Chairman’s Message

It is said that travel broadens the mind.  What is certainly true is that, if we keep our eyes open and observe what is happening around us, we may realise the obvious is sometimes forgotten. My recent trip to Delhi put this concept unexpectedly to the test. I met a cabby who so enjoyed his work, he enthused me for the rest of the day.
How many people do you know who are so happy in their job that their excitement bubbles over onto you? As I entered the cab a lively, “Hello Sir, good morning how are you?” greeted me. I felt welcomed and wanted. Without being intrusive the cabby chatted, asked if I was comfortable and concluded the trip by expressing his best wishes to me. He really made my day. Here was something so obvious that I asked myself, “How many of us are really happy in our work?” Are we just doing a job for money, for the sake of keeping management happy? Unless we are really happy in our work we are spending nearly a third of our lives being unhappy. This is neither good for us nor the company for whom we are working. All of us should occasionally give ourselves a “happiness check-over”. Because being happy in our work not only helps us but enables everyone in our team to bounce off each other.
There is surely no better ethos to have within a company. Keeping this ideal in mind will help focus endeavours at our November strategy meeting being held in Sri Lanka; where discussions about our design and budget strategies, driven along with an enthusiasm for our work and company, are bound to result in more vision orientated winning ideas.
Happy Reading……

CSS And Peters & May Handle Racing Boats

CSS and Peters & May recently handled several luxurious powerboats at the CSS Jebel Ali facility whereby lavish boats were moved carefully and kept at CSS’s secure facility in Jebel Ali. See

CSS VP of Business Development, Ken Dinnadge commented,  “We are delighted to have the experience and expertise operationally to service both the regional and global market for Yacht & Marine logistics with Peters & May.”

The CSS Yacht and Marine logistics division supported by Peters & May fully understand that racing yachts and boats are invariably very expensive and notoriously fragile and as racing events occur in ever more far-flung destinations, completing a whole season, and achieving it intact, has never been more of a challenge when it comes to Yacht and Marine logistics worldwide.

Peters & May, the world’s only ISO fully accredited boat transporter and the CSS Group – when there’s no time for error ensure that effective movement and handling is taken care of no matter the shape or size or number of boats.

Power Boats

Peters & May is the Approved Marine Transport Provider for UIM, the World governing body for all Power-boating activities, and is the first marine transport provider to be accredited by the UIM for the high standard of logistics services and its focus on development of the sport at all levels.

Peters & May are also the Official Transport Agent for the American Boat Racing Association (ABRA), the Official Logistics Partner of the Cowes Monte-Carlo Powerboat Grand Prix 2013, as well as the P1 Superstock Championships, the Qatar Race Team and the H1 Air National Guard Hydroplane Series.

Yacht Movement

The Yacht and Marine logistics division in CSS Abu Dhabi has recently executed a yacht shipment from Jebel Ali to Beirut.  The Yacht 64 owned by Mr. Salim Ramia, of length 19.5 meters, width 5.35 meters, and height of 8.4 meters with a volume of 900 CBM weighing roughly 40 tons, was loaded onto the vessel at the Jebel Ali port. The entire operation was executed under the supervision of Rosaline Nabil, Business Development Manager, CSS Abu Dhabi, Ahmad Fuad, Branch Manager, CSS Abu Dhabi and Suku Sudhakaran, AGM, CSS Abu Dhabi. The dedicated CSS team of Yacht and Marine Logistic specialists were onsite overseeing the entire logistics operation during the early hours of day.
A special thanks to Raj George, Senior VP – Projects / Oil & Energy, CSS for his continued support and guidance throughout the shipment.

CSS Group to Handle 4 Pavilion’s at Global Village 2012-13

The CSS Air Freight and Ocean Freight division of CSS Group has been appointed yet again as the exclusive agent to handle all fresh fruits, garments, accessories and general merchandise from Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and China that will be retailed at their highly successful Pavilion’s at the Global Village.

The Global Village will run from October 21st, 2012 until March 30th, 2013.

