CSS Annual Staff Party 2012

CSS Group celebrated its 17th anniversary staff party at The ICC-GCA Cricket Grounds on Thursday November 29th, 2012. In conjunction with the SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples cricket match, the staff and their families enjoyed watching first class cricket while enjoying dinner catered by Tharavad Restaurant- “truly authentic South Indian Cuisine.” On this auspicious occasion the employees who had completed 10 years of service, Mr. Qais Abdulla, Ms. Gillian Alexander, Mr. Ansar Ali, Mr. Hassan Haji, Mr. Biju Kumar, Mr. Bhaskara Paniker, Mr. Sajith Vijayan and Madhu Parameswaran were honored for their valuable service.  The staff and families celebrated the SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples cricket match win in high spirits encouraged by the music played by the DJ who kept the party going till late!

CSS Group Chairman and the Senior Management extended their gratitude to the sponsors, valued associates, and all CSS departments who had sponsored the prizes for the CSS 17th Anniversary Annual Staff Party.

CSS Abu Dhabi Attends Adipec 2012

Held under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness  Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and organized by dmg: events, ADIPEC is the largest exhibition for the Middle East oil and gas industry, supported by Abu Dhabi

National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the UAE’s Ministry of Energy, it hosts over 4000 delegates, 1,600 exhibitors, 38,000 square meters of space and attracts more than 50,000 attendees from 91 countries and is considered as the event where oil and gas industry professionals get together to experience, discover, network, discuss and debate core industry issues.

By the close of day three attendances at the 2012 edition of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) was 20% higher than the total recorded at the 2010 show.

Involvement from Middle East countries was also higher than ever, with delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, IRAQ and the wider  region.

The highly anticipated ADIPEC 2012, also witnessed for the first time a joint participation between CSS Abu Dhabi and Gulf Commercial Group Engineering  Services.

Gulf Commercial Group- Engineering Service, a member of GHOBASH TRADING was established in 1982, specialized in Oil & Gas products trading focusing on the downstream requirement for supply of Precision Instruments, Transmitters, Recorders, Flow Computers, Metering Systems, Telecommunication equipment and cabling, Terminal Loading Automation and SCADA systems. Gulf Commercial Group mission is- Helping to Maximize Client Performance by providing unique specialized service to our value customers in diversified market segment.

Presently Gulf Commercial Group are the Middle East Distributor of FMC Technologies for Liquid & Measurement solutions and the representative for Honeywell, Johnson Pumps, Fluenta with wide range of Oil & Gas products. Offices are located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & IRAQ. For further information visit the website: www.gcg-es.com.  In attendance from GCG Group was, Jean Pierre Antypas (General Manager), Ayoob Salah Al-Deen (Sales Manager- IRAQ Territory),  Abdullah Sarji (ADIPEC Stand Manager), Sanil Chithambaran (Logistics Head), Bill Carpenter (FMC Regional Manager, Liquid Products) and Kevin Stump (FMC Export Sales Manager).

CSS Abu Dhabi showcased its first class products and services along with participating in keynote networking sessions amongst the Oil and Gas fraternity.  The CSS Abu Dhabi delegation that attended included, Gillian Alexander, Manager Ops. & Cust. Service and Rajneesh Menon, Sr. Sales Executive.

Commenting on ADIPEC, Gillian added, “As the show has grown, the venue has grown as well, matching the needs of the event with the most modern facilities and technology.  ADIPEC is one of the highly anticipated exhibitions/conferences on the UAE events calendar and it was a great opportunity for us to participate and network.”

Moreover the Logistics support provided to Gulf Commercial Group, headed by  Rajneesh Menon & CSS Abu Dhabi team was highly acknowledged and appreciated on this venue.

During the course of the 4 day exhibition, CSS Abu Dhabi & Gulf Commercial Group took the opportunity to increase their visibility amongst the key players in the Oil and Gas industry while meeting various members of the fraternity through which numerous partnerships were created and commitments made for future business.

Mohammed Sahoo Al Suwaidi of GASCO, who has been appointed as Chairman for ADIPEC 2013, said: “Understandably, with the oil and gas industry in the region growing rapidly and with an increasing focus on best practice, there has been a demand to make ADIPEC an annual event from 2013.”

This growth and demand is unabated. We continue to have a waiting list of exhibitors and require yet more space, and therefore there is a need for an annual platform,” he added.

