Geodis opens new Morocco warehouse

Geodis continues to develop its logistics activities in Morocco and has inaugurated a new warehouse located north of Casablanca. This will serve one of the leaders in household appliances and telephony.

With a well-established presence in Casablanca, Geodis has chosen the city of Mohammedia to further expand its activities. The new 11,000 sq m ultra-secure warehouse will be dedicated to the supply chain management of household appliances and high-tech products.

In operation as of today, this new site reflects Geodis‘ ambition to expand in the Moroccan market, particularly to meet the requirements of customers in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector. Geodis is employing nearly 50 people at the site.

Geodis has been established in Casablanca for 40 years. This year we are strengthening our presence in the Moroccan market with two new facilities. On 1st May we opened in Tangiers, and now in Mohammedia. These openings are central to our development strategy which targets the CPG, Automotive and Aerospace verticals,” says Jérôme Algier, Managing Director of Geodis in Morocco.

In Morocco, Geodis operates a total storage capacity of nearly 50,000 sq m and has a staff of 300 employees.

STILL adds NXV narrow aisle truck to range

The new STILL NXV guarantees convenient, safe, and fast warehouse processes. The narrow aisle truck (man-down) is particularly effective in high and narrow warehouse aisles. At storage heights of up to 13.8 metres, the active load stabilisation, and the fork camera help to prevent damage to the racking. In addition, a positioning aid provides extra safety and speed when picking up load carriers.

The new vehicle passed its first practical test in a field study at Bad Heilbrunner GmbH & Co. KG with flying colours. The manufacturer of herbal medicinal teas from Upper Bavaria was so impressed by the new truck that they immediately ordered an NXV.

The test drivers were particularly satisfied with the ergonomic components of the truck. Numerous details, such as the ergonomic driver’s seat with optional tilt technology, the proportional seat and footplate adjustment or the possibility of adapting all operating elements to the driver’s ergonomics, not only make the vehicle particularly comfortable, but also ensure a very good view of the fork tips.

In combination with the Joystick 4Plus, the truck can be operated very smoothly, which leads to a significant increase in turnover.

Camera and positioning aids for more safety

In picking up load carriers, the new cross line laser facilitates the safe and quick positioning of the forks at the right height and in the middle of the load carrier. The camera mounted on the inside of the forks with image transmission to the driver’s monitor provides optimum visibility when picking up the load. In combination with the active load stabilisation, collision damage, breakage of goods and personal injury caused by falling loads are effectively avoided even at great heights.

An optional position laser on the mast supports the horizontal approach to the correct rack position. When the laser pointer aligns with the corresponding mark on the racking, the correct approach position has been reached. With the help of the fork camera, the load is lifted to the correct lifting height quickly and easily.

Variable load pick-up due to turret head fork

The NXV’s turret head fork is suitable for picking up almost any pallet and enables the transfer of load carriers to a conveyor system. Due to the very small dimensions of the pivoting and turnable turret head fork, almost any space in the high-bay warehouse can be optimally used. Pallets can be picked up smoothly and quietly to the right and left of the aisle without having to turn the NXV.

Together with the active load stabilisation, the turret head mechanism makes storage and retrieval more comfortable, faster, and more precise. Another noticeable improvement is the automatic fork cycle, i.e. the automatic extension, lowering and retraction of the turret head fork at the touch of a button.

Semi-automatic shelf approach possible

However, the technical capabilities of the NXV are only fully exploited with the OPTISPEED vehicle concept or the iGo pilot navigation interface. With this, the NXV communicates with the warehouse management system and connects the processes in the warehouse into an intelligent whole.

When the driver receives a transport order, the vehicle knows the next storage location in the high rack to approach. The forklift truck thus independently finds its way through the warehouse aisles. This eliminates the possibility of incorrect retrievals.

Lithium-ion technology for increased availability

The NXV is an efficient and compact bundle of energy that also boasts high availability thanks to Li-Ion technology. As there are no more battery changes and intermediate charging is possible with very short charging times – wherever there are power sockets – flexible use is guaranteed.

In combination with the long service life of the maintenance-free Li-Ion battery, operating costs and CO2 emissions are reduced. In addition, the high vehicle availability is also increased by the – compared to lead-acid batteries – larger battery capacity.

