GEODIS

Miami & Hamburg, 23 August 2012

As both its cruise-related and cargo vessel supply business increases the Marine Logistics division of global freight management specialists, Geodis Wilson has ramped up its resources in Hamburg.  The new ‘control tower’ will be introduced at the up-coming SMM Conference & Exhibition (4-7 September) in Hamburg.

Geodis Wilson Marine Logistics has established one of its global ‘control towers’ in Hamburg.  Initially, this was to facilitate the successful management of two projects at the German port for Crystal Cruises in May and June.  The Marine Logistics team handled the transport and logistics management of an array of spare and replacement parts as well as other supplies involved in the overhaul and refitting of the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony at the Blohm & Voss dry-dock facility.

Hamburg is now well-established as a cruise hub and its importance as a regular call on liner vessel (both container and break-bulk) schedules, as well as a major port for liquid and bulk cargoes makes it a critical focal point for the delivery of Geodis Wilson Marine Logistics’ rapidly expanding services.

Sergio Herrero, the Vertical Market Director of the Marine Logistics Division explains how the new ‘control tower’ fits into Geodis Wilson’s global strategy.  “Essentially we have a 4PL approach to marine supplies.  We prioritise visibility throughout the supply chain, including vendor performance.  Of course we need the capacity to deliver everything from emergency individual parts to high volume consumables but we always emphasise low inventory costs and a high degree of synergy to increase efficiency for our customers.  To achieve these aims effective information flow and data analysis is essential.  This is the function of our control towers.”

In addition to providing a source of the skill sets and expertise required, Hamburg’s diversity of marine activity provides synergy with Geodis Wilson’s three sectors of Marine Logistics operation.  The division’s cruise business is well-established through its head-quarters in Miami; the Hamburg location develops this into Europe; the commercial sector, dealing with scheduled vessels such as container ships and the industrial sector, which covers vessels most usually trading on the spot market, such as tankers and bulkers also frequent the port.

As Herrero points out each vessel sector requires a differing set of logistics services. “Variations in logistical challenges of global ship supply are profound”, he points out.  “For example, regular quantities of fresh and frozen food are required by cruise vessels; a container ship needs less volume but on a port and time-specific basis while customers running vessels in our industrial sector have variable ports of call and a less predictable maintenance and repair schedule.  All however could need an expedited replacement part, of variable proportions and weight at any time.”

With the help of the Hamburg ‘control tower’ Geodis Wilson aims to cope with this variability in demand with a consolidated approach to service provision and visibility throughout the supply chain to maximise efficiency and minimise costs for customers in all three trading sectors.

Geodis Wilson Marine Logistics personnel will be available for further comment at SMM in Hamburg from the 4^th to the 7^th September; Hall B6, Stand 203.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 7,300 employees in more than 50 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 46.000 employees in 120 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

Milan, 19 July 2012

Geodis Wilson Italia, part of one of the world’s leading freight management companies, Geodis Group has begun the delivery of four Absorber reactors to the Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company Ltd (AI Husn Gas) Shah Project Site, a new facility 250 km south of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, where one of the biggest natural gas extraction and processing plant is to be built.

The first of four reactors leaving Ortona Port, in Abruzzo, Italy

The first of four reactors – weighing 1400 tons each and measuring 60 meters in length and 10 meters in diameter, all constructed in Italy – has left Ortona, in Abruzzo, and it was immediately followed by two more from Monfalcone and Marghera.  The reactors are due to arrive at their final destination in the middle of the Emarati desert by mid-July.

The whole operation will last around 18 months.  The reactors will be joined by around 200 special components originating mainly from South Korea, China and Italy, which will be used to construct specific parts of the Shah Gas plant. The total volume of goods transported will reach an impressive 300,000 cubic meters: the equivalent of some 15 cargo ships loaded to the brim.

“The success of an exceptional delivery like this one depends on the effectiveness of upstream high-engineering activities” comments Biagio Oro, Industrial Project Director at Geodis Wilson Italia. “This means planning all the transport operations in precise detail. Such precision tasks include: the chartering of the best suited cargo vessels; stipulating exact dimensions in contracts with ship owners; carrying out feasibility studies to identify the best routes; supervising the loading of the materials; overseeing unloading operations at the destination port and the arrangement of transport and logistics service for final delivery to the construction site”.