There has been a steady rise in the number of visitors to Global Village over the past 15 years, with guests from all over the world to join in the festivities and fun featuring different countries. The number of both visitors and pavilions continues to rise. It is testament to the immense success Global Village has achieved and plans to continue achieving for many more years to come.

Jacob Isaac, General Manager, Air Freight Division, CSS Group commented, “The CSS Air Freight team based at CSS Dubai Cargo Village, is extremely proud to have been chosen as the transport/logistics partner by the show’s team of organizers and this continued partnership is testament to the care and skill employed by CSS staff on every consignment.”  Ahmed Al Rais, Senior Vice President, Air Freight Division, CSS Group stated, “The cargo for the Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and China Pavilion is an exciting opportunity for us, especially since the duration of Global Village timings have increased substantially over the years. Our professional approach in handling all queries error free has been the cornerstone of our success.”

CSS Bids Adieu to Radhakrishnan (Babu)

After over 17 years of service at CSS Group Radhakrishnan (Babu), Senior Manager Air Freight and Operations will be relocating to the Business Procurement Office (BPO) Twin Info Solutions Pvt. Ltd, based in Kerala, India. During the course of his tenure at CSS Group, Babu, exhibited not only a high level of leadership and commitment in all his endeavors but also proved himself as a strong team player.

In his current position as Senior Manager Operations, Customs Documentation Department, Babu provided the highest level of service to customers and clients alike which enabled him to not only create but also maintain and strengthen loyalty of clients to CSS Group. His exceptional work ethic enabled him to be a role model for new and old staff alike and on behalf of CSS Group we wish him all the best for his future endeavours.

In his new position at Twin, Babu will be overlooking the back office activities related to Air freight and shipping as well as auditing the customs related activities.

The Italian Job

CSS India teams up with GTI Italy

In keeping with our commitment to provide customers with more convenience, CSS India have started their own direct consol service to Genoa, Italy from Nhavasheva in association with GTI, Guarisco Trasporti Internazionali S.r.l., Italy.

CSS India is delighted to have teamed up with GTI Guarisco Trasporti Internazionali S.r.l. in Italy as exclusive partners.

GTI Guarisco Transport International was founded in 1979 and immediately established itself as a reputed logistics and transportation provider in Italy. Their strong links within all the major cities in Europe and the professionalism of their staff ensures significant benefits to the clients in terms of efficiency and safety. They have a Custom bonded warehouse from where they can easily move cargo to all inland destinations in Italy & Switzerland.

Marco Cristina, Director of GTI Guarisco Trasporti Internazionali S.r.l. had visited CSS India to discuss the various business programmes and to develop a long standing business relationship between the two companies. Jairam K.R, Director CSS India paid a return visit to GTI at their Italy office and finalised the association.

The LCL Consol service from Nhavasheva to Genoa is on a weekly basis, and the transit time is 15 / 16 day. This service has already started from September onwards.

Break Bulk China

CSS Group to Exhibit in 2013

CSS Group is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting its first class products and services at Breakbulk China 2013, which will be held at the INTEX Exposition Center, from March 12-15, 2013.

Please visit CSS Group at booth # K23

Smart Cargo Visits CSS

Opening new windows of understanding

CSS had the pleasure to welcome a high level delegation from GPLN agents M/S Smart Cargo, China during the month of October 2012. The Smart Cargo delegation comprised of Rossella Lu, President and Felix Shen, Group Projects Logistics Manager. M/S Qingdao Smart Cargo International Services Ltd. was incorporated in 2002 as an executor and provider for solutions in the heavy lift shipping and break-bulk project logistics field. They have been providing professional logistic services to an array of worldwide clients throughout the years.

They were received at Consolidated Shipping Logistics Centre, Jebel Ali by T.S. Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group and Raj George, Sr. VP Projects, Oil & Energy.  During the course of their visit they discussed in detail on further enhancing mutual business cooperation’s while touring the CSS facilities in Jebel Ali.

