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Anniversary for USA Logistics Operator

Posted on by David Priestman

A logistics operator with expertise in worldwide transport, cargo-partner USA is delighted to be growing closer to its American-based customers, in a year where the wider business celebrates 40 years in the industry.

Founded in 1983 as an air freight specialist in Vienna, cargo-partner is now a leading global transport and logistics provider with 4,000 employees in 40 countries, and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Today, the company offers air, sea, rail, road transport and warehousing services from over 160 offices globally, including their four branches in the USA.

Headed up by Ralf Schneider, the cargo-partner USA team consists of 100 logistics experts, based across four key cargo-partner offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Clarksville, offering a comprehensive portfolio of worldwide transport and info-logistics services for a wide range of industries.

The cargo-partner offices are positioned in and close by to key transport hubs, with strategic connections to airports, ports, rail and road networks, supporting both local and international businesses with all transport needs.

Ralf Schneider, President cargo-partner USA & Regional Director Americas, said: “We continue to expand cargo-partner’s capabilities, profile and facilities across the USA and are excited to be growing closer to our USA customers. 2023 is an exciting time for the cargo-partner business globally, as we celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary, but our journey here in the US has also been incredible. We’ve now been operational in this country for over 20 years, having founded the first cargo-partner office in New York in 2001. With an impressive portfolio of services, a global network and years of industry experience, our talented cargo-partner USA team can provide customers with tailored and personal solutions to and from any location in the world.”

As well as providing core product services across air, sea, rail and road transport, the USA operations also boasts customs clearance expertise and comprehensive storage and distribution facilities. The two cargo-partner warehouses in Chicago and Clarksville provide dedicated areas for pallet racking, general order picking/packing and short- to long-term storage, across a combined 30,000 sqft of space.

cargo-partner is a privately owned full-range info-logistics provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of air, sea, land transport and warehousing solutions. With 40 years of expertise in information technology and supply chain optimization, the company designs tailor-made services for a wide range of industries to create competitive benefits for its customers all around the world. Founded in 1983, cargo-partner generated a turnover of over 2.06 billion euro in 2022 and currently employs more than 4,000 people worldwide.

Lead Logistics Provider Service Launches

Posted on by David Priestman

Unipart Logistics has launched a major new service offering, positioning itself as a Lead Logistics Provider (LLP). The company believes now is the ideal time to unveil its new proposition with supply chain uncertainty caused by events such as Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine conflict. It says businesses are increasingly looking for a single, trusted and independent LLP which can enable them to achieve strategic transformation through increased resilience, productivity and sustainability across the supply chain.

Central to its proposition is a bespoke, fully integrated LLP platform providing real-time visibility and control to manage a customer’s supply chain, now and into the future. Unipart Logistics, whose customers include Jaguar Land Rover, Airbus, Sky and NHS Supply Chain, has invested significantly in the development of its LLP proposition including a dedicated team of specialists in operations, business development and data analytics.

Ian Truesdale, Managing Director of Unipart Logistics, said: “Until the last few years, we had had a reasonable amount of supply chain stability, but more recent events have changed this and we are now in a period of immense geo-political uncertainty. Our LLP proposition is a natural extension of the services we already provide to many of our customers, including some of the biggest names in automotive, tech and healthcare. We have built true collaborative partnerships with many of our customers, often over many years, and we will bring the same approach as an LLP. The total visibility and real-time information our platform offers businesses make it truly unique. The launch of the LLP offering is an important part of our own growth plans, but also has the potential to accelerate the growth of our customers.”

Adam Jones, Business Development and Sector Strategies Director, is spearheading the LLP service and industry engagement. Adam joined Unipart Logistics in December after 15 years’ experience in supply chain logistics across multiple sectors for companies including DHL Supply Chain, ArrowXL and Wincanton. He added: “Unipart Logistics has the history, knowledge and expertise to deliver an outstanding LLP experience. Our unique platform gives customers the ability to control, design and manage everything in one place and, crucially, in real-time, driving continuous operational improvement.