Once off-loaded at the port of Mussafah in the UAE and customs clearance has been affected, the reactors are to be transported on special Self Propelled Modular Trailers (SPMT) for around 250 km across the rugged terrain of the Middle Eastern desert, utilising un-tarmaced off-road tracks.  Each exceptional load will arrive at its final destination having spent nearly a month in the desert, travelling at speeds of 7 to 8 kilometers per hour, before being handed over to the managers of the Shah Gas plant.

Notes to Editor:

About Geodis Wilson Italia

Geodis Wilson Italia is the division of Geodis Group, a global logistic provider wholly owned subsidiary of SNCF Group, with a turnover of 6.9 billion euros in 2011, a workforce of over 30,000 employees and a sales network present in around 120 countries.

Geodis Wilson Italia’s innovative approach for vertical markets provides customers with a “best in class” services and performances for their businesses, using skills and expertise to monitor developments in the field of reference of the customer and working directly with him to help him develop the business providing tailored solutions through reliable, trained and dedicated teams.

For further information about Geodis Wilson Italia’s innovative approach, please visit www.geodiswilson.it

Miami, Florida – 25 June 2012

Geodis Wilson is pleased to announce the appointment of Sergio Herrero as the new Vertical Market Director of their Marine Logistics division. Based in Miami, Florida, Sergio will spearhead this emerging industry segment of Geodis Wilson, and will have global responsibility for its development.

Sergio Herrero joins Geodis Wilson with 30 years of experience in the freight forwarding industry, the last 5 years of which he has spent with the Marine Logistics sector at UTI USA, where he was Director of Client Solutions within the Cruise sector.

Geodis Wilson runs a global network of teams dedicated to the marine industry along the entire breadth of international routes. “Marine Logistics is an important vertical market for us where we see large potential of growth, development and solution design in all regions within our network.” said Martin Svantesson, Global Director Vertical Markets, “Sergio´s experiences will ensure us taking this vertical market to the next level.

ENDS

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 7,300 employees in more than 50 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 46.000 employees in 120 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

Sergio Herrero

Sergio Herrero will be based in Miami, Florida and can be contacted as follows:

Email: Sergio.Herrero@us.geodiswilson.com

Tel: + 305-718-9442

Cell: +1 786 210 4916

For further information, please contact:

Press Contacts

Michael Zuchold

Communications Manager

Geodis Wilson                  

Tel.: + 49 174 909 8788                                     

E-Mail:michael.zuchold@hq.geodiswilson.com

Hong Kong, 22 May 2012 – Geodis Wilson, one of the world’s leading freight management companies, today announced its expanding trucking operations to include China, an extension of its existing routes through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Indochina region. The full cross-border route between Singapore and China covers a total distance of 5,950 kilometres and has an efficient lead-time of 6-7 days.

Customers can choose between full container load (FCL) services, or less than container load (LCL) services. FCL containers are sealed from door-to-door and opened only if required by border customs, while LCL containers are consolidated at Geodis Wilson facilities along the route, and fed into the main road network by regional trucks.

“One distinctive element of our cross border trucking product is the range of security measures. They enable us to monitor and protect cargoes and help to ensure that our clients’ goods can be delivered on time. This includes solid contingency mechanisms, for instance in case of severe weather, complex customs clearing or for accident prevention”, said Chris Lee, Regional Director Cross Border Trucking.

Geodis Wilson has more than 17 years’ experience operating cross-border trucking services in Southeast Asia. It started services between Malaysia and Thailand in 1995, extending into Singapore in 1996. The company has been operating daily scheduled LCL services since 1999, providing full customs clearance support to shipments. Customers benefit from a single provider across multiple customs checkpoints. To support this, Geodis Wilson operates staffed customs offices at key borders in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

In line with Geodis Wilson’s innovative approach to customer service, schedules can be tailored to meet customers’ requirements, helping businesses to benefit from savings in inventory holding costs. The service also provides customers with more flexibility than air freight, as road shipments do not have the same capacity and dimension limitations.

– ENDS –

Notes to Editor:

About Geodis Wilson Asia Pacific

Geodis Wilson Asia Pacific is a division of Geodis Group, a global logistics provider. As part of the French railway company SNCF, Geodis offers a wide range of sustainable, innovative and cost saving multimodal solutions.

Geodis Wilson makes customers more competitive by delivering their cargo across five continents by sea and air and by making their supply chain transparent and easy to manage.