About Qingdao Smart Cargo International Services:

Qingdao Smart Cargo International Services was established in 2002. With an advanced system, innovative spirit and an excellent team, they have established cooperation with over 200 overseas agents and gained a strong competitive edge with the annual growth rate of over 80%. The business scope includes project logistics, heavy lift and break bulk, RO/RO service, sea, air and railway service. Smart Cargo was ranked among top 100 logistics companies in China, National AAAA Grade, and also certificated by ISO9001 quality management system authentication and has become an international modern logistics corporation. Smart Cargo always adheres to customer-oriented principles. Every customer is unique and must be served in different way.

For additional information, please visit:

www.smartcargo.com.cn & www.cssgroupsite.com

Building Trust

Holship Group Visits CSS

As part of its partnership with CSS Group, Michael Ranners, Director Business Development from the HOLSHIP Group & Global transport , in Scandinavia, recently conducted a  familiarization tour of the CSS Group UAE operations.

During the course of his visit, Ranners met with members of CSS Senior Management in the various business divisions across the United Arab Emirates along with their facilities. In addition, members of the CSS Group showcased key presentations highlighting areas of mutual interest, with a key focus on freight forwarding for both parties to continually develop between the Middle East and the Scandinavian countries.

Holship, like CSS offers various modes of transport such as road, sea and airfreight services to and from all the world’s destinations. They also offer warehousing, quality control, labelling, handling of customs formalities, certificate applications, bonded warehousing and distribution as part of total logistic solutions. At Holship they have a group of experts controlling and minimizing logistics expenses and maximizing efficiency when it comes to import and export to and from the Nordic Region. They focus on delivery quality and a personal contact between customers and their network partner offices.

CSS VP of Business Development, Ken Dinnadge said, “Holship is a perfect fit for the CSS Group as both companies DNA is very similar. There is a major focus on competitive services from Scandinavia which also better positions CSS to offer this market yet another trade lane sector solution whether by sea air or different modes of transport again benefiting this region.

This is part of our continuous drive and initiatives to identify and work with quality partners as well enable the CSS Group to have a reliable professional global foot print, so that we are ideally positioned to offer a multitude of services to and from any global destination.”

Michael Ranners, Director Business Development, Holship Group commented, “The Holship group throughout the years has built a network of experienced and trustworthy agents globally.  The CSS relationship is exactly what we are looking for in this region. CSS is a very similar company to Holship where staff is like family members and that shines through in the operation of the company. All in all this is a perfect fit for Holship.”

History of Holship

HOLSHIP was founded in 1967 under the name Holbæk Shipping & Spedition. The main focus was stevedoring and road freight. Seven years later Kent Ranners began his shipping agent career in the company. In 1985 Kent Ranners took over the company and paved the way for an international approach to the market situation. Soon the name HOLSHIP was announced. ‘Global transport – local service’ is the motto for the re-named company. In 1994 a new era began with offices in the UK, Norway, Sweden and Finland and with the development of complementary services like warehousing and other third-party logistics solutions.

1967    Holbæk Shipping & Spedition was established.
Stevedoring and truck service was the main part of the business.
1976    Kent Ranners started in Holbæk Shipping & Spedition
1985    Kent Ranners took over Holbæk Shipping & Spedition.
1990    An international name is essential now, while trading with the US and    the Far East is growing rapidly. Therefore Holbæk Shipping & Spedition  changes the name to HOLSHIP.
1994    HOLSHIP UK was established in order to provide truck service between Denmark and England.
1996    HOLSHIP Norge was established.
1999    HOLSHIP Sverige was established.
2000    C.R. HOLSHIP was established in Køge as a result of the fusion of CR     Shipping and HOLSHIP
2001    HOLSHIP Finland was established and situated in Helsinki Airport.
2005     The HOLSHIP Group focused on the Scandinavian market and closed down HOLSHIP UK.

Strengthening Bounds

EMBASSY FREIGHT SERVICES S.P.A VISITS CSS DUBAI

Continuing to build upon its business relationship with CSS Group, Embassy Freight Services Italy recently visited their offices in the United Arab Emirates as part of both organizations initiative to create and sustain a strong alliance as well as strategically position themselves to service the global market.