“Our data-driven platform allows businesses to make decisions today, but also supports planning five years and beyond, future-proofing their supply chain and enabling strategic decision-making.
In addition to increased resilience and productivity, the other major benefit of our platform is its capability to support an organisation’s sustainability goals and net zero targets. We can work with our customers to embed greater sustainability across the supply chain considering the business imperatives of speed, cost savings and efficiencies alongside net zero targets.”

Businesses reviewing their end-to-end supply chain can take advantage of the recently launched Advanced Supply Chain Institute at Unipart House in Oxford where they will be introduced to the new LLP integrated platform inside Unipart’s dedicated supply chain technology and innovation space.

Multimodal Specialist Appoints new Directors

Posted on by David Priestman

KRL, a UK and Ireland based multimodal freight-forwarding business, move into 2023 by announcing two highly significant appointments to support its exciting development plans. David Flaherty becomes Operations Director UK & IE, and Greig Allan becomes Commercial Director UK and IE.

Both are internal promotions of longstanding highly valued employees who have shown clear dedication to the company and its mission, and bring great experience into their important new roles.
“We are thrilled to have David and Greig join the leadership team at KRL,” said Peter Phythian, -KRL Managing Director, “Their dedication to the company and their industry expertise make them invaluable assets, and we have no doubt that they will continue to drive the success of the business in their new roles.”

Greig Allan began his career in logistics at P&O Nedlloyd in Southampton as a transport planner. He then moved to the export desk at P&O in Glasgow before joining JH Hillebrand, a company specializing in the drinks and beverage sector. From there, he worked for DHL Global Forwarding managing a control tower before transitioning to sales with Expeditors. He then joined Kingscote Rojay Limited (KRL) as a sales executive, later becoming the Regional Manager for the north and then the Commercial Manager for the UK. Greig has been instrumental in the growth of KRL’s Scottish branch and has contributed to several milestones and achievements within the company.

David Flaherty began his career in the aviation industry, starting with Aer Lingus in the ground operations department at Dublin Airport. He then moved into the freight world, working in both the import and export departments for Aer Lingus Cargo, before transitioning to the sales department. In this role, David was responsible for supporting all Aer Lingus customers, both big and small, within the Dublin-based freight forwarding community. After a few years, David became the Branch Manager of GeoLogistics Shannon, where he learned to become a multi-modal freight forwarder. In 2008, he opened his own business, Air Aqua Forwarding, which was purchased by the KRL Group five years later. Since joining KRL, David has held several positions within the company, including Ireland Manager, Facilities and Purchasing Manager, Operations Manager UK & IE, and now his current role as Operations Director UK & IE.

KRL is committed to providing opportunities for career progression and development within the company, as demonstrated by the promotions of David and Greig. These promotions not only demonstrate the trust and confidence in the abilities of these individuals, but also serve as a reminder that progression is available at all levels within the organization. From entry-level positions to the highest level of management, KRL encourages employees to take ownership of their professional development and grow within the company. This dedication to internal advancement is key to KRL’s continued success and growth. We look forward to seeing the impact both Greig and David will make as Directors.

Based out of Crawley for over 30 years, KRL provides Multimodal capabilities to it’s client base from its 7 locations across the UK and Ireland, through its team of dedicated freight forwarders customers have access to the full suite of Air, Ocean, Road, Logistics and Customs expertise on a daily basis.

For more than 25 years, KRL has been providing multi-modal and logistics services to clients importing and exporting goods across the borders of the UK and Ireland. KRL have steadily built up an extensive network of partners at over 400 facilities and 13,000 locations across the world that works with KRL to make timely and cost-efficient delivery, collection, and transfer of cargo. Within the UK and Ireland, KRL operate 10 hubs and a modern road haulage fleet. This allows KRL to easily facilitate the pick-up and delivery of consignments to client premises or its hubs, as desired. KRL also offer warehousing facilities, custom packing, and pick and pack services. These value-added services help KRL to better support its specialist supply chain solutions.