An early trendsetter in supporting customers in the region, Geodis Wilson was one of the first international logistics companies to establish operations in China and India, and has been operating in Asia Pacific for over 30 years. It has a passionate team of more than 2,100 employees in the region, striving to deliver ‘best in class’ customer service and performance.

For further information about Geodis Wilson’s innovative approach, please visit www.geodiswilson.com

Amsterdam & Dubai – 8th May, 2012

Geodis Wilson, the leading global freight management company and freight forwarding arm of the Geodis Group, has been selected by the world renowned stationery and multi-product manufacturer, BIC as a logistics partner in Dubai, UAE. Geodis Wilson will perform a variety of warehousing and logistics functions for the multi-national. The contract, between BIC Middle East & Africa (BIC MEA) and Geodis Wilson, is for a two-year duration.

Commenting on Geodis Wilson’s successful business acquisition, the Company’s Supply Chain Manager for the UAE Ram Padmanabhan said, “We are, of course delighted to partner with such a global brand as BIC and have already begun to exhibit the high level of customer service, reliability and efficient integration of logistics functions, for which Geodis Wilson is well-known.  We look forward to working with BIC for the duration of this contract and for many years to come.”

BIC is a world leader in the supply of pens, stationery, lighters, shavers and promotional products.  For sixty years now it has been committed to providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers throughout the world. BIC’s net sales in 2011 topped Euros 1,824 million and its merchandise is sold in 160 countries.

As part of its contract with BIC, Geodis Wilson will provide services that include; product unloading, reception and inspection; inventory administration and storage; stock-keeping, order preparation and documentation; dispatch packaging, loading and distribution.  The countries served will include BIC markets throughout the Middle-east and the sub-continent.

ENDS

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 7,300 employees in more than 50 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 46.000 employees in 120 countries ‘SNCF GEODIS’ ranks among the top 7 companies in its field in the world.

Further information about the company: www.geodiswilson.com; www.geodis.com

Amsterdam, New York, Paris – June 30^th, 2011

Geodis Wilson, one of the world’s leading freight management and logistics companies, announces the launch of a new vertical business unit dedicated to serving the logistics needs of luxury hotels and resorts and their suppliers worldwide. Geodis Wilson will provide dedicated integrated logistics solutions to this fast-growing market.

New hotels and resorts require everything from the furniture, fixtures and equipment to silverware to thousands of towels to be shipped. Once up and running, these properties and their suppliers need ongoing supply chain services for years to come.

“Geodis Wilson expects to become a single-source shipping solution for many of the top-tier companies in this market,” said Anjali Sadarangani, Geodis Wilson’s global director Luxury Hotel & Resort Logistics. In her previous position as operations manager for Geodis Wilson Canada, she worked throughout the world on a wide variety of new developments for luxury hotel and resort clients. “These highly recognizable brands and their entire supplier base want a dedicated logistics partner. We created this new business unit to ensure they receive the white-glove services they expect and require,” explained Sadarangani.
“We have been the preferred freight management partner to the world’s leading luxury hotel and resort brand for several years,” added Martin Svantesson, Geodis Wilson’s director of vertical markets. “We have successfully executed numerous projects for our biggest client in this market and others all over the world. We felt it was time to create and fully resource an official business unit.”

Geodis Wilson’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Logistics service will be operated by dedicated teams and project managers, regional competency centers and a global hotel logistics control tower, providing all kinds of global and domestic freight services, including: freight consolidations, insurance, customs brokerage, warehouse services, FF&E installation, OS&C delivery, customized freight control management, dedicated consulting and more.

About Geodis Wilson and Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 6,400 employees in more than 50 countries, the company delivers tailor-made, integrated freight solutions to customers worldwide, enabling them to operate as ‘best in class’ in their industries. Geodis Wilson manages cargo across five continents by sea, air, road and train, making supply chains transparent and flexible to manage. The company has dedicated employee and resource groups to serve the following vertical industries: Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Aviation, Marine Logistics, Retail and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG’s), Industrial, Oil and Gas, High Tech, and Luxury Hotel & Resort Logistics.

