Transport communications

Portcare International is the press relations consultancy for the shipping and logistics industry. Formed by transport people for transport people. We can truly claim to understand our clients’ needs and ‘talk the same language’. Portcare provide effective, value for money PR to some of the industry’s best-known names.

Archives for April 2014

“K” Line – Change of Directors

 

April 30, 2014

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) has decided on the following changes in its board meeting held today, subject to approval at the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on June 25, 2014:

DIRECTORS:

1.   NEW APPOINTMENT

 

New Position Name Present Position
 

Director & Senior                         Managing Executive Officer

 

 

Hiromichi Aoki

 

Senior Managing Executive Officer

 

2.   RETIREMENT

 

Retiring Present Position Name New Position
Director

 

Takashi Saeki Advisor
Director

 

Keisuke Yoshida Advisor
Director

 

Masami Sasaki Advisor
Director & Managing                 Executive Officer Shunichi Arisaka Managing Executive Officer

 

For further details, please contact:

 

Kiyoshi Tokonami,

General Manager, IR & PR Group

Tel: +81-3-3595-5189   Fax: +81-3-3595-5001

“K” LINE PRESS RELEASE : FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR FY2013

30 April 2014

Please be advised that “K” Line has released the following press statements today, which are attached as PDF documents:

・Financial Highlights for FY2013 – http://bit.ly/1iBDO4R

・Payment of Dividends – http://bit.ly/1mbouzU

These statements are also available from their Website both English and Japanese.

http://www.kline.co.jp

For further information, please contact:

Kiyoshi Tokonami

General Manager, IR & PR Group

Tel: +81-3-3595-5189 Fax: +81-3-3595-5001

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line)

 

Geodis Wilson Brings Focus to Oil & Gas Segment in Houston and Announces Exhibit at Offshore Technology Conference

Houston, TX, 28 April 2013

Global multimodal service provider, Geodis Wilson, strengthens its Oil & Gas segment with an expanded task force, a developing client base, and announces its exhibition to this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, to showcase its tailor-made, global logistics solutions.

Geodis Wilson, the global freight management division of SNCF Geodis Group, won a global contract with a global leader in the design, manufacture and sales of Oil & Gas mechanical equipment and components. This win was awarded to the company not only for their expertise in the project logistics field and vast global network in over 60 countries, but was also attributed to the support of the newly invested Oil & Gas team in Houston, Texas, led by Steen Christensen, Global Head of Oil & Gas Division.

“I’m very proud of our team in Houston and across our global network; this accomplishment confirms our aptitude and expertise in the Oil & Gas sector,” commented Steen Christensen, “the Offshore Technology Conference comes at an ideal time for our company to showcase our expanding logistics solutions and growing presence in the market.”

Geodis Wilson will be exhibiting at the renowned Offshore Technology Conference, Booth No. 324, from May 5th to 8th 2014, in Houston, Texas. The company will emphasize its presence as a leading provider of tailor-made logistics and transport engineering solutions for the Oil & Gas industry.

ENDS

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 9.000 employees in more than 60 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated logistics solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson is the freight-forwarding arm of Geodis Group which became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF in 2008. With its 47.600 employees in 60 countries ‘SNCF GEODIS’ ranks among the top 7 companies in its field in the world.

For more information about Geodis Wilson go to – www.geodiswilson.com

Priority Freight confirms its presence at AP&M Europe

London Heathrow, 25 April 2014

Priority Freight, the award winning global lead logistics provider of time-critical freight transport services is again exhibiting at ‘ap&m europe 2014’, Europe’s leading networking event for the Commercial Aviation MRO & Aftermarket. The exhibition is being held in Olympia Grand Hall, London from the 6th to 8th of May.

“The aviation, aerospace and AOG sectors remain areas where a particular type of specialised logistics services such as ours are often called for to deliver parts for both construction and maintenance in a time-critical and reliable manner.” comments Priority Freight’s Group Managing Director Neal Williams.  “Having exhibited at ‘ap&m’ for a number of years my colleagues and I continue to remain impressed by the quantity and calibre of airlines, manufacturers, parts suppliers and maintenance companies that were gathered there.  We certainly want to continue to grow our presence in this dynamic community.”

Priority Freight will be showcasing its expedited freight services that have been honed to the height of efficiency by years of experience in the demanding aviation and automotive sector on Stand C60 at the exhibition this year.  The company has an experienced multilingual staff that operates from six offices located in four European countries. It provides emergency freight solutions to time-critical transport problems 24/7, 365 days a year around the world.