Colombian Logistics Service Provider Acquired

Posted on by David Priestman

Leschaco (Lexzau, Scharbau GmbH & Co. KG) announces the acquisition of the activities of the Colombian logistics service provider Coltrans S.A.S. as of December 28, 2022. For more than 30 years, Coltrans has been part of the Leschaco Group’s agent network, so that a trusting and close business relationship already exists on many levels.

With the acquisition, the 500 employees will also move under the Leschaco umbrella. This was the second acquisition in 2022. In February, the Leschaco Group had already taken over Transantartic S.A.C. (TPL), a freight forwarding company based in Lima, Peru. In the Americas, Leschaco has been represented for decades by its own subsidiaries in the USA, Brazil, Mexico and Chile and continues to expand its network in a customer-oriented manner.

Colombia is one of the largest emerging markets in Latin America and offers great growth potential on all global transportation routes.
“We are very pleased to welcome our new Colombian colleagues and customers. The acquisition fits ideally into our already existing network and has a high strategic importance for us. It strengthens our business activities in one of the most attractive economies in Latin America. With this step, we are further expanding our presence in the Americas region, which is key for us, for the benefit of our customers,” says Constantin Conrad, Managing Partner of the Leschaco Group.

Grupo Empresarial Coltrans S.A.S. started its operations in 1988 and is today one of the leading local logistics companies in the Colombian market. The company provides global logistics services including import and export services in different transport modes, as well as customs clearance, warehousing and intermodal transportation. Headquartered in Bogotá, the company also operates offices in the logistics strongholds of Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Pereira, Buenaventura, Cartagena and Ipiales.

“The entry into the Colombian market and the acquisition of the Coltrans product portfolio are an excellent strategic addition to Leschaco’s existing global network. Our local and international customers will benefit from this,” says Martin Sack, Regional Head Americas.
With the new locations in Colombia, Leschaco is now represented in 24 countries. Services in the core business areas of sea and air freight, tank containers and contract logistics are offered at all locations. A variety of value-added services and multimodal transports round off the product portfolio.

The Leschaco Group is a traditional, owner-managed logistics service provider and offers intercontinental logistics solutions for sea and air freight as well as contract logistics and tank container operation. As proven partner for leading companies in plant construction and mechanical engineering, automotive, chemical and related industries, producers of consumer goods and pharmaceuticals. Leschaco offers comprehensive logistics solutions from one single source. Our globally standardised IT–environment guarantees the required high process transparency. The company was founded under the name of Lexzau, Scharbau by Wilhelm Lexzau and Julius Scharbau in Hamburg in 1879. Today, the group is represented in 24 countries worldwide. This network is supported by a carefully selected network of agents. The company insists on a sustainable business development and its headquarters are in Bremen.

Ecolog Makes Senior Appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

Ecolog International, a leading global provider of integrated services and logistics solutions for life support, supply chain, energy and healthcare industries, announced the appointment of Juan Chaparro as Executive Chairman of the Board, as of 01 January 2023.

With over 30 years’ experience as an executive in supply chain management, procurement and sourcing, having worked for globally recognized companies such as Zara (Inditex), Esprit and Primark, Mr. Chaparro brings a wealth of expertise in complex logistics management in fast-paced environments as well as the B2C focus. This aligns with Ecolog’s vision and growth strategy and makes him a valuable addition to the leadership team.

Commenting on his new role, Juan Chaparro said, “Ecolog is a unique organization with distinguished history and the potential to help improve all aspects of the lives of the people it serves, from water and sanitation to catering, healthcare and the wider environment. Its people-driven focus and family-like culture, both internally and externally, are among the many reasons I am excited to be joining.”

Mr. Chaparro’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as Ecolog progresses with expanding its service offering into customized healthcare solutions, clean water and renewable energy as well as sustainable food technologies. With projects in both emerging and established markets catering to various institutional clients, Ecolog is set to leverage its scale and footprint to also provide direct services to consumers.

“This is an exciting phase of the company’s development, investigating how we can mobilize our most valuable asset – our people and their skills – to grow their abilities and expand our capacity to assist more people in more ways. I am eager to contribute in my new role and honoured to lead our incredible team towards new heights of success”, said Juan Chaparro.

