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Month: August 2021

Europe Snacks revolutionises warehouse operations

Posted on by David Priestman

Europe Snacks, a major European snack company, has overhauled its warehouse operation in London putting employee health and safety at the heart of its design.

The aim was to improve how goods were stored and moved within the warehouse. This had previously been done with forklift trucks, and although this was efficient, there was a belief that using bespoke mezzanine goods lifts to easily and quickly move the goods between floors would deliver an even more efficient system.

Europe Snacks operates on a 24/7 schedule, and our task was to provide the solution to lift pallet loads, weighing up to 750kg to the upper mezzanine level on a high-intensity duty cycle.

The whole project, from concept to final installation, took just 12 months. Comprehensive training for Europe Snacks‘ diverse workforce was also provided. Ben Francis, UK Distribution Manager, said: “I was particularly impressed with the training that was provided. It was instructional, but very clear and that’s essential for our workforce. Their safety in the warehouse is a key consideration.”

Scissor Tables UK designed, manufactured and installed customised lifting platforms to move goods up to the mezzanine floor, providing an ergonomic solution for warehouse staff. The goods lifts are also operated using a single touch control making them even more efficient to use.

The mezzanine goods lift has integrated both lower and upper levels as a means of transporting pallets of crisps goods between production to Goods Out. The lifts were surface mounted, removing the need for pits ensuring building work was kept to a minimum.

As identified in initial consultation, reducing the activity of the forklift within Goods Out has been fulfilled – increasing safety for employees.

Francis continued: “There’s no doubt this has been an investment for the future in our warehousing capabilities. But it’s also been a real sign of our commitment to the staff’s health and safety – this investment has led to a boost in morale across the whole warehouse.

“These two hydraulic goods-only lifts have revolutionised our warehouse logistics. We are now able to move our goods in a much more structured way, creating a safe and efficient environment for our colleagues. It’s been so successful, we’re considering installing similar solutions at our other warehouses across the UK.”

Geek+ launches smart palletising solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global AMR leader, has launched a new solution for Smart Mixed Case palletising, co-developed with WSR Solutions, a provider of intelligent warehouse management tools.

The solution combines Geek+ autonomous mobile robots and WSR’s intelligent palletising algorithm to help warehouse operators systematically handle the processing of multiple outbound orders in an efficient, safe, and flexible way.

Lit Fung, Vice President of APAC, UK and the Americas at Geek+, says: “We are thrilled to work together with WSR Solutions to provide a tool that targets every aspect of the outbound logistics process, from how goods are stored and moved around the warehouse to how pallets are stacked, streamlining processes by eliminating the need for re-palletisation, and optimising overall space utilisation.”

Based on real-time demand, Geek+ autonomous mobile robots optimise the movement of ordered goods between the storage area and picking station. At the picking station, WSR’s intelligent algorithm support warehouse operators to stack cases of varying weight, height, width, and so on in an optimal way. It is a one-stop solution that takes warehouse automation one step further, allowing operators to not only modernise logistics processes inside the warehouse but ensure agile supply chains through the efficient use of truck space.

Marcel van Schijndel, CEO of WSR Solutions, says: “Together with Geek+ we provide a full framework for the changing market requirements. Innovative mixed palletising solutions that in effect serve one single goal: to optimise the customer’s supply chain with efficient, flexible, and affordable automation solutions.”

The solution has four key components – storage area, buffer area, case picking area, and loading area.

Storage Area

The storage area is built on multiple layers using high-density racking and bulk lifts for more storage capacity. After inbound processing, pallets of incoming goods (donor pallets) are stored in high-density racking. Donor pallets are then moved horizontally by four-way shuttles and vertically by lifts. The system flexibly solves bottlenecks caused by rapid changes in required throughput. With no need for wires and long installation periods, the number of shuttles can be flexibly adjusted to handle changes in required throughput, and peak values can be changed using the system’s scheduling tool.