‘ap&m europe’ is proud of the place it holds in the airline supply chain, facilitating business exchanges and contacts between airlines and their technical supply base. Covering the full range of MRO and related services, exhibitors, delegates and visitors between them represent the full spectrum of activities which go into keeping airlines flying.

ENDS

Notes for Editors: 

“Priority Freight is an award winning lead logistics provider of expedited transport services to the aviation sector, where services are tailored to support the demands of AOG and MRO operations.  When parts are needed to keep aircraft operational, we understand the requirements for immediate response.

Our experienced multilingual staff, operate out of 9 offices in 7 countries, delivering global, emergency solutions 24/7, 365 days a year.

Priority Freight’s industry-leading cloud-based IT solution provides visibility and transparency to clients across multiple locations, jurisdictions and continents.

Our mission is to provide the fastest, most economical and time-critical door-to-door global logistics service.  Our expertise lies in air charter, direct express road transportation, express air freight, express on-board air courier and customs clearance.”

 

 

 

Priority Freight Representatives attending ‘ap&m Europe’ include:

 

Neal Williams, Group Managing Director

Gareth Williams, Commercial Director

Gemma Holmes, General Manager, Heathrow

Angela Lynch, Director

Magdalena Swiderska, Business Development Manager

Rachel Moreton, Sales Co-Ordinator

Gabi Dopazo, Business Development Manager

Geodis overseas-india appoints new National Sales Manager – India

Delhi, 24th April 2014

Geodis India announces the appointment of Sascha Von Ometzinski as National Sales Manager. Since April this year, Sascha has the overall responsibility for sales & marketing development of Geodis’ Freight Forwarding and Logistics division in India. 

Sascha Von Ometzinski

Sascha Von Ometzinski’s main priorities will be to strengthen and increase the company’s trade lane activities, particularly with a focus on Brazil, China and the USA, and to expand the business in key market segments such as Fashion, Retail, Industrial, Automotive, Hi-tech and Pharma.

Sascha brings 14 year’s experience in the industry and an in-depth knowledge of the Indian industry into his new role. The Cluster Managing Director for Geodis in South Asia, Leif Voelcker, welcomes the new National Sales Manager: “We are convinced that Sascha’s experience and knowledge of the Indian industry will be a key advantage for us in this fast growing and demanding market.”

As Sascha comments: “I am very glad to come into a position from where I can drive further the development of Geodis in this incredible country. Our ambition must be to continue to boost the level of growth Geodis has already achieved. I’m optimistic to further increase our revenues during the rest of 2014 by focusing on our major trade lanes and vertical market.”

ENDS 

Notes to the Editors:

About Geodis

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With around 9,000 employees in 61 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated logistics solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson – with a revenue of 2,67 bn € in 2013 – is the freight forwarding arm of Geodis Group which became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF in 2008.  SNCF Geodis ranks among the top 7 companies in its field in the world.

For further information about Geodis, please visit www.geodiswilson.com

Evergreen Line Enhances Red Sea Service

April 22, 2014

In preparation for the coming peak season, Evergreen Line is implementing service enhancements for the Red Sea market. The carrier will adjust the port rotation of its Far East – Red Service (FRS) and launch a new feeder loop.  In addition, the line intends to further strengthen its Red Sea service network via slot exchange arrangements with a strategic partner.

This month the eighth ship has been deployed on the FRS service to add a new call at Aden.  The adjustment enables a direct service from Central China, Southern China and Southeast Asia to Yemen.

Employing one vessel of 1,500 TEU, Evergreen Line will also launch a weekly Intra Red Sea feeder service (IRS) in early May.  Furthermore, the line will utilize this new IRS loop for a slot exchange arrangement with X-Press, adding a  service to Hodeidah, Yemen and Djibouti in East Africa via transhipment in Jeddah.

The port rotations of these service loops are as follows:

FRS: Shanghai, Ningbo, Taipei, Xiamen, Shekou, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Aden, Jeddah, Sokhna, Aqaba, Jeddah, Singapore, Yantian, Shanghai

IRS: Jeddah, Port Sudan, Jeddah

IRS2: Jeddah, Hodeidah, Jeddah

IRS3: Jeddah, Djibouti, Jeddah

Employee Motivation: Webster Robertson to Survey How Valued People Feel

Webster Robertson People believe that any logistics or transport company’s greatest asset is its staff.  Every successful organisation in the sector will hold the same belief but is this self-evident truth being successfully conveyed to employees themselves?  A survey to be carried out over three days at the Multimodal Exhibition at the NEC Birmingham (29th April – 1st May) aims to bring greater clarity to the issue of staff motivation.