Al Suwaidi continued: “With the growth of gas projects in the region, the focus on gas for the conference programme will help aid business in the region. I am honoured to be appointed Chairman for ADIPEC 2013 and look forward to building on past success.”

ADIPEC 2013, taking place from November 10-13, 2013, will have a strong focus on gas, reflecting its increasing share of the global energy mix and heightened regional demand for gas for power generation.  13 national pavilions have confirmed for ADIPEC 2013 and 15,000 square metres of exhibition space have already been booked for next year’s show.

Together we are stronger: Following this principle CSS Abu Dhabi is growing rapidly with the succor of Gulf Commercial Group since they announced CSS as their official Logistics partner. By acknowledging the gratitude to Jean Pierre on this occasion CSS wishes them a very prosperous New Year by affirming strong support in their future business.

CSS Attends Cargo Ball 2012

The 3rd Annual Cargo Ball 2012 is a premier cargo industry event in the Middle East filled with a glittering evening of entertainment and international buffet dinner, attracting participants from the entire freight forwarding and logistics industry from around the world. The event was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on the 6th of December 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Golf Park.

The event attracted over 450 delegates for an evening of networking to know their counterparts in the region and overseas, fun and frolic activities, live bands, dance and other activities.

The 3rd Annual Cargo Ball 2012 event was attended by senior representatives from airlines, freight forwarders, logistics and ground handling agents and the evening aided all the attendees to come together to build industry partnerships and long-term business relationships.

24 sponsors associated with the event from the areas of airlines, freight forwarders, IT services, shipping, warehousing & distribution, overland trucking and allied services.

The sponsors and delegates in association with the organizers Arabian Reach FZ LLC donated a part of the event revenue to the “Al Noor Training for Children with Special Needs” a special project dedicated to the welfare of the special needs children.

The CSS delegation who had attended this event included, Ahmed Al Rais, Senior VP Air Freight, Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development, Ajay Krishnan, Senior General Manager Ocean Freight, Jacob Issac, General Manager Air Freight, Fida Asghar, Team Manager, NVOCC, Amith Horra, Marketing Manager, Arjun Bose, Managing Director, CSS Abu Dhabi, Ahmad Fuad, Branch Manager CSS Abu Dhabi, Rosaline Nabil, Business Development Manager CSS Abu Dhabi, Baiju Sadanand, Asst. Manager Ops Air Freight and Chandrakala, Asst. Manager NVOCC Ops.

Pilot Visits CSS Delhi

The delegates from Pilot Logistics Co Ltd from Bangkok visited the CSS Delhi office. The delegation comprised of their Overseas Manager, Pinijnan Sukasemsarn and the Sales Manager, Peeraporn Ketsak who held discussions with the CSS Delhi team led by Rajesh Arora, Vice President. CSS is already enjoying a working relation with Pilot for the movements of their LCL shipments from Bangkok to New Delhi through FPS Singapore. For enhancing a more professional and result oriented relationship, the two companies met in Delhi and discussed all the matter.  They also intend to develop a direct trade lane from Bangkok to New Delhi with this meeting. Pilot Logistics is a Bangkok based NVOCC Company and is a part of FPS network. They are very strong in handling LCL, FCL and air cargo from Thailand to other worldwide destinations.

Capacity Expansion at Jebel Ali Port

DP World is integral to the economic development and the progress of Dubai and the UAE. We continue to position Jebel Ali Port as the gateway port of choice to handle cargo destined for the Middle East, India and Africa regions.

In 2011, we saw a 12 percent YOY increase in volume with a record throughput of 13 million TEU.  The port has unparalleled connectivity with over 170 shipping lines, 98 weekly services to over 115 direct ports of call and delivers our customers a high level of efficiency.

As the largest and busiest container port in the region, Jebel Ali port is the preferred port of call for major global ship operators, who continue to order ultra large container ships (ULCS) in line with current liner trends.

We embarked on the expansion of our current Terminal 2 as well as the development of new Terminal 3. Work commenced on Terminal 2 in February this year, scope of this expansion is to extend the quay by   400 m; this would increase quay length in Terminal 2 from 2.6 kms to 3 kms (an additional of 400 m) which will take the container handling capacity at Terminal 2, from five million TEU to six million TEU by May 2013.