Buffer Area

Upon receiving the outbound order, items of high outbound volume go to a buffer area between the storage area and the workstation. Upon registering an incoming order, a picking robot picks up the donor pallet from the storage area and moves it to the buffer area for temporary storage. At the buffer area, picking robots streamline the movement of pallets, ensuring the smooth supply and optimal sequencing of source pallets to the workstation.

Case Picking Area

At the workstation, an operator picks cases from a donor pallet and stacks them on an order pallet based on a pre-calculated stacking pattern. The user-friendly interface provides the operator with information on outbound orders such as required type and quantity of goods, and the SAT laser pointer specifies case placement.

If one type of good is included in different orders, picking robots will move the donor pallet of that good to the next workstation, and new donor pallets containing other SKUs will automatically arrive at the previous workstation for continued order picking. The remaining items that do not require further picking will go to the storage area, creating a dynamic transit cycle.

Loading Area

At the loading area, optimally stacked pallets are loaded onto trucks by autonomous forklifts without the need for re-palletisation. By optimising how pallets are stacked it improves truck space utilisation, lowering overall transport costs. The algorithm enables efficient organisation and order sequencing of large-scale, mixed case combinations. It can be tailored to fit customers’ actual business needs for allocation and priority management, making a powerful tool applicable to a wide range of industry scenarios.

Geek+ launches smart palletising solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global AMR leader, has launched a new solution for Smart Mixed Case palletising, co-developed with WSR Solutions, a provider of intelligent warehouse management tools.

The solution combines Geek+ autonomous mobile robots and WSR’s intelligent palletising algorithm to help warehouse operators systematically handle the processing of multiple outbound orders in an efficient, safe, and flexible way.

Lit Fung, Vice President of APAC, UK and the Americas at Geek+, says: “We are thrilled to work together with WSR Solutions to provide a tool that targets every aspect of the outbound logistics process, from how goods are stored and moved around the warehouse to how pallets are stacked, streamlining processes by eliminating the need for re-palletisation, and optimising overall space utilisation.”

Based on real-time demand, Geek+ autonomous mobile robots optimise the movement of ordered goods between the storage area and picking station. At the picking station, WSR’s intelligent algorithm support warehouse operators to stack cases of varying weight, height, width, and so on in an optimal way. It is a one-stop solution that takes warehouse automation one step further, allowing operators to not only modernise logistics processes inside the warehouse but ensure agile supply chains through the efficient use of truck space.

Marcel van Schijndel, CEO of WSR Solutions, says: “Together with Geek+ we provide a full framework for the changing market requirements. Innovative mixed palletising solutions that in effect serve one single goal: to optimise the customer’s supply chain with efficient, flexible, and affordable automation solutions.”

The solution has four key components – storage area, buffer area, case picking area, and loading area.

Storage Area

The storage area is built on multiple layers using high-density racking and bulk lifts for more storage capacity. After inbound processing, pallets of incoming goods (donor pallets) are stored in high-density racking. Donor pallets are then moved horizontally by four-way shuttles and vertically by lifts. The system flexibly solves bottlenecks caused by rapid changes in required throughput. With no need for wires and long installation periods, the number of shuttles can be flexibly adjusted to handle changes in required throughput, and peak values can be changed using the system’s scheduling tool.

Buffer Area

Upon receiving the outbound order, items of high outbound volume go to a buffer area between the storage area and the workstation. Upon registering an incoming order, a picking robot picks up the donor pallet from the storage area and moves it to the buffer area for temporary storage. At the buffer area, picking robots streamline the movement of pallets, ensuring the smooth supply and optimal sequencing of source pallets to the workstation.

Case Picking Area

At the workstation, an operator picks cases from a donor pallet and stacks them on an order pallet based on a pre-calculated stacking pattern. The user-friendly interface provides the operator with information on outbound orders such as required type and quantity of goods, and the SAT laser pointer specifies case placement.