About Geodis, a global supply chain operator

A global logistics provider and wholly owned subsidiary of SNCF Group, Geodis is a European company with a worldwide scope. It ranks number four in its field in Europe. The group’s ability to coordinate all or part of the logistics chain (air and sea freight forwarding, groupage, express, contract logistics, transport of part and full truck loads, reverse logistics) enables it to support its customers in their strategic, geographical and technological developments, providing them with solutions tailored to optimizing their physical and information flows. Geodis offers a range of logistics services that meet the specific needs of each sector of the economy. Across a network covering 120 countries, the Group’s 30,000 employees offer a wealth of multicultural experience, a genuine local service to their customers and outstanding flexibility. Geodis reported revenues of €6.5 billion (or $9.3 billion USD) in 2010.

www.geodiswilson.com – www.geodis.com 

Company contacts:

Michael Zuchold                                                        Brian Bourke

Communications Director, Geodis Wilson            Communications Manager, Geodis Wilson Americas

Tel.: + 49 174 909 8788                                           Tel.: +1 732 688 7345

Email: michael.zuchold@hq.geodiswilson.com  Email: brian.bourke@us.geodiswilson.com

Nikolas Dombrowski collects Air Freight Forward of the Year Award 2011

Munich, 12^th May 2011

Geodis Wilson, one of the world’s leading freight management companies, has been awarded Airfreight Forwarder of the Year 2011 at the global World Air Cargo Awards Ceremony in Munich.

Geodis Wilson celebrated its second consecutive win at the prestigious Airfreight Awards, hosted by leading global publication in the sector, Air Cargo week. Voted for by airfreight service users around the world the annual awards celebrate excellence and achievement in the global air cargo industry. 

“We are both honoured and delighted that our customers around the world have recognised our consistent standard of service by voting for Geodis Wilson in such numbers as to once more award the company this prestigious accolade,” said Executive Vice President Philippe Gilbert.  “We would like to thank our customers for their appreciation and assure them of Geodis Wilson’s continued commitment to the highest levels of service standards in the future.”

The key criteria on which those voting were asked to rate award entrants in the Airfreight Forwarder category were global coverage, customer service, focus and performance, as well as commitment to developing technology.

Nikolas Dombrowski, Geodis Wilson’s Product Director Airfreight, received the award on behalf of his Geodis Wilson colleagues, who are active over 250 offices and in 50 countries across the global. “I’m proud of what the extensive Geodis Wilson team has achieved over the last twelve months and thank those who voted for us, as well as all our international customers for their continuing support,” he said.

Geodis Wilson once more came out top of an impressive short-list of awards entrants that included all mayor players of this industry.

ENDS 

About Geodis Wilson and Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 6,400 employees in more than 50 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated freight solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson manages cargo across five continents by sea and air and road, making supply chains transparent and flexible to manage.

About Geodis, a global supply chain operator

A global logistics provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of SNCF Group, Geodis is a European company with a worldwide scope, ranking number four in its field in Europe. The Group’s ability to coordinate all or part of the logistics chain (air and sea freight forwarding, groupage, express, contract logistics, transport of part and full truck loads, reverse logistics) enables it to support its customers in their strategic, geographical and technological developments, providing them with solutions tailored to optimising their physical and information flows. Geodis offers a range of logistics services that meet the specific needs of each sector of the economy. Across a network covering 120 countries, the Group’s 30,000 employees offer a wealth of multicultural experience, a genuine local service to their customers and outstanding flexibility. Geodis reported revenues of €6.5 billion in 2010.

www.geodiswilson.com – www.geodis.com 

For further information, please contact:

Michael Zuchold                                                                       

Communications Manager Geodis Wilson                          

Tel.: + 49 174 909 8788                                                            

Email: michael.zuchold@hq.geodiswilson.com

Copenhagen, December 9^th 2009

Geodis Wilson is concluding its preparations for a new logistics center at Vejle, Denmark. “This new facility will be Denmark’s leading ocean and air freight competence center”, states Allan Geert Nielsen, Managing Director Geodis Wilson, Denmark. The global freight forwarder will create a 3,250 m2 state-of-the-art facility employing 120 people.

“We are combining our core services in the air and ocean freight sectors, in Vejle,” Nielsen continues. Express services, furniture logistics and industrial projects will also be coordinated from Vejle, as well as Geodis Wilson’s aid & relief operations. In addition, the facility will act as a competence center for air charter activities, one of the company’s major niche areas of expertise.

Geodis Wilson will invest Euros 3 million in the Vejle service center, which lies equidistant from the major industrial hubs of Aarhus and Odense.