Adapting forklift trucks to customer needs

No two high bay warehouses are alike, as we all know. So, it makes sense to adapt forklift trucks to the customer’s needs – to the loads to be transported, for example, or to the possible growth of the company. Thanks to their modular design, STILL narrow-aisle trucks can be configured specifically to meet the operator’s needs.

Different battery compartments, masts or telescopic and turret head forks are used. This also applies to the new NXV. Due to its scalable dimensions, it can be used very flexibly even in the tightest spaces with loads of up to 1.5 tonnes.

70% of businesses experience Brexit delays

EU import and export delays are slowing the flow of goods between France and the UK according to a new tool from the French Chamber of Great Britain, in partnership with global data science consultancy, Ekimetrics. 70% of British businesses are still experiencing increased delays importing goods from Europe six months after Brexit.

Of those businesses experiencing import delays, 75% are seeing them last over a week, with over 18% reporting delays exceeding 3 weeks. With increased regulations and checks coming into force from 1st July, this impact may increase further, with over a quarter (27%) of businesses already reporting a reduction in the volume of their imports.

The French Chamber of Great Britain, which supports Franco-British business, commissioned the new tool to track the impact of Brexit on cross-channel business in the medium to long term.

The data shows that exports to the EU have also been impacted, with nearly half (47%) of firms experiencing delays in Q1 2021, with 22% of those delays lasting longer than two weeks.

Despite the delays, only 17% of firms said the volume of goods being exported to the EU had decreased, with the majority (71%) reporting it had stayed the same. For imports, 67% of firms have reported increased logistics costs, whilst this number was lower for exports, at 48%.

Meanwhile, the UK continues to have strong appeal, with 67% of firms stating that they have kept their UK headcount the same with just over one fifth (21%) of businesses reducing their UK workforce and extending into the EU.

Marilise Saghbini, Managing Director at the French Chamber commented: – “This dashboard will help track the state of Franco-British business, particularly as the pandemic impact subsides, and provide data to help inform decision-makers as they shape the post-Brexit chapter. We can see there are challenges and potentially more to come, but businesses will continue to bring pragmatism to the table, underpinned by the depth and breadth of the Franco-British relationship, to build beyond Brexit and drive jobs and growth so desperately needed in the wake of Covid.”

Matt Andrew, UK Managing Director, Ekimetrics, adds: “Our data analysis reveals a unique window into the true picture of trade between France and the UK, equipping the French Chamber with vital real-time information, enabling it to make dynamic and informed decisions about the support it provides its members.”

The data forms part of a live dashboard created by Ekimetrics for the French Chamber of Great Britain, which monitors the impact of Brexit on businesses operating between France and the UK.

CLICK HERE to view the live dashboard.

syncreon Announces Acquisition by DP World

syncreon NewCo B.V. (together with its subsidiaries, “syncreon” or the “Company”) announced today the Company has successfully entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by DP World, the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe.

DP World has acquired 100 percent of syncreon for an enterprise value of US$1.2 billion. This transaction is subject to customary completion conditions and is expected to close in 2H2021. In FY2020, syncreon reported revenue of $1.1 billion with 57% generated in EMEA (predominantly Europe) and 42% in North America. syncreon has longstanding partnerships with our customers (with relationships averaging 18 years) and high contracts renewal rates.

DP World’s comprehensive range of products and services covers every link of the integrated supply chain – from maritime and inland terminals to marine services and industrial parks as well as technology-driven customer solutions. These services are delivered through an interconnected global network of 148 business units in 60 countries across six continents, with a significant presence both in high-growth and mature markets.

Brian Enright, CEO of syncreon, said: “We are excited to join the DP World group as we believe that syncreon will benefit from the group’s significant expertise in the wider supply chain and excellent relationships with cargo owners. We share the vision of serving our customers through removing inefficiencies and delivering value add solutions. While we have enjoyed great success over the years, we believe being part of DP World will enable us to take the business to other markets and enhance the service offering to our customers.”

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of syncreon, which adds significant strategic value to DP World given its strong logistics solutions capability, and will allow DP World to deliver end-to-end solutions to cargo owners.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.