If one type of good is included in different orders, picking robots will move the donor pallet of that good to the next workstation, and new donor pallets containing other SKUs will automatically arrive at the previous workstation for continued order picking. The remaining items that do not require further picking will go to the storage area, creating a dynamic transit cycle.

Loading Area

At the loading area, optimally stacked pallets are loaded onto trucks by autonomous forklifts without the need for re-palletisation. By optimising how pallets are stacked it improves truck space utilisation, lowering overall transport costs. The algorithm enables efficient organisation and order sequencing of large-scale, mixed case combinations. It can be tailored to fit customers’ actual business needs for allocation and priority management, making a powerful tool applicable to a wide range of industry scenarios.

Uzbekistan joins freight loyalty scheme as gateway

Posted on by David Priestman

In a boost to its global trade networks and partnerships, Uzbekistan has today joined the World Logistics Passport (WLP) as a Gateway. The signing event took place in Tashkent and was attended by H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; H.E. Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Republic of Uzbekistan and Mahmood Ahmed Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer, DT World and General Manager of the WLP.

The WLP is a global, private sector-led initiative designed to smooth the flow of global trade, unlock market access and provide economic efficiencies to members. With its global presence, it is providing benefits to members such as priority handling and faster clearance – helping to reduce supply chain costs and increase trade volumes.

The WLP will bring increased traffic and revenues for Uzbekistani traders, will increase visibility of Uzbekistan to the WLP global network and will boost global connectivity. The Government of Uzbekistan will also be on hand to facilitate and support traders in Uzbekistan to register as WLP members.

With the World Bank predicting that the country’s economy will grow by 4.8% in 2021, this partnership is set to spur trade between Uzbekistan and the world. Uzbekistan is Central Asia’s largest consumer market, and a leading exporter of cherries, apricots, and carrots. With its growing economy driving domestic consumption complemented by demand for exports, the country’s trading ecosystem is set to unlock numerous benefits.

As a Gateway, Uzbekistan will be able to access the benefits of the WLP when trading via the UAE, where it joins a network of Hubs and many other Gateways that span Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Other countries that are part of the WLP network include India, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Senegal, South Africa, and the UAE, amongst others.

Mahmood Ahmed Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer, DT World and General Manager of the WLP, said: “We are delighted to welcome Uzbekistan to the World Logistics Passport. Our program helps countries grow their economies and create jobs by boosting trade and making their products more competitive and accessible through more efficient supply chains.

“As Uzbekistan continues its export-driven economic program, traders in the country will now be able to expand and discover opportunities through our network of Hubs and Gateways across Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.”

H.E. Laziz Kudratov – First Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said: “WLP membership is great news for traders and freight forwarders who will benefit from a network of multimodal trade Hubs across the global South by delivering time- and cost- efficiencies. We look forward to the development of Uzbekistan as a WLP Gateway, opening up new opportunities for the country”.

The WLP is a unique loyalty program which overcomes non-tariff trade barriers by incentivizing increased trade through more efficient and cheaper trade processes. Traders and freight forwarders get increased benefits the more they trade through member Hubs. The Benefits include cost and time savings, and faster customs clearances. Unlocking these Benefits allows nations and regions to gain access to new markets, diversify trade in existing products, and increase market shares in key export products in developing economies. As demonstrated in fully operational Hubs, traders and freight forwarders that are members of the WLP can expect to have an annual increase in trade on average of up to 5-10%. Free to join, the WLP is inclusive, covering the entire trade ecosystem from freight and logistics to trade finance.

Uzbekistan joins freight loyalty scheme as gateway

Posted on by David Priestman

In a boost to its global trade networks and partnerships, Uzbekistan has today joined the World Logistics Passport (WLP) as a Gateway. The signing event took place in Tashkent and was attended by H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; H.E. Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Republic of Uzbekistan and Mahmood Ahmed Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer, DT World and General Manager of the WLP.