About Ecolog

Ecolog International is a global provider of integrated services and sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of diverse range of customers in the humanitarian, healthcare, energy, mining and infrastructure industries. Incorporated over two decades ago in Germany, with the footprint in nearly 40 countries, the company’s service portfolio includes life support, supply chain management, construction, engineering, healthcare and environmental services. Driven by the passion to serve people and communities, Ecolog has an extensive experience in providing fast response solutions, integrated and complex logistics as well as mission-critical operations.

Elanders UK makes senior appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

North Tyneside-based Elanders UK has appointed Martin Ellison to the position of head of business development.

Having previously worked as head of sales and marketing at Cirrus Research, in his new role Martin will head up the UK business development team with a strong focus on growing the businesses supply chain footprint within the fashion & lifestyle and consumer goods sectors.

Elanders UK is part of Elanders Group, a global partner for integrated supply chain solutions with over 90 operations across four continents. It provides flexible and agile solutions for complex supply chains, providing customers with value-added services such as print and packaging resources which are integrated into its core business model.

Ellison said: “This is an exciting time to join Elanders UK and I am looking forward to working alongside the senior management and marketing teams to help grow the business within existing markets and through the sectors we have identified as offering real opportunities for growth.

“We have very ambitious growth plans for the UK, which would see us grow substantiality from our current position. To achieve our goal, we will be appointing additional, skilled people, during the next 24 months.

“As an integrated supply chain specialist, we add real value to customers. We have the ability to manage the supply chain process from initial customer contact through to fulfilment. We offer such a diverse range of services it allows us to be flexible in terms of the solutions we offer our customers and the way we operate the business.”

Kevin Rogers, managing director for Elanders in the UK, said: “It’s exciting times at Elanders, as we have very ambitious growth plans and we will take a real focus on our supply chain capabilities. It’s great to have Martin on board with his many years of experience in business development to guide our already strong performing sales and marketing teams.”

GEODIS announces new leadership in Germany

Posted on by David Priestman

Antje Lochmann has been appointed the Managing Director of both GEODIS’ Freight Forwarding and Contract Logistics activities in Germany. With this appointment, two of the supply chain operator’s lines of business in the country will benefit from her leadership.

Antje Lochmann (43) has many years of experience in the logistics industry and within the GEODIS organization. She joined GEODIS in 2011 and has held various positions in sales, marketing, key accounts and strategic sales planning. She is also one of the youngest senior managers to be promoted within GEODIS’ leadership programme.

Since Antje Lochmann took over the role as the Managing Director of Germany’s Freight Forwarding activities in 2018, she and her team have led the business to continued growth and profitability. Now, she will also manage the Contract Logistics’ line of business in Germany. She will be responsible for 22 locations and around 1,350 employees. Antje Lochmann is a member of the management board of GEODIS’ North, East and Central Europe region and she is based in Hamburg.

“Our Freight Forwarding and Contract Logistics business units will be gathered under the same leadership in Germany in order to create new synergies and to successfully develop the company in accordance with our regional growth strategy,” said Thomas Kraus, GEODIS’ President & CEO North, East and Central Europe. “I am very delighted that with Antje Lochmann we have an excellent and experienced leader for one of our key markets in the region.”

GEFCO tests biodiesel fuel in car transporters

Posted on by David Priestman

In November 2021, GEFCO France and Gardien Transports started testing synthetic biodiesel made from waste oil and fat as an alternative fuel for two car transporters distributing new vehicles in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. This one-year project supports GEFCO France’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from its finished vehicles logistics (FVL) operations.

For these tests, GEFCO France and Gardien Transports have selected Altens PUR-XTL synthetic biodiesel. This alternative fuel is produced exclusively from waste materials, and can be used in regular diesel vehicles without any technical modifications. Compared to standard diesel, PUR-XTL promises to cut CO2 emissions by 85-90% and fine/ultrafine particles by up to 65% on short journeys with 500km of autonomy.