Vittorio Soliani President and CEO, Mario Manni, Managing Director, Max Spina, Route Manager Middle East and Roberto Serantoni, Worldwide Network Manager led the Embassy Freight Services Italy delegation during the course of their official trip, where they met all of the Senior Management of CSS. Everyone was involved in meetings and presentations whereby they were able to network and determine key freight forwarding sectors of business for both parties to heavily target and develop. Along with strategizing, various topics of discussions included operational aspects and commercial sales/business development.

The delegation from Italy were welcomed by, TS Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group, Raj George, Senior Vice President, Projects, Oil & Energy, Ken Dinnadge VP Business Development, Sreenath V, Senior General Manager, Projects, Oil & Energy, Siby Kurian, Senior General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Ajay Krishnan, Sr. General Manager Ocean Freight, and Jacob Isaac, General Manager, Air Freight.

About Embassy Freight:

Embassy Freight started in 1981 as a strategic union between Singapore, Italy and Belgium aimed at the increasing demand for worldwide logistic services. Since that time, the group’s geographical expansion has been very successful resulting in so many offices opening in different parts of the world. ??Today Embassy Freight is a well-developed global freight forwarder with a strong basis in industry, advanced systems and strong competitive advantage. At this moment the Embassy Group has over 60 offices worldwide and is handling 100.000 containers and 520.000 pieces of airfreight per year.

For additional information please visit:
www.embassyfreight.com &
www.cssgroupsite.com

Gearing Up With New Strategies

CSS Sales Strategy Meet 2012-13

CSS Group is pleased to announce its annual CSS Sales Strategy Meet 2012/2013 to be held over three days from November 15th until November 18th, 2012 at the prestigious Amethyst Resort, Passikudah, Sri Lanka.

Making its debut earlier this year, The Amethyst Resort is the first property built, owned and operated by Amethyst Leisure (Pvt) Limited, whose journey began in 2011 with the laying of the first foundation for Amethyst Resort in Passikudah, Sri Lanka.

By March 2012 the resort commenced its operations as one of the first and unique locations for holidaymakers and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) in Passikudah.

Transhipment to Kuwait AZIMUT 64

CSS Group’s Yacht and Marine Division, headed by VP Business Development Ken Dinnadge in Dubai, recently undertook a complex Yacht and Marine Logistics transhipment operation to Kuwait. An AZIMUT 64 was arranged with complete vessel discharge to water at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port for onward movement to Kuwait. This operation required close coordination between various CSS divisions, the Jebel Ali Port as well as with the actual customer. Commenting on the recent successful shipment, Ken added, “The yacht and marine shipment was successfully executed from start to finish and I would like to thank all of the divisions involved for their utmost support and cooperation. The complexity of the shipment was a true testament of everyone’s commitment to a seamless end delivery and is the cornerstone of the Group’s success.”

CSS Group Strengthens its Global Yacht and Marine Business

CSS Group’s Yacht and Marine business, has recently completed a number of highly complex operations including a discharge operation of a Newton 70, from the USA to Qatar via Dubai.

By further strengthening its existing division with a number of highly experienced and driven team members, CSS Group is able to provide the local market with not only a complete global boat transport and marine freight service but also with a world class service that clients and partners have come to expect from the Group.

Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development, in light of the recent shipments, said “Our experience and knowledge of the industry will prove to be invaluable as we embark on more complex operations in the upcoming months ahead. With the continued support and enthusiasm of the team here at CSS, we look forward to further developing this business unit in order to strategically position ourselves as the market leader.”

At CSS, we pride ourselves on being able to provide our diverse range of customers with complete boat transport and marine freight service solutions. From support with customs documentation to custom-built cradles and slings, our experienced team can ensure your cargo will be delivered safely on time and hassle-free.

DP World Launches Alumni Network to Reconnect with Former Employees

DP World Launches Alumni Network to Reconnect with Former Employees as well as thank them for their services regarding developing Dubai Ports.