The WLP is a global, private sector-led initiative designed to smooth the flow of global trade, unlock market access and provide economic efficiencies to members. With its global presence, it is providing benefits to members such as priority handling and faster clearance – helping to reduce supply chain costs and increase trade volumes.

The WLP will bring increased traffic and revenues for Uzbekistani traders, will increase visibility of Uzbekistan to the WLP global network and will boost global connectivity. The Government of Uzbekistan will also be on hand to facilitate and support traders in Uzbekistan to register as WLP members.

With the World Bank predicting that the country’s economy will grow by 4.8% in 2021, this partnership is set to spur trade between Uzbekistan and the world. Uzbekistan is Central Asia’s largest consumer market, and a leading exporter of cherries, apricots, and carrots. With its growing economy driving domestic consumption complemented by demand for exports, the country’s trading ecosystem is set to unlock numerous benefits.

As a Gateway, Uzbekistan will be able to access the benefits of the WLP when trading via the UAE, where it joins a network of Hubs and many other Gateways that span Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Other countries that are part of the WLP network include India, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Senegal, South Africa, and the UAE, amongst others.

Mahmood Ahmed Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer, DT World and General Manager of the WLP, said: “We are delighted to welcome Uzbekistan to the World Logistics Passport. Our program helps countries grow their economies and create jobs by boosting trade and making their products more competitive and accessible through more efficient supply chains.

“As Uzbekistan continues its export-driven economic program, traders in the country will now be able to expand and discover opportunities through our network of Hubs and Gateways across Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.”

H.E. Laziz Kudratov – First Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said: “WLP membership is great news for traders and freight forwarders who will benefit from a network of multimodal trade Hubs across the global South by delivering time- and cost- efficiencies. We look forward to the development of Uzbekistan as a WLP Gateway, opening up new opportunities for the country”.

The WLP is a unique loyalty program which overcomes non-tariff trade barriers by incentivizing increased trade through more efficient and cheaper trade processes. Traders and freight forwarders get increased benefits the more they trade through member Hubs. The Benefits include cost and time savings, and faster customs clearances. Unlocking these Benefits allows nations and regions to gain access to new markets, diversify trade in existing products, and increase market shares in key export products in developing economies. As demonstrated in fully operational Hubs, traders and freight forwarders that are members of the WLP can expect to have an annual increase in trade on average of up to 5-10%. Free to join, the WLP is inclusive, covering the entire trade ecosystem from freight and logistics to trade finance.

Refrigerated lorry fleet electrified to reduce emissions

Posted on by David Priestman

FRIGOBLOCK, one of the leading suppliers of transport refrigeration units in Europe and brand of Thermo King®, collaborated with BIOGROS, a Luxembourgish wholesaler and distributor of bio products and part of Oikopolis Group, put the first fully electric refrigerated truck on Luxembourg’s roads. As part of the project, FRIGOBLOCK equipped the prototype MAN eTGM truck with the inverter driven FK25i refrigeration unit. BIOGROS calculates that in the first eight months of operations they saved over 2900 litres of diesel equalling to approximately 9.4 tonnes of CO2, compared to similar diesel-fuelled truck in their fleet. By end of the year, they expect to save a total of approximately 22 tonnes of CO2, more than 20% of their entire fleet’s emissions.

Environmental responsibility and operating in a sustainable manner are part of BIOGROS’ culture. In late 2020, as part of their strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and decrease fuel consumption, BIOGROS decided to expand its distribution fleet with a new refrigerated e-truck, the first one to operate on Luxembourg roads. To find the most efficient, electric refrigeration unit for the prototype MAN eTGM truck, BIOGROS reached out to Gradius, Thermo King’s official dealer in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The truck required a refrigeration unit, which could work fully on electric power and that could be connected and powered by the truck’s main battery with low impact on the vehicle’s operational range. FRIGOBLOCK’s FK25i unit ticked all the boxes.