The new facility and its adjacent warehouse terminal will start operating in one year from now. The construction phase begins early 2010 with completion by December. At this point in time, Geodis Wilson Denmark will transfer its current staff resources from Odense, Billund and Aarhus into the new building. “Vejle is located centrally in the cluster of these three existing offices. It is a prime location with good access to major ports and airports in Denmark, and is considered a gateway to continental Europe,” states Nielsen. The facility will be located directly next to the E45, the European highway, in the center of one of Denmark’s business development areas. The Danish government recently announced major investments in the infrastructure surrounding Vejle, as well as in its adjacent textile industry.  This sector is one in which Geodis Wilson has particular vertical competences.

“The new site is an investment in our future”, underlines Peter Nevhagen, Executive Vice President of Geodis Wilson. “In the current demanding financial environment it is very important to strengthen our competitiveness. We believe in imaginative solutions to deliver efficiencies for our customers and to build a more competitive organization” he emphasized.

“To combine core competences in one new facility such as this on at Vejle is an important part of our strategy – in Denmark we have a great competence in logistics solutions”, Nielson concludes, “We manage our clients’ supply chains on a global scale and in the case of many intercontinental trade lanes the cargoes don’t even transit Denmark”.

ENDS

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 5,500 employees in more than 50 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson manages cargo across five continents by sea and air, making supply chains transparent and flexible to manage. As the freight forwarding element of the Geodis Group, Geodis Wilson grew out of the merger of Geodis Overseas, TNT Freight Management and Rohde & Liesenfeld.

In 2008 the Geodis group became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF. With its 50.000 employees in 120 countries ‘SNCF GEODIS’ ranks among the top six companies in its field in the world, is no.4 in Europe and no. 1 in France.

In Denmark, Geodis Wilson is ranked within the top three freight forwarders with an annual turnover of EUR 115 million. 210 employees specialize in its core services, sea and airfreight, express services, niche markets, aid & relief, furniture logistics, charter operations, aviation and marine logistics. Geodis Wilson Denmark provides customers with transparent and easy to manage supply chains, thus enabling our customers to be best in class.

Amsterdam, Paris 24th February 2010

Philippe Gilbert has been appointed Executive Vice President of Geodis Wilson. Peter Nevhagen who spearheaded the division together with Philippe Gilbert during the transition period will remain a member of the Board as appointed Chief Operating Officer of Geodis Wilson. Geodis’ freight management division is hence from now on under one single leadership.

Jean-Louis Demeulenaere, Deputy CEO of Geodis Group commented: “I am delighted that both, Philippe and Peter accepted their new responsibilities. During the recent phase following the merger of the networks, a co-headed management system was entirely legitimate. Now, in the context of strong future growth ambitions of Geodis Wilson and Geodis Group it is necessary to revert to a classical management structure. I am convinced this evolution in leadership will boost the strategic development of the division.”

Philippe Gilbert said: “Geodis Wilson needs to be able to compete in all major trades and selected vertical markets. Right now we are just outside of the Top 10 worldwide freight forwarders. And we are ready for the jump. Our growth strategy will move us forward.” Peter Nevhagen, who also previously functioned as the Chief Marketing Officer of Geodis Wilson and whose main new focus will be on further improvements of service quality, operational performance and efficiency added: “The change from commercial to operational leadership is an exciting and challenging opportunity to further support and drive the transformation of Geodis Wilson. To me this a logical next step within the development of our company.”

Concomitantly with these changes, Kim Pedersen has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Geodis Wilson Board. Kim Pedersen: “After a few years of integration, our division is conducting a dynamic growth strategy in the coming years – and with a high sense of urgency, we will focus on increasing our market share through innovative integrated solutions”.

Philippe Gilbert, Executive Vice President Geodis Wilson

Before joining Geodis Wilson, Philippe Gilbert worked for Saga, Circle and EGL as Chief Operating Officer for Latin America and EMEA. He joined Geodis in September 2005 when he was appointed Senior Vice President for Geodis Overseas and Groupage. In 2007 he became Chief Operating Officer of Geodis Wilson. In addition to this role he was appointed Executive Vice President in 2008, together with Peter Nevhagen, before Philippe took the single leadership of the division in 2010. Today he is the Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Geodis Wilson Freight Board.