22nd April, 2014

Webster Robertson People (WRP), consultants in the effective management of human assets, is aiming to measure the degree to which employees in the logistics industry believe they are valued by their company.  The survey, brief and to the point, will represent a snap-shot of the mood of visitors to Multimodal, the largest gathering of transport and supply chain professionals in the UK.  Careful utilisation of assets is an oft-repeated mantra within the industry but it is more normally applied to hardware; trucks, warehouses ships, aircraft, IT systems and the rest.  WRP believes the most fundamental asset of all, a company’s people, are often overlooked because their attributes are harder to assess and their activity more difficult to manage.

WRP’s Principal and Managing Director, Alan Robertson is passionate about addressing what he sees as a fundamental shortcoming of the industry. “We have often heard the trite platitudes peddled by corporate management lauding their teams as the greatest asset of their organisation.  However, we all can point to evidence of poor man-management, lack of training, the promotion of the inept and the unnecessary culling of the talented,” observes Alan.

Alan has a background of operational management in which much of his career was spent sweating mechanical assets to the fullest extent of their potential.  However he has also experienced countless incidents of misuse of the experience, skills and knowledge of staff resulting in a decline in motivation and therefore productivity.  While not alone among service industries in perpetuating these fundamental errors, WRP would strongly suggest that the logistics and transport sectors are among the poor performers when bench-marking employee motivation.

“Many transport services represent tremendous value for their customers.  Constant attention to asset management in order to extract the maximum value is an unending challenge for logistics companies if they are to maintain what is most commonly a meagre profit.  Yet there is little focus on the true value of the individuals that deliver the service.  Aren’t we missing a trick,” asks Alan.

WRP was formed to answer such questions and to help the industry manage its fundamental assets more successfully. The survey at Multimodal will be just the beginning of a more insightful view.  WRP hopes it will begin a better appreciation of not just employee satisfaction but to what extent these primary assets feel they are valued.  And perhaps it will start to answer the question of how they can be better employed.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Webster Robertson:

Established by a team of logistics and freight transport professionals to advise on the most effective means of asset management, Webster Robertson provides a range of services from strategic planning and change management to equipment sourcing and inventory control as well cost minimisation and maximising resource utilisation.

Webster Robertson People (WRP) is a division dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of company personnel through skills training, staff motivation, planned recruitment and advancement programmes and team building.  WRP never loses sight of the fact that an organisation’s most valued asset is its staff.

www.websterrobertson.com

www.websterrobertsonpeople.com

TT Club Signs Partnership in The Philippines

London & Hong Kong, 14th  April, 2014

Specialist transport insurance provider, TT Club has appointed a network partner in The Philippines.  Del Rosario Pandiphil Inc. becomes the seventh such partner that the international logistics and freight handling insurer has in the Asia-Pacific region, underlining the Club’s commitment to provide its Members with both local expertise and global coverage.

From its headquarters in Manila, Del Rosario Pandiphil will be dedicated to handling TT Members’ claims in the most comprehensive and effective manner.  As a Network Partner its operation will be integrated into the Club’s claims IT system and  receive delegated claims handling authority.

Phillip Emmanuel, TT Club’s Regional Director – Asia Pacific has welcomed the agreement.  “The Philippines is a fast-growing and important regional economy with a developing transport and logistics role in both the burgeoning intra-Asia trades and within global trade as a whole.  Our agreement with Del Rosario Pandiphil grows the Club’s global network to the benefit of both our local Members as well as the Membership in general,” he said.

TT Club prides itself on the efficiency of one of its strongest attributes — its global claims service. Its Members’ operations touch every part of the world and as such service provision must be truly international.  “Our appointment of a partner in The Philippines demonstrates the Club’s balancing of focus on the Asian market and the recognition of its continued increasing influence on the global freight transport sector,” emphasised Emmanuel.

ENDS

About TT Club:

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services.  As a mutual insurer, the TT Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.

Customers include some of the world’s largest shipping lines, busiest ports, biggest freight forwarders and cargo handling terminals, to companies operating a handful of vehicles.  TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

www.ttclub.com

Menlo’s Partnership with ArjoHuntleigh Brings Fruitful Results

Amsterdam 14th April, 2014

_DSC0167 Eersel 4 (copy)

Menlo Worldwide Logistics this month marked its 7th year as ArjoHuntleigh’s  global logistics and distribution partner.  The two companies provide an interesting case study that demonstrates the value of a business relationship built on trust and a common vision which at its core emphasizes a continuous improvement ethic that extends deeply into both organizations.