“When planning our transport and logistics operations, we have always looked for the best possible compromise between the protection of the environment and food safety,” said Marco Gasper, logistics manager at BIOGROS. “BIOGROS recently received the Lean & Green 2 Stars-Award thanks to the restructuring and the optimisation of our logistic processes to reduce the CO2 emissions. Our collaboration with FRIGOBLOCK is part of this success.”

“Part of our philosophy is to be close to our customers and provide them with turnkey solutions that are right both from an operational and a sustainability point of view,” said Samer Hawat, area sales and service manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, Thermo King. “We’re proud to work with BIOGROS and be part of this important project, which emphasized the importance of green, quiet and environmentally friendly transport.”

BIOGROS’ 26 tonnes eTGM truck with FRIGOBLOCK FK-25i can carry 18 pallets and has an autonomous reach of up to 200km. This is perfectly suitable for the BIOGROS’ regional distribution of organic food, which is characterised by a lot of stop-and-go operations. One of the additional key advantages of the refrigerated vehicle is the virtual absence of noise pollution, which contributes to whisper-quiet and zero-emission deliveries.

“For years, we have worked closely with BIOGROS providing them with immediate support and specialist advice when and where they needed it,” said Paulo Marques, account manager at Gradius. “Knowing their operations and requirements well, we could offer them with the right refrigeration solution to help maximise the results of this project.”

“With Gradius’ support and FRIGOBLOCK’s expertise we were able to achieve significant savings with the new vehicle. Along with the CO2 emissions that shrank from 97 kg to 1.3 kg per 100 km, the energy consumption is also by two thirds lower than the one of a regular diesel truck,” said Marco Gasper. “We believe the fleet electrification in the retail sector is a trend that is set to continue. Working with Thermo King and FRIGOBLOCK will help us ensure high performing, reliable and sustainable refrigeration for our current and future fleet.”

Refrigerated lorry fleet electrified to reduce emissions

Posted on by Keith McKinley

FRIGOBLOCK, one of the leading suppliers of transport refrigeration units in Europe and brand of Thermo King®, collaborated with BIOGROS, a Luxembourgish wholesaler and distributor of bio products and part of Oikopolis Group, put the first fully electric refrigerated truck on Luxembourg’s roads. As part of the project, FRIGOBLOCK equipped the prototype MAN eTGM truck with the inverter driven FK25i refrigeration unit. BIOGROS calculates that in the first eight months of operations they saved over 2900 litres of diesel equalling to approximately 9.4 tonnes of CO2, compared to similar diesel-fuelled truck in their fleet. By end of the year, they expect to save a total of approximately 22 tonnes of CO2, more than 20% of their entire fleet’s emissions.

Environmental responsibility and operating in a sustainable manner are part of BIOGROS’ culture. In late 2020, as part of their strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and decrease fuel consumption, BIOGROS decided to expand its distribution fleet with a new refrigerated e-truck, the first one to operate on Luxembourg roads. To find the most efficient, electric refrigeration unit for the prototype MAN eTGM truck, BIOGROS reached out to Gradius, Thermo King’s official dealer in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The truck required a refrigeration unit, which could work fully on electric power and that could be connected and powered by the truck’s main battery with low impact on the vehicle’s operational range. FRIGOBLOCK’s FK25i unit ticked all the boxes.

“When planning our transport and logistics operations, we have always looked for the best possible compromise between the protection of the environment and food safety,” said Marco Gasper, logistics manager at BIOGROS. “BIOGROS recently received the Lean & Green 2 Stars-Award thanks to the restructuring and the optimisation of our logistic processes to reduce the CO2 emissions. Our collaboration with FRIGOBLOCK is part of this success.”