After committing to the EVcom voluntary carbon reduction program in 2019 and Objectif CO2 standards in early 2021, GEFCO France is now testing alternative fuels (natural gas and biogas) and rolling out a programme for its proprietary finished vehicles logistics business focused on four priorities:

Flow optimisation. Transport schedules, plans and loads are regularly revised and optimised to reduce the flow of trucks and avoid empty return journeys whenever possible.

Vehicles. GEFCO France is aiming to upgrade 100% of its FVL fleet to Euro 6 vehicle emissions standards by the end of 2021. Through these upgrades, the fleet’s fuel consumption at 100km already dropped by 10% between 2015 and 2020. GEFCO France is also asking its partners to make similar upgrades.

Drivers. Since 2015, GEFCO France drivers have followed an eco-driving training programme, renewable every two years. At the end of 2020, 80% had completed this training.

Fuel. To monitor equipment performance and optimise maintenance, GEFCO France tractors are equipped with integrated telematic systems to adapt fuel consumption to loads and road conditions.

This partnership further demonstrates its commitment to a more sustainable logistics sector in France.

“Like GEFCO France, Gardien Transports has signed the Objectif CO2 charter to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Frédéric Briand, COO Finished Vehicle Logistics at GEFCO France. “Our partner is committed to moving the transportation and logistics business forward. Gardien Transports’ values reflect our own, providing all the more reason to support its efforts.”

Past the parcel – Amazon vs. Independent BPO

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The fulfilment process encompasses much more than simply shipping orders to customers, writes Kamran Iqbal, Commerce Strategist at PFS. Warehouse management, overseeing inventory capabilities, building positive relationships with reliable carriers, customer service teams, personalisation services, real-time data tracking and understanding compliance updates – these are just some of the ingredients needed to ensure a seamless fulfilment operation that prioritises customer experience. Scalability is a key consideration for retailers.

As such, choosing the right business process outsourcing (BPO) is essential for any e-commerce business. As you might expect, globally recognised Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), is one of the most popular options out there. With an active Amazon seller account, you can add FBA to get your fulfilment services up and running. Selecting products using Amazon’s built-in catalogue, you can use their inventory management tool to market accordingly, then get packing your items safely before appointing one of Amazon’s carriers to ship items to their intended destinations. Customer service agents are also on-hand 24/7.

But are you really getting value for money when you partner with Amazon FBA? Does well-known necessarily mean money well-spent? Brands who care about customer loyalty and upholding their brand values and vision need to dig a little deeper before committing.

Measure for measure

Amazon’s busy supply chains can sometimes be the victim of inventory mismanagement or mishandling as a result. FBA system lags have resulted in negative feedback from sellers directly as delays have seen a drop in their ratings and even worse, cancelled orders. During the early days of the pandemic, Amazon introduced a policy where only inventory that had been classified as “necessities” would be shipped, causing frustration amongst many long-term sellers and putting off potential new partners. Likewise, issues during peak seasons such as last-minute changes to inventory policies, despite having an established API system in place, have made many question the value of Amazon FBA.yh

Products getting lost, or extra inventory showing up after shipments are completed, doesn’t restore seller confidence in the apparent transparency and reliability on stock that Amazon claims to have. Even more upsetting, if items are lost in the Amazon supply chain, a claim must be filed with Amazon for reimbursement. However, Amazon makes a valuation of the lost merchandise as opposed to paying the exact amount originally paid for it – not an ideal setup for retailers.

Advocating the great strength of omnichannel retail and optimising inventory management is key for any appointed BPO. By diversifying fulfilment points, comparing shopping selections, and ensuring stable Distributed Order Management (DOM) technology can route orders to alternative fulfilment facilities, retailers can keep orders moving and maintain customer loyalty.

Being preventative and reactive is the winning combination and will set you up for success. By implementing a full-featured order management system (OMS), customer delivery preferences, shipping time and costs, as well as sustainability initiatives, can be brought to fruition as part of a wider system of inventory management – something which can really be explored by BPOs, other than Amazon.