A leader in the manufacture of medical equipment for people with reduced mobility, ArjoHuntleigh focuses on developing mutually beneficial supplier relationships. Menlo, the global logistics and supply chain management unit of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW) has built its customer solutions on a formalized process and proven tools for driving Lean continuous improvement throughout its service portfolio – and into its customer’s supply chain operations. The match has been undeniably successful.

In providing for the care of people who require assistance with mobility ArjoHuntleigh focuses on preventing the preventable and assisting their customers in an increased efficiency.  As such it constantly strives to do the same with its own processes and supply chain.

After a recent period of acquiring companies across the world that manufacture complimentary equipment, ArjoHuntleigh has concentrated on building one corporate structure and one supply chain, while always promoting the elimination of waste and increased efficiency.  “Our supply chain strategy is now concentrated on four major aspects,” explains, Christian Lambrant, the company’s Global Logistics Director, “Optimizing our plant footprint, finding the right suppliers, reducing working capital and using Lean techniques to eliminate waste.  In Menlo we found a logistics service supplier whose values are consistent with our own; whose business philosophy matches ours and whose willingness to develop its global capabilities are in-line with our own growth strategy.”

Menlo, which offers warehousing and transportation management services as well as integrated 3PL and 4PL logistics solutions, has as its core philosophy a value-driven supply chain transformation concept.  The company employs Lean methodologies to achieve a culture of continuous improvement which unites manufacturer and supplier in a mutual optimization exercise.  This method empowers employees of both parties to make beneficial changes to the supply chain process.

Tony Gunn is Menlo’s Managing Director, Europe.  He notes, “Many 3PL/shipper engagements are tactical rather than strategic.  Often shippers, in the main driven by their procurement functions focusing on cost reduction, make short-term choices based on volatile market demands.  In the process they lose sight of greater efficiencies that can transpire from a longer-term partnership with a logistics supplier.”

Menlo and ArjoHuntleigh share a mutual drive to improve supply chain processes as the parameters of change in market forces and the economic environment constantly fluctuate.  Long-term relationships made up of such like-minded organizations as these are proven to be the most successfull in adapting to on-going, challenging business circumstances.

ENDS

About Menlo Worldwide Logistics Europe

In Europe, Menlo Worldwide Logistics maintains seventeen dedicated and multi-client logistics centres located in the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom. This warehouse network can serve as pan-European distribution solution using one or several facilities.

Supply chain and transport management solutions as well as 3PL, warehousing and distribution services are offered to a variety of vertical industry sectors including: fashion & apparel; healthcare and medical equipment; hi-tech electronic and data network equipment; automotive; defense and government services and retail e-fulfillment. The European headquarters is at the multi-client Amsterdam Distribution Centre in the Netherlands.

www.menloworldwide.com/europe

Follow Menlo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MenloLogistics

About Menlo Worldwide Logistics

Menlo Worldwide Logistics, LLC, is a US$1.7 billion global provider of logistics, transportation management and supply chain services with operations in five continents, including North America. As a third-party logistics provider, San Francisco, California-based Menlo Worldwide Logistics’ services range from dedicated contract logistics to warehouse and distribution management, transportation management, supply chain reengineering and other value-added services including packaging, kitting, order fulfillment and light assembly through a strategic network of multi-client and dedicated facilities.

With nearly 20million square feet of dedicated warehouse space in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, and industry-leading technologies, Menlo Worldwide Logistics creates effective, integrated solutions for the transportation and distribution needs of leading businesses around the world. Menlo Worldwide Logistics, LLC, is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), a $5.7 billion diversified freight transportation and logistics company.

“K” Line Pure Car Carrier (PCC) Cooperates with Rescue of 199 Refugees in Mediterranean Sea north of Tripoli

Grand Race, Pure Car Carrier (PCC) operated by “K” Line, rescued 199 refugees in Mediterranean Sea north of Tripoli at request to rescue refugee by MRCC Italy(*). In compliance with the request, the vessel immediately headed for the position and successfully rescued 199 refugees at 5:50 (local time) on April 9. Once refugees were onboard, the vessel crew served a light meal to them and treated some of them who were slightly injured. They safely disembarked at Pozzalo port in Italy on April 10 before dawn.

About “Grand Race”

Captain:Willy A. Doruelo

Flag :Panama

Crew:20 (Filipinos)

Gross Tonnage:50,309 tons

Type of Vessel:Pure Car Carrier

 

(*)MRCC Italy : Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers Italy

 

For further information, please contact:

Jitsuo Narita

Manager, Information & Public Relations Team, IR & PR Group

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. Tokyo

TEL: +81-3-3595-5083  FAX:+ 81-3-3595-5001