“Part of our philosophy is to be close to our customers and provide them with turnkey solutions that are right both from an operational and a sustainability point of view,” said Samer Hawat, area sales and service manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, Thermo King. “We’re proud to work with BIOGROS and be part of this important project, which emphasized the importance of green, quiet and environmentally friendly transport.”

BIOGROS’ 26 tonnes eTGM truck with FRIGOBLOCK FK-25i can carry 18 pallets and has an autonomous reach of up to 200km. This is perfectly suitable for the BIOGROS’ regional distribution of organic food, which is characterised by a lot of stop-and-go operations. One of the additional key advantages of the refrigerated vehicle is the virtual absence of noise pollution, which contributes to whisper-quiet and zero-emission deliveries.

“For years, we have worked closely with BIOGROS providing them with immediate support and specialist advice when and where they needed it,” said Paulo Marques, account manager at Gradius. “Knowing their operations and requirements well, we could offer them with the right refrigeration solution to help maximise the results of this project.”

“With Gradius’ support and FRIGOBLOCK’s expertise we were able to achieve significant savings with the new vehicle. Along with the CO2 emissions that shrank from 97 kg to 1.3 kg per 100 km, the energy consumption is also by two thirds lower than the one of a regular diesel truck,” said Marco Gasper. “We believe the fleet electrification in the retail sector is a trend that is set to continue. Working with Thermo King and FRIGOBLOCK will help us ensure high performing, reliable and sustainable refrigeration for our current and future fleet.”

Antwerp port expansion for reefer shipper

Posted on by David Priestman

Seafrigo’s recently-launched joint venture with Antwerp Cold Stores, combined with its new LCL (Less-than-Container) reefer service between the Belgian city and New York in the USA, is proving so popular with customers that the logistics provider is now looking to further expand its operations and capacity in the port.

Antwerp is set to play an important role in the further development of the Seafrigo Group, which is headquartered at Le Havre in France. Demand in the USA for high quality Belgian products such as chocolate and biscuits has surged over the last 12 months and in order to support the further development of the trade lane the Seafrigo Group is now looking at taking on an additional warehouse in the Port of Antwerp with at least 25,000 pallet positions for temperature-controlled cargo.

As a result of the joint venture, which became effective in April this year, Seafrigo and Antwerp Cold Stores are already the leading player in Belgium for temperature-controlled perishable goods handling and storage. An expansion of the port facility will further enhance their combined market position.

Says Seafrigo Belgium’ Managing Director, Ben Van Wolput (pictured): “Food logistics really does require specialist knowledge and capabilities. Combine that with our commitment to the highest possible service standards and we believe it makes our service offerings really stand out. The US market for luxury Belgian foods is immense and relies on a global player such as Seafrigo with in-house expertise on both sides of the Atlantic to deliver the goods in perfect condition. These specialist products demand the expertise that our highly trained teams can deliver end-to-end and we are hugely optimistic about the ongoing demand for this service between Antwerp and New York”.

Seafrigo’s temperature-controlled warehouse at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey is the ideal entry point to the USA for the LCL service from Antwerp as, within its own hub, the company can handle deconsolidation and Customs formalities, and then deliver on its own dedicated refrigerated trucks, so maintaining the integrity of the cold chain right through to ultimate destination. “Seafrigo USA is proud to offer tailored services based on a large, scalable multi-temp warehouse network,” adds Van Wolput.

The addition of its own temperature-controlled handling capabilities at Antwerp has created a European hub within the Seafrigo network with a focus on growing Europe-US services. It can also now offer customers a growing number of new route options and destinations for their perishable exports, based on the port’s extensive worldwide sailings. Antwerp’s accessibility by road and rail to all the important industrial areas of Europe means Seafrigo customers located over a wide radius from the port can use it as a hub for their international traffic.

Antwerp port expansion for reefer shipper

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Seafrigo’s recently-launched joint venture with Antwerp Cold Stores, combined with its new LCL (Less-than-Container) reefer service between the Belgian city and New York in the USA, is proving so popular with customers that the logistics provider is now looking to further expand its operations and capacity in the port.