Battle of the brands

Partnering with Amazon can show that you have the demand and capital to be a key player in e-commerce. Like so many brands, however, your identity can quickly be swallowed up and, to all intents and purposes, eradicated, as shipments are sent impersonally, with the contents inside being wrapped with Amazon logos and no branding or personal touches that set the e-commerce order apart. Scalability is a key consideration for retailers and brands and with customers continuing to revel in a “gifted” experience, that ability to offer the personal touch can make all the difference.

With personalisation services on hand as part of the BPO experience, providers fully deliver on brand ethos and tie the customer to that purchasing journey. Value-added services (VAS) put the brand first, not the BPO; clearly identifying the brand being purchased from directly and eliminating any confusion around the purchase. Working with branded packaging eliminates any vanity – and ensures there are no questions lost in translation further down the line.

Making a success of your fulfilment operation doesn’t end when the package reaches its destination. Being on-hand to answer questions before, during and after items have made it to the customer is essential, especially when things go wrong, or a customer is less than happy with their experience.

Less time spent holding on the phone and instead engaging with social media forums or chat windows is evidently preferable for customers. Amazon FBA has fallen down time and time again here as customers report slow response times and lack of personalised or tailored customer service responses.

The BPO difference

Setting your brand apart, by ensuring multilingual agents are on hand, can make the difference between an abandoned cart and a lifelong customer. A qualified BPO can offer a variety of channels (live chat, email, phone, video, chatbots, social listening and social media monitoring, etc.) to meet customers where they are at any stage of the transaction. Agents can respond to customer service issues quickly and satisfactorily, stopping issues escalating before customers take to forums and other mediums.

Ultimately, it comes down to brand identity. If aligning yourself with a recognised global network is the key determining factor, then Amazon may still come out on top. Companies may believe that partnering with a provider with Amazon’s scale may create legitimacy within their own brand.

But should it be down to the fulfilment provider to establish this legitimacy in the first place?

Scalability is a key consideration for retailers and brands moving from the likes of Amazon to an independent BPO – supporting operations year-round, not just at times of fluctuating demand, such as peak, is essential. Dealing with unexpected surges is crucial – you don’t want your BPO to be surprised. If they are, they cannot call themselves scalable. If recognition is vital to deliver the overall brand ethos, then employing the services of a BPO who has the infrastructure in place to meet these expectations may just push them to the top.

FM Logistic expands Bauhaus contract

Posted on by David Priestman

Third-party logistics company FM Logistic has renewed and expanded its e-commerce logistics contract with the German DIY retailer Bauhaus. The new contract has led to doubling the size of the Lovosice fulfilment centre, in the Czech Republic, from 30,000 to 60,000 sq m.

FM Logistic is managing Bauhaus’ online orders and distribution to consumers in Austria and Germany from Lovosice, a Czech town located near the German border. The cooperation started in 2018. Under the new contract, FM Logistic will handle a broader range of Bauhaus products. Bauhaus is indeed planning to bring the range of products stored in Lovosice from 30,000 to 100,000 SKU by 2030.

“In 2020, we handled 66% more orders than the year before. In 2021, we expect volume to increase by another 34%, which brings us to more than one million orders per year. To support this growth, we have been closely cooperating with Bauhaus to co-design and automate warehouse processes,” says Guilhem Vicaire, Business Solutions Director Central Europe at FM Logistic.

The contract covers further investments in automation. FM Logistic and Bauhaus have set up an on-demand packaging machine to produce the right size box for non-conveyable items. They have also invested in automated sorters and a goods-to-person picking system to improve order processing.

The additional warehousing space was delivered by P3 Logistic Parks. It was inaugurated in October 2021 by Johannes Wechsler, SVP E-Commerce & Digital at Bauhaus, and Jean-Christophe Machet, FM Logistic’s CEO.

“We decided to work with FM Logistic in 2018. Together we have succeeded in setting up an important link in our e-commerce logistics chain. We see FM Logistic as a strategic partner. That is why we have decided to extend our partnership by investing heavily in this fulfilment facility,” said Jérôme Biencourt, head of e-commerce logistics at Bauhaus.

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