With this, Terminal 2 will be able to consecutively handle seven of the largest container ships currently sailing the ocean.

As it stands today, progress had been made to demolish the existing breakwater, piling or foundation works for both STS* and RMG** are currently underway. The Quay wall work is ahead of schedule and over 80 percent of the underwater blocks are already in position.

DP World has also embarked on building a new container terminal at Jebel Ali Port – Terminal 3.

Terminal 3 will be one of the finest modern marine terminals in the world with a quay length of 1,860 metres, a draught of 17 metres, and a 70 hectare storage yard.  When operations commence at the new terminal in 2014, total capacity at Jebel Ali will reach 19 million TEU.

The infrastructure at the new terminal will include the deepening of the channel depth to accommodate the next generation of container ships with a capacity of 18,000 TEU.

DP World, UAE Region has already signed agreements with local and international companies for the supply of 19 Ship to Shore (STS) quay cranes and 50 Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes for this development. These quayside and gantry cranes will be equipped with sophisticated technology and are designed to deliver peak productivity and efficiency for our shipping lines.

DP World is the third largest marine terminal operator in the world, with 10% of the world market share in container handling.  We remain committed to continuing to meet the needs of the region’s growing markets and will continue to invest in line with market demands. Our expansion plans will further strengthen Flagship facility, Jebel Ali Port’s position as the most efficient and modern gateway for cargo in the region and enhance its role as an economic growth engine.

Khalifa Port Opens at 12:12:12

Port Opened by UAE President in the Presence of the UAE Vice-President

The Khalifa port was officially opened at exactly 12:12:12 on 12.12.12. by President His  Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the attendance of Shaikh Mohammad  Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of he UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh  Mohammad Bin Zayed al Nahyan, Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal and other Shaikhs and senior officials.

The timing of the opening was quite symbolic for a new Abu Dhabi in line with vision 2030 to have the biggest port with a capacity of 5 million containers in the coming five years.

The port has a strategic position in the region, as it will be connected with Etihad rail by 2016 and all UAE ports will be connected by 2017.

Being built as part of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, the multi-billion dollar flagship project, which is adjacent to Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), is designed to accommodate Mina Zayed’s traffic and Abu Dhabi’s growing trade volumes.

CMA CGM Marco Polo World’s Largest Containership

The CMA CGM Marco Polo, now the world’s largest containership, arrived in Southampton on Sunday December 9th, 2012 loaded with containers from China, officially marking the completion of the first half of her maiden voyage from the Far East to Europe and back.,

With a 16,020 TEU capacity, the M/V CMA CGM Marco Polo took over the title of world’s largest containership upon her delivery to the French shipping company CMA CGM Group on November 5th, 2012. The UK-flagged behemoth was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea and measures an astounding 396 meters long by 54 meters wide and has a draft of 16 meters.

Marco Polo is the first of three sister ships to be owned by the CMA CGM Group, which will share the title of world’s largest until Maersk’s 18,000 TEU Triple-E’s are put into service sometime in 2013.

THE SCHEDULE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OF MARCO POLO:

The CMA CGM MARCO POLO will call at Ningbo (7 Nov), Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Port Kelang, Tanger, Southampton (10 Dec), Hamburg (14 Dec), Bremerhaven (14 Dec), Rotterdam (16 Dec), Zeebrugge (17 Dec), Le Havre (19 Dec), Malta (26 Dec), Khor Al Fakkan (5 Jan), Jebel Ali (7 Jan) and Ningbo (23 Jan).

CSS Group is pleased that its cargo will be carried on board of this record breaking voyage which is scheduled to arrive in Jebel Ali, UAE  on January 7th,  2013!

More details to follow in the forthcoming issue of Lighthouse, March-April 2013 edition!

INTERESTING FACTS:

  • Marco Polo, the new giant of the waves, is five times bigger than an Airbus A380 or the size of four football pitches.
  • Can carry more than 16,000 containers on board.
  • Vessel is 51 times longer than superliner Queen Mary 2

SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples in KPL Dubai Season 2

“SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples with the power and pride of Devas Chundan for KPL Dubai Season 2”

In the presence of CSS, KPL, Dubai Cricket Council, and Media dignitaries, Season 2 of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples and its coaching staff were officially launched and inaugurated at Tharavad Restaurant- (Tharavad by its meaning is known as “HOME”) at the Fortune Plaza Hotel-Dubai. Speaking at the team launch, Chairman and Owner of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples, TS Kaladharan commented on the sponsorship and Season 2 of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples, “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 their matches.”

