22 BULKDISTRIBUTOR
Logistics
September/October 2016
CH Robinson acquires Warrens takes first Krone
logistics provider
liners consignment
Down Under
W
C
H Robinson continues to grow its
global presence after acquiring APC
Logistics, a leading provider of freight
forwarding and customs brokerage
services in Australia and New Zealand.
The two companies had a long-standing
exclusive agent relationship for business in
Australia and New Zealand. The agreement
is subject to certain customary closing
conditions, including regulatory approval.
“This acquisition allows us to add great
talent to our Global Forwarding team and
advances the strategy to expand our global
network,” said John Wiehoff, Chairman and
CEO of CH Robinson. “We will work hard to
successfully integrate the valued employees,
customers and suppliers of APC.”
APC Logistics is a privately held international
freight forwarder, providing ocean, air,
customs brokerage and consultancy services,
currently serving over 3,000 customers
and suppliers. Founded in 1974 and
headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, APC
Logistics employs approximately 300 people
and has seven offices in Australia and two in
New Zealand. APC had $334.2 million AUD
(approximately $251 million USD) in total
revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30,
2016. CH Robinson intends to purchase APC
Logistics for approximately $300 million AUD
(approximately $225 million USD) in cash. The
acquisition is expected to be accretive in 2016
and 2017 and will be financed through cash
and funds drawn from CH Robinson’s existing
revolving credit facility.
“By joining CH Robinson, we are building
on the business we have done together for
more than 16 years,” said Tony Considine,
CEO of APC Logistics. “We are extremely
excited to have our business be part of CH
Robinson, a leading global company, and
believe this will position us to better serve
our customers and foster growth by
leveraging CH Robinson’s vast network and
core service offerings.”
CH Robinson’s Global Forwarding business
currently serves four continents and 37
countries, with approximately 3,500
employees and 109 offices worldwide, and
is the number-one non-vessel operator from
China to the US. Global forwarding clients
leverage CH Robinson’s considerable freight
volumes to access available capacity at
competitive rates.
“APC Logistics is a high quality company
with a proven track record of success.
Combining their expertise and strong
customer and carrier relationships with CH
Robinson’s service offerings and network
will create more robust capabilities for our
customers and add scale to our business,”
said Mike Short, President of CH Robinson’s
Global Forwarding division.
Once the deal closes, CH Robinson will
integrate APC Logistics into the division and
single global technology platform Navisphere.
arrens Warehousing Group has taken
delivery of its first consignment of Dry Liner
box trailers from Krone which, says the company,
will join its 200-strong European trailer fleet and
carry bread and cake products for a number of
leading supermarkets.
Manufactured in Herzlake, Germany, the Dry Liner is
designed to work in both the UK and European markets:
Its slim, 100mm neck affords additional load volume
and with a fifth wheel height of 1,250mm, a total
height of 4,000mm is achieved – which allows an
internal height of 2,615mm.
“We evaluated the Dry Liner against similar trailers and
found it to be best in terms of strength, availability and
overall value for money,” said Warrens’ Fleet Manager,
Steve Parker. “Furthermore, the bodywork construction
is accredited with code XL, which has now become
widely accepted as a quality standard for trailer bodies
throughout Europe. Add that to the 10-year anticorrosion warranty and you get a trailer with excellent
long-life potential and high residual value. Basically,
good for us and our customers in turn.”
Launched by Krone in the UK during 2015, the Dry
Liner is fast becoming the default choice for operators
across a number of transport sectors, owing to its build
quality and load security. Krone Sales Manager Jason
Chipchase explained: “The Dry Liner body construction
allows a variety of cargos to be ‘form-fitted’ without the
need for internal strapping. This saves turn-round time
and ensures safe and secure loading.
“The sidewalls retain around 40% of the load, while
the steel front bulkhead, which is lined with a tough
phenolic guard plate, retains 50%. For additional load
security and fitted as standard, there is full length, twintrack surface-mounted load restraint. The flush-fit steel,
container-type rear doors are also designed for
maximum security and feature a unique security
protection for the locks. All-in-all, for UK, Ireland or
Europe, this is a premium trailer, designed for versatility
and strength but with affordability and low-cost-ofownership in mind.”