Antwerp is set to play an important role in the further development of the Seafrigo Group, which is headquartered at Le Havre in France. Demand in the USA for high quality Belgian products such as chocolate and biscuits has surged over the last 12 months and in order to support the further development of the trade lane the Seafrigo Group is now looking at taking on an additional warehouse in the Port of Antwerp with at least 25,000 pallet positions for temperature-controlled cargo.

As a result of the joint venture, which became effective in April this year, Seafrigo and Antwerp Cold Stores are already the leading player in Belgium for temperature-controlled perishable goods handling and storage. An expansion of the port facility will further enhance their combined market position.

Says Seafrigo Belgium’ Managing Director, Ben Van Wolput (pictured): “Food logistics really does require specialist knowledge and capabilities. Combine that with our commitment to the highest possible service standards and we believe it makes our service offerings really stand out. The US market for luxury Belgian foods is immense and relies on a global player such as Seafrigo with in-house expertise on both sides of the Atlantic to deliver the goods in perfect condition. These specialist products demand the expertise that our highly trained teams can deliver end-to-end and we are hugely optimistic about the ongoing demand for this service between Antwerp and New York”.

Seafrigo’s temperature-controlled warehouse at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey is the ideal entry point to the USA for the LCL service from Antwerp as, within its own hub, the company can handle deconsolidation and Customs formalities, and then deliver on its own dedicated refrigerated trucks, so maintaining the integrity of the cold chain right through to ultimate destination. “Seafrigo USA is proud to offer tailored services based on a large, scalable multi-temp warehouse network,” adds Van Wolput.

The addition of its own temperature-controlled handling capabilities at Antwerp has created a European hub within the Seafrigo network with a focus on growing Europe-US services. It can also now offer customers a growing number of new route options and destinations for their perishable exports, based on the port’s extensive worldwide sailings. Antwerp’s accessibility by road and rail to all the important industrial areas of Europe means Seafrigo customers located over a wide radius from the port can use it as a hub for their international traffic.

Yale adds Bahrain to dealer network

Posted on by David Priestman

Yale Europe Materials Handling is increasing its footprint in the Middle East with the appointment of a new dealer in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Banz Trading & Contracting WLL will be the exclusive sales and service dealer of Yale® products in the region.

Banz Trading & Contracting WLL was founded in 1948 and is one of the oldest and most respected trading, engineering and contracting companies in Bahrain. Boasting over 70 years of expertise, the company has built a strong customer base of prominent clientele across many industries.

“We are delighted to welcome Banz Trading & Contracting WLL to the Yale dealer network and increase our coverage in the Bahrain market,” said Peter Madoc-Jones, Territory Manager MEA at Yale. “The company’s mission statement ‘Value Addition with Care and Commitment’ aligns perfectly with our own ‘People. Products. Productivity’ philosophy.”

“Our customers are looking for both extremes – high performance and quality at an optimum price. We share the same commitment as Yale to deliver high quality products, the lowest lifetime cost of ownership and outstanding customer satisfaction to customers in Bahrain,” said Shafeeq Ahmed, General Manager of Banz Trading & Contracting WLL.

Strategically situated in Sitra Industrial Area with over 100 staff, the company’s one-stop facility houses an engineering workshop, pump assembly workshop, fabrication unit for shelving and doors assembly, covered painting booth, stores and a sales office.

Customers of Banz Trading & Contracting WLL have service teams on standby to provide round-the-clock support whenever they are needed to help keep their operations running smoothy.

“We were founded over 70 years ago to provide Tier-1 products to the Bahrain market, and provide the service that is expected from our clients when purchasing these products,” explained Mr Ahmed. “We believe this makes Yale a natural fit to our offering, and we look forward to helping the company increase its market share in Bahrain with new sales, rentals and full-service activities at the heart of our partnership.”

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