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 team 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 sponsors are Almarai who provided food sampling stations and refreshments of their first class products to SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples players and supporters for all of their matches during season

Paaroo’s Fashions and Kala Fashions who sponsored team uniforms of the highest quality and fabrics which included branded t-shirts, hats and jackets.

The official caterer for SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples Season 2 was Tharavad Restaurant serving a unique combination of spices from the kitchen of Indian, Chinese and Continental flavors within the best Traditional Kerala.

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.

For season 2, the team included Sri Lankan International renowned All Rounder Dilhara Loukuhettige, UAE National Cricket team All Rounder Fayyaz Ahmed, UAE National Cricket team Wicket-Keeper Shakoor Ahmed and the UAE National Cricket team Under 19 Captain Chirag Suri.

In the first match of the KPL Dubai Season 2 cricket tournament, SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples were surprisingly defeated by Concord Ventures Palakkad Harvestors.

In the second match, SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples beat Calicut Zamrins Supported by du by 6 wickets and the Man of the Match was Abdul Shakoor for his impressive 48 runs from 29 balls while posting 8 x 4’s and 1 x 6.

After losing the first game of the tournament and winning the second game, SPACE- CSS Alleppey Ripples continued their impressive winning streak by posting a 6 wicket victory over Thumbay Kasargod Leopards. The man of the match was once again Shakoor culminating a remarkable display of cricket with 82 runs from 44 balls, 14 x 4’s and 1 x 6.

In their fourth match, SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples won by posting an astounding score of 193 for 4 in 20 overs against Phoenix Medicine Kollam Kernals. Man of the match honours were shared by the winning side teammates, Fayyaz Ahmed & Baber Malik.

With a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, SPACE-CSS Alleppey needed a victory in their final game by a strong run rate and they did just that by defeating Dunes Cusine-Kannur Veerans with an extraordinary score of 206 for 7 in 20 overs. Man of the Match honours went Haji Irfan who recorded 86 runs from 37 balls with 5 x 4’s and 5 x 6’s. With this victory there was a tie for 2nd place in Group A with SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples coming out on top with a stronger Net RR of 0.801 advancing them the Semi Finals of KPL Dubai Season 2 to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

All matches proved to be exhilarating whereby the batting and fielding of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples showcased by the entire team were unstoppable.

In one of the most high-profile match of the tournament, the semi final between   SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples and Thrissur Dynamites Yogi Groupp- the only undefeated team in the tournament.

Despite unpredictable weather conditions leading up to the game and during the course of the game SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples team fought hard to maintain their fielding and bowling as Thrissur Dynamites Yogi Group posted 142 for 7 in 20 overs from an extremely well balanced bowling attack from SPACE-CSS. Kamran and Fayyaz Ahmed both led the charge with 2 and 3 wickets respectively.

During the batting from SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples the game went into the early hours of the morning due to a rain delay, a nail biting match that had onlookers on the edge of their seats.

The SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples team fought hard to maintain their runs during the course of the match; however due to some extremely good bowling and fielding from the Thrissur Dynamites Yogi Group, SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples succumbed to defeat, by 4 runs short of a victory.

With the tournament now concluded we would like to congratulate the entire SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples Team, Coaching Staff, CSS Senior Management, sponsors and all of the CSS Group staff and their families who came out to support the team during this tournament.
Your support and positive attitudes is highly appreciated and we look forward to another season of SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples-KPL cricket.

On behalf of the Chairman and Senior Management of CSS Group and SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples, we would like to take this opportunity and thank the Management team of KPL Dubai and the Dubai Cricket Council for a well-organized cricket ournament/festivities.  The dedication of your team and everyone involved is highly appreciated and brings value added attention to the game of cricket not only in the GCC, but worldwide.

SPACE-CSS Alleppey Ripples are excited for the coming seasons of the Kerala Premier League and our investment in the team shows the continuous support towards the sporting fraternity of the United Arab Emirates offering first class facilities for all sporting events.

BTL Desert Challenge CSS’s VP Business Development Ken Dinnadge Wins Again!