Warrens was established in 1960 and is now a leading
third party UK logistics business, providing over a
quarter-of-a-million square foot of dedicated and shared
user warehousing and distribution throughout the UK
and continental Europe. The company operates upwards
of 140 tractor units and a mixed trailer fleet including
curtainsiders, dry freight boxes and double-deckers.
Eurteam welcomes
QualitAir&Sea as
new partner
A
unique alliance of European
transport and logistics specialists
for the chemical sector has significantly
bolstered its market proposition with
the appointment of a new partner.
QualitAir&Sea International Logistics,
the leading independent freight forwarder
in France, has joined Eurteam, bringing
in-country knowledge and client focused
expertise to the alliance.
Established in 1986, the company is a
dynamic niche player in the pharmaceutical,
oil and gas, aviation and automotive sectors
with a growing reputation for managing
hazardous and dangerous products.
Luis Cleminson, CEO of Asta Logistik and
President of Eurteam, said: “QualitAir&Sea’s
reputation as a leading independent freight
forwarder in France with a dedicated team
and considerable industry experience made
them a natural fit for Eurteam.”
Eurteam is an alliance of market leading
European logistics and freight forwarding
companies, providing solutions on a global
scale for the chemical sector. It includes
Leschaco in Germany, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Switzerland, Del Corona
Scardigli in Italy, Asta Logistik in Spain and
Warrant Group in the UK.
Eric Hennet, Managing Director of
QualitAir&Sea, which employs 200 people
based at 14 locations throughout France,
said they were excited to join the chemical
alliance to enhance their customer portfolio
through Eurteam’s global coverage of
chemical expertise.
“Joining Eurteam is a great step forward
for QualitAir&Sea. We bring detailed
knowledge and widespread coverage of
the French market to the collaboration.
“QualitAir&Sea is located at all the
major French ports and airports and
with a customer-focused approach, we
have invested significantly in our teams
to deliver exceptional expertise and
dedicated resource.”
HOYER expands its services
in the Far East
L
ogistics company HOYER is expanding its
business in the Far East – the Hamburg
full-service provider is taking over the logistics
services in the SCIP (Shanghai Chemical Industrial
Park) in Caojing (Shanghai) for Covestro, one of
the world’s leading polymers manufacturers. A
three-year contract with an extension option was
signed at the beginning of June.
The German chemicals company Covestro (formerly
Bayer MaterialScience), headquartered in Leverkusen,
employs 15,800 staff at around 30 locations. One
of the main products made at Covestro Integrated
Site Shanghai (CISS) at Caojing is MDI (methylene
diphenyl diisocyanate), an important intermediate
in the manufacture of polyurethanes, which are used
among other things as foams in the automobile and
building industries.
With around 70 employees from the Supply Chain
Solutions (SCS) business line at this site, HOYER takes
care of tank containers loading, fully and semi-automatic
drum filling, cold storage of drums, dispatch handling of
palletised and non-palletised goods, and the servicing
and maintenance of the logistics installations. New office
equipment, workshop equipment, a forklift truck fleet, IT
and a warehouse management system will be installed
for the contract.
HOYER already operated as a national and
international transpo rt services provider for Covestro.
The two companies are now expanding their successful
collaboration in the SCS area. Felix Bossmeyer, Director
Supply Chain Solutions Asia Pacific at HOYER, says “We
are pleased with the contract, and we hope our work
for Covestro will open the door to other projects and
new clients in China. We want to establish our SCS
services here on a long-term basis.”
The logistics company was already represented in the
Far Eastern country through its Shanghai branch. When
undertaking the on-site logistics in Caojing, which had
previously been operated by another service provider and
represents HOYER’s first SCS commitment in China, the
colleagues in Shanghai were able to provide valuable
support. Bossmeyer stressed that: “This help is important
for a successful implementation during ongoing
operations, especially with regard to the different cultures
and different ways of working.” Thus the company is
successfully continuing its further expansion into Asia.