sales roles, ultimately becoming head of Doosan where he prioritised engineer training and dealer development.

As a key member of the BITA Board – where he achieved the rare distinction of serving a second term as President – he was influential in the creation of F-TEC, the forklift industry’s dedicated engineering training centre, created in conjunction with the FLTA itself. One of his most pressing challenges will be working with F-TEC and BITA to drive the recruitment of apprentices and encourage ever-greater upskilling.