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club hosted the “BTL Race to Dubai”, in conjunction with Bengal Tiger Line; this event was the culmination of the 2012 BTL Golf Global Tour.

The BTL Golf Tour comprised of six regional events, which took place at locations around the world including Colombo, Taipei, Seoul, Hamburg, Singapore and finally Dubai.

The Dubai tournament attracted 72 top players with over 120 guests for the post tournament dinner all representing the Maritime industry. Visitors came from as far afield as Germany, South East Asia, Hong Kong and the Indian Sub Continent. Teams of four competed in the event, and the overall best gross and best net teams were crowned champions with scores of 72 and 64 respectively.

1st Net – BTL Desert Challenge Champions with 72 gross / 49.6 net  Ken Dinnadge – Team Consolidated Shipping Services!

Ken Dinnadge VP CSS, Shiv Prakash VP Evergreen, Pushpraj Nadar – Perpect International Tobias Westen – Grand Hyatt

1st Gross with 64 Ishwar Jodha – Triple Crown Logistics Henna Jodha – Triple Crown Shipping Abdul Meeran – Prestige Group Ashok Ahuja – Inchcape Shipping

Novelty prizes also went to Heena Jodha and JK Park (Sharaf) and the longest drives were won by Henna Jodha and Ruben Gnanalingam (West Ports Malaysia)

Bengal Tiger Line have their headquarters in Singapore and have built their Common Feedering business in the Gulf over the last decade.

Commenting on the tournament and his second consecutive victory, Ken said, “I am extremely delighted to be part of this event having won it last year in 2011. This was an excellent shipping event golf tournament attended by some very good players from oversees as well as locally. CSS being part of this is very much appreciated and to be winners 2 years consecutively is even better!”

CSS Attends Maersk Line Charity Event

CSS Dubai recently participated in the Maersk Line Corporate Social Responsibility drive, which organized an event to support 66 needy schools in the community of Saaba, Burkina Faso in collaboration with an NGO called Kologh Naba. Burkina Faso ranks amongst the poorest nations in the world and its community of Saaba is in dire need of resources in local schools to educate both children and adults. There are a total of 8,520 eligible students that we intend to support through this cause.
The fundraiser was held on December 7th 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Golf Park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The fundraiser included food, games and entertainment for everyone. CSS contributed towards the noble cause by purchasing raffle booklets wherby all of the proceeds raised at the Maersk Line will be used to purchase educational items like stationery, books, school bags, clothes, foodstuff and for its transport to Burkina Faso. Commenting on the charity event, Ajay Krishnan, Senior Genreal Manager Ocean Freight said, “We are extremely pleased to generate a substantial amount to support this fundraiser and active participation from the staff at CSS and everyone involved was a true testament to make this event a huge success.”
THE PROJECT
The project entails supporting 66 needy schools in the community of Saaba, Burkina Faso in collaboration with an NGO called Kologh Naba. Burkina Faso ranks amongst the poorest nations in the world and its community of Saaba is in dire need of resources in local schools to educate both children and adults. There are a total of 8,520 eligible students that we intend to support through this cause. Maersk Line will contribute towards purchasing educational items like stationery, books, school bags, clothes, foodstuff etc. and transport it to schools in Burkina Faso.
ABOUT THE NGO-
KOLOGH NABA  
Kologh Naba» means «close to the chief» and is also the name of a small village which is part of the bigger village of Saaba, situated about 12 km ( 7.5 miles) east of Ouagadougou – the capital of Burkina Faso in West Africa. Founded by Else Traerup in 2001 and officially registered (granted non-profit status) in 2003, Kologh Naba currently involves  almost sixty Burkinabé members and has support groups in Europe.  The objective of “Kologh Naba” is to improve the living conditions of its members through vocational trainings offered to  the members during the winter months: sewing, weaving, soap making, carpentry, masonry and gardening. During the remaining months of the year, trainings are reduced because members must prioritize agriculture labor (sowing, weeding, harvesting, etc.).
For Further details regarding Kologh Naba, please visit the following website: http://www.kologh-naba.org/

Expo 2020…What it Means to Us?

What is World Expo?

World Expos are a key meeting point for the global community to share innovations and make progress on issues of international importance such as the global economy, sustainable development and improved quality of life for the world’s population.