HE Sultan Bin Sulayem highlights the role of former team members as goodwill ambassadors and mentors

Representing CSS Group, Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development was invited as a VIP Guest, being the first Sales Manager for DP World, to attend this get together with the founding members of DP World.  “ I am honoured to be part of the auspicious DP World alumni. I would like to thank everyone involved for organizing this event, it was an excellent platform to reconnect with founding members,” commented Ken Dinnadge.

Driven by the belief that its people are the greatest asset, DP World has rolled out a comprehensive Alumni Network programme that aims to maintain ties with former employees across the globe as well as connect them together under the umbrella of the DP World family.

The DP World Alumni Network was launched by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, with the hosting of a luncheon for 50 former employees at the Head Office in Jebel Ali, attended by His Excellency Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, DP World, Mohammed Sharaf, Group Chief Executive Officer, DP World, and other senior officials.

A dedicated website, www.DPWorldAlumni.com , invites people who have worked with the company to reconnect and continue to be part of the extended DP World family and its collective success story. Alumni members are issued special membership cards that open the doors to privileges and benefits at select participating retail partners.

The online networking community enables former employees to consider career opportunities, refer associates, and keep abreast of corporate activities at DP World.

H.E Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, said:

“We are a service company and our employees are our most important asset. We consider them lifelong members of the DP World family, even after they have left the company or retired. The Alumni Network is a great space for exchanging a continuous stream of innovative ideas. We value the contributions of all team members and believe that our former colleagues will always be DP World ambassadors as well as mentors for our people.”

H.E Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, DP World, said:

“At DP World we nurture a culture that values both our current and former employees, who have our respect and appreciation. We would like them to feel welcome at DP World at all times. They have helped us succeed and become the industry leader that we are today. While many have moved on to new challenges, we want to stay in touch and be able to exchange ideas with them.”

Mohammed Sharaf, Chief Executive Officer, DP World, said:

“The DP World Alumni Network is our way of recognizing and rewarding the close personal and professional relationships we have built over the years with our people. Many among our alumni have excelled in their work at DP World and elsewhere. We keep our doors open for all our alumni to reconnect with us, access the knowledge base available within the network, and also benefit from the various schemes we have put in place for them.”

Robin Windley, Senior Vice-President, Human Capital, DP World, said:

“In DP World we want every employee to feel that the time they have invested in our company has been well spent. We also feel a responsibility for our people that goes beyond the time that they spend with us. Human Capital has and continues to develop initiatives to ensure each employee transitions smoothly from being a respected employee to a respected and active alumni member.”

With A New Face And Features CSS Group Website Redesigned

CSS Group is excited to announce the unveiling of our newly designed website, with a completely redesigned user interface and beautiful color palette, the site offers innovative features and unique functionality. Our new site provides visitors with accurate, current and well organized information. It has a plethora of features to assist our users to navigate through our product and services in a user-friendly format along with information about our latest products and services.

By moving to a more client-centric layout, we allow visitors to access information based on their own choice to quickly find the content they are looking for through its low hierarchical structure. You can now find elaborated informations about the group under one same roof.

The website will be updated on a regular basis, with news of events, product launches and new content. From a marketing perspective the new website enables CSS Group to lead the way in how we communicate with our customers, through regular updates and innovative technology that we are embracing. This includes creating community pages in Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn and various other social media platforms.

We invite you to the new experience browsing at www.cssgroupsite.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We hope that you will enjoy surfing through our new site, finding more options and information each time, and that it will be yet another tool for strengthening our business relations.

Please visit:
www.cssgroupsite.com
for additional information.

SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples In KPL Season 2

Following the huge success of its first season, KPL Dubai has announced the start of KPL Dubai Season 2.

The KPL Dubai Season 2 T20 Cricket Tournament will be held from November 2nd, 2012 until December 2nd, 2012 at the Dubai Sports City Stadium / ICC GCA Grounds under the auspices of the Dubai Cricket Council.

KPL Dubai is an event incepted to ignite the regional fire of cricket with around 3.5 million Asians here in the UAE and the game is formed in such a manner that there will be presence of all cricket playing nationalities in the game.

SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples will be in Group A for Season 2 of the KPL Dubai.  The official draw took place during a press conference held at the India Club Dubai on October 23rd, 2012 to launch Season 2 of the League. This year’s format will be 6 teams in Group A, and 6 teams in Group B.

The format of each Team consists of a minimum of 3 players from Kerala in a playing XI and the remaining from local talents, with one player under the age of 22 and a maximum of 2 overseas players. The combination of players in each team and overseas players are decided by the Team Owners.

Building on the momentum of a successful inaugural season, SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples looks towards a winning Season 2. This year, the team is Co-sponsored by SPACE International Group and CSS Group. Representing SPACE International Group, Mr. Ajit, Regional Director commented on Season 2, “I am honoured to be partnered with SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples for Season 2 of the Kerala Premier League and am excited about the upcoming season.  The teams looks even stronger in Season 2 and I am sure they will be extremely competitive in all of their matches.”

SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples support sponsor is Almarai who will be arranging a food sampling station and refreshments of their first class products to SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples players and supporters for all of their matches.

Commenting on the sponsorship and Season 2 of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples, Chairman T S Kaladharan said, “We are enthusiastic for Season 2 of KPL Dubai and we are privileged to have such wonderful sponsors and support not only from the corporate industries but from our fan base as well. We welcome everyone to come out and support the team during the matches and we look forward to hoisting the trophy this year.”

KPL Dubai brand ambassadors are Kerala Film superstar, Bharat Suresh Gopi, Indian cricket icon, S. Sreesanth and the glamorous actress Bhama. The prize money for the winners of this tournament is Dh 185,000 — the highest prize to be offered to a domestic team.

Prize Money Details:

First Prize – 1 winner
Second Prize – 1 winner
Man of the Match – 32 winners
Man of the Final – 1 winner
Best All Rounder – 1 winner
Best Bowler – 1 winner
Best Batsman – 1 winner
Best Wicketkeeper – 1 winner
Best Fielder – 1 winner
Catch of the Tournament – 1 winner
Max Sixes in the Tournament – 1 winner
Most Entertaining Player – 1 winner
Promising Youngster – 1 winner
Total Prizes Valued at AED 185, 000

For further information, please visit:
www.alleppeyripples.com      www.espaceuae.com  www.almarai.com     www.kpldubai.com  
www.cssgroupsite.com

Alleppey Ripples C/O Consolidated Shipping Group,
PO Box 27802, Dubai,
UAE, Tel: +97143248884,                          Fax: +97143249994. www.alleppeyripples.com.

F1-Buddh International Circuit Logistics played a key part in Formula 1 in India

After the debut in India at the Buddh International Circuit, the Indian leg of the Formula 1 successfully concluded on the 28th October 2012. Logistics played, as usual a vital part for this event. For your interest and information, here are some of the key figures about logistics related to India F1

1500 tonnes of cargo came in for Airtel Indian Grand Prix-
600 tonnes came in by air; 900 tonnes by sea.

35000 liters of fuel came in for the race at the Buddh racetrack.

70 containers of height 40 feet transporting fuel and race tyres reached by sea. Sea freight also included equipment to cook and serve, food & beverages and of course Champagne!!!

38 crores as customs duty JPSI will pay as tax. They will get a draw back of Rs.33 crore after the race.

24 Cars and all critical components in the air cargo were by the Boeing 747-400S which landed at the Indira Gandhi National Stadium on Oct 16 and 17.

Lucky Winner

As part of our continuous commitment to the freight forwarding fraternity, CSS initiated a thank you scheme over 5 years ago, whereby one lucky name out of the scores of business cards that are dropped into the raffle bowls placed at the D/O counter at the CSS Corporate Office and CSLC-1 in Jebel Ali will be rewarded with a gift.
The winner picked selected and rewarded for the months of September- October 2012 was Shaheel from Top Unique Logistics L.L.C who walked away with gift vouchers worth 200 AED from Carrefour, presented by Amith Horra, Marketing Manager, CSS Group.