Peter Nevhagen, Chief Operating Officer Geodis Wilson

Peter Nevhagen joined Wilson in 2002, as Managing Director of the Swedish subsidiary. In 2005 he was nominated to the position as Vice President of the Nordic & Baltic region, and following Geodis’ acquisition of Wilson in 2007 he became Chief Marketing Officer of the newly formed Geodis Wilson division. In 2008, he was appointed Executive Vice President of the division before he changed from his commercial role into operational leadership in 2010, as being Chief Operations Officer.

Kim Pedersen, Chief Marketing Officer Geodis Wilson

Kim Pedersen joined Wilson in 1994 and after being Managing Director of the Danish subsidiary, he carried the position of Vice President Nordic and Baltic region between 2007 and 2009. From 2009 and up to this nomination of CMO, Kim Pedersen acted as Vice President Global Sales / Deputy CMO.

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 5,500 employees in over 50 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class’. Geodis Wilson manages cargo across five continents by sea and air, making supply chains transparent and flexible to manage. As the freight forwarding element of the Geodis Group, Geodis Wilson grew out of the merger of Geodis Overseas, TNT Freight Management, and Rohde & Liesenfeld.

In 2008 the Geodis group became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF. With its now 50.000 employees in 120 countries SNCF Geodis (the transport & logistics branch of SNCF) ranks among the top six companies in its field in the world, is no.4 in Europe and no. 1 in France.

Dubai, 25^th March 2010

In the first of three service developments this year in the United Arab Emirates, global forwarder and logistics services provider Geodis Wilson has opened a new airfreight office in Dubai to support increasing demand for this service mode as well as its advancing sea-air product.

Based in Dubai’s busy Cargo Village, the new office will employ 22 people under the direction of Geodis Wilson UAE LLC Managing Director Sascha Geiken, allowing a previous combined office and warehouse, situated close by, to focus entirely on warehousing accommodation.

“Our pace of growth meant that we no longer had any spare capacity in the old office/warehouse, and as our business is increasing, particularly with Geodis Wilson’s sea-air product, further warehousing space became essential in order to meet our customers’ requirements,” explained Mr Geiken.

The new facility will handle freight from up to ten inbound flights daily – mainly from Europe and the Far East – as well as sea-air cargo originating as ocean freight from the Geodis Wilson network in the Far East, which is switched from the nearby Jebel Ali port to air cargo on Dubai flights bound for European destinations. The new office will also be involved in customs clearance, general forwarding, supply chain management, warehousing and customs clearance activities.

Geodis Wilson, which is ranked among Dubai’s top ten forwarders, employs a total of 70 people in the Emirate and has its regional headquarters at nearby Jebel Ali, where ocean freight activities are also carried out.

The company is bucking the trend as many competitors in Dubai are forced to reduce their organisations due to the economic situation. “We pride ourselves in having a personalised service offering, which our customers appreciate, and it is this focus on relationships that has led to our success, supported of course, by the global Geodis Wilson network,” added Mr Geiken. “In fact, we are in the unlikely, but enviable situation of having to recruit staff.”

Early indications suggest that Geodis Wilson’s year-on-year activity in Dubai is currently growing at more than 10 per cent across all modes. There is particular strength in the sea-air business, which allows shippers to save on the cost of a total airfreight movement from the Far East to Europe, while offering substantial transit time savings over an end-to-end ocean freight movement. Sea-air demand is particularly strong from the textile and hi-tech sectors.

The second significant milestone for Geodis Wilson in the UAE will be the opening of an Abu Dhabi office during the second quarter. Within this region, the company also has offices in Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Later this year, a third landmark event will be the opening of a new regional headquarters in Jebel Ali.

ENDS

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading global freight management company. With 5,500 employees in more than 50 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson manages cargo across five continents by sea and air, making supply chains transparent and flexible to manage. As the freight forwarding element of the Geodis Group, Geodis Wilson grew out of the merger of Geodis Overseas, TNT Freight Management and Rohde & Liesenfeld.

In 2008 the Geodis group became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF. With its 50.000 employees in 120 countries ‘SNCF GEODIS’ ranks among the top six companies in its field in the world, is no.4 in Europe and no. 1 in France.

In Denmark, Geodis Wilson is ranked within the top three freight forwarders with an annual turnover of EUR 115 million. 210 employees specialize in its core services, sea and airfreight, express services, niche markets, aid & relief, furniture logistics, charter operations, aviation and marine logistics. Geodis Wilson Denmark provides customers with transparent and easy to manage supply chains, thus enabling our customers to be best in class.