Every five years, World Expos attract millions of visitors who explore and discover pavilions, exhibitions and cultural events staged by hundreds of participants including nations, international organizations and businesses.

Each World Expo is a catalyst for economic, cultural and social transformation and generates important legacies for the host city and nation.

As an inclusive and cosmopolitan nation, hosting the World Expo 2020 would be a natural step in the UAE’s development and vision; aiming to connect people and new ideas with enduring benefits for future generations at home and around the world under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

In November 2011, Dubai and the UAE became a candidate city of the bid process to host World Expo 2020.

Being a global trade and logistics hub, a gateway to emerging markets, and having first class infrastructure are among the major factors that qualify Dubai to win the bid, and DP World, through Jebel Ali’s unmatched efficiencies in the region, is a major contributor to Dubai’s and the UAE’s successes.

Why Dubai and the UAE is bidding to host World Expo 2020

  • We want to welcome the world and show that there is a lot more to know about Dubai and the UAE – a focus on education and the knowledge economy.
  • We have on the world’s youngest populations on earth – World Expo represents an opportunity for the young people to contribute ideas to the future.  A lasting legacy for both the UAE and World Expo.
  • The project is in line with future plans for Dubai and the UAE.
  • In 2021 the UAE will celebrate its Golden Jubilee – an opportunity to connect Expo 2020 into our country celebrations.


INTERESTING FACTS:

  • World Expo is one of the world’s oldest and largest international events that takes place every five years and lasts for up to six months.
  • Participants include, nations, international organizations, companies and civil organizations. They attract millions of visitors and are characterized by a chosen theme, which has to be of universal concern.
  • World Expo has never been held in the Middle East, Africa and the South East Asia region.

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

An Arty Party Kochi – Muziris Biennale

Kochi opened its window to the world of contemporary art and colours on the 12.12.12 with the commencement of the first ever Biennale in India.

This is the largest Contemporary art festival in the country to be held every other year. Collaborating closely with the Muziris Heritage Project, the Biennale celebrates Kerala’s rich heritage in arts. World renowned contemporary artists are participating in this festival which is expected to give a grand boost to the ongoing tourism season as well.

Out of the total 80 artists participating, 40 are from abroad, 22 from Kerala and the rest from other parts of the country, Fort Kochi is abuzz with activity.

Even the venues selected have their relevance in the culture of the state. Durbar Hall will be one such for all the paintings and sculptures. Built in the 1850s, it was the royal court of the rulers of Kochi.

Another is David Hall, built around 1695 by the Dutch East India Company and was the office of the Dutch Governor-General. The hall takes the name of David Koder, a Jewish businessman who later resided there with his family. Cochin Club by its side was an exclusive British Gentlemen’s Club, and will have biennale art and sculpture installations.

Aspinwall House set up during the 1850s by the English trader John H. Aspinwall is another important venue for Biennale.  Yet another venue Pepper House was a warehouse by the waterfront.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to invoke the historic cosmopolitan legacy of Kochi and its predecessor, the ancient port of Muziris. Muziris is thought to have been involved in the spice trade as early as the third century B.C., trading with Romans, Greeks, Chinese, Jews and Arabs.  It is said to have been wiped out in 1341, when the Periyar River flooded, after which the town of Cochin, 20 miles to the south, rose to commercial prominence.

The exhibition is set in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands. There are shows in existing galleries and halls, and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and neglected structures.

Indian and international artists are exhibiting artworks across a variety of mediums including film, installation, painting, sculpture, new media and performance art.

Alongside the exhibition the Biennale offers a rich and thoughtful schedule of talks, seminars, screenings, music, workshops and educational activities for school children and students of all ages.

For India, the event is a huge step forward with regard to heritage management. Surrounding structures have been given a facelift, and art has been freed from the bondage of galleries and museums.

The country’s first ever Biennale is expected to attract more than 5 lakh visitors from across the globe. Nearly 80 artists from 35 countries are taking part in this art festival.

The three-month-long biennale, will be an extravaganza of art and culture with a nod to the mystical, the wrought-iron gates of Aspinwall House, a sea-facing colonial-era spice house that is one of the main venues, was thrown open to the public.

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 November-December 2012 was Jaffer from Airlink International UAE, who walked away with gift vouchers worth 200 AED from Carrefour, presented by Fida Asghar, Team Manager, NVOCC, CSS Dubai.

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.