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As Fresh As Ever CSS Airfreight

The Air Freight division of CSS Group was started over 15 years ago, after recognizing a gap in the Air Freight industry. Since then the division has experienced immense growth and success year after year while maintaining and strengthening its position as an important player in the market.

Consolidated Shipping Services is well known for its capability of handling any type of Cargo regardless of size or shape, weight or volume. Given any time constraint CSS can execute any job, using our expertise and experience that we have obtained over a decade.

Consolidated Shipping Services in the Middle East and India operates out of dedicated modern facilities, which therefore ensures that the best service is given to our clients and to the entire Air Freight industry. Due to our constantly evolving nature, the Air Freight division has invested time and energy in researching and developing our existing facilities, through modernization and implementation of new services. In addition, given the recent change in the economic landscape, CSS endears to offer not just the best service but also the most cost effective solutions for our clients. One of the key ways in which we have done this, is by ensuring that our team consists of people from different nationalities and different levels of expertise which allow for us to come up with out-of-the box solutions to delivering our clients needs without increased costs

Recently, the Air Freight division has moved its premises to the Cargo Mega terminal at the Dubai International Cargo Gateway (Dubai Cargo Village), which overlooks Dubai International Airport Terminal 1 & 3. The new location is ideal not only because of the view that visitors and the team gets to enjoy, but is also a constant reminder of our vision to not just succeed, but also evolve and transform, in order to ensure that the best service is provided to all our clients and customers alike.

Keeping in mind the core values of CSS Group, the Air Freight division, thrives on challenges and overcoming obstacles to attain the highest levels of customer. One of the vital reasons for our success is our ability to provide any shipping related service to our client due to the in-house support of our own multi modal transport division from air to sea transport, projects, relocation requirements etc. The client does not need to look elsewhere, and therefore is rest assured that the cost he receives is by far the most competitive in the market.

Jacob Isaac, General Manager, CSS Air Freight Division feels that, ‘it is the periodic enhancement of service levels and the expertise of Air Freight forwarders that encourage clients to remain loyal and therefore ensure a constant flow of business for key players in this market during economic downturns.’

Heavy Equipment Logistics

CSS GROUP LEADERSHIP ALIGNMENT TO MEET GLOBAL MARKET NEEDS FOR SHIPPING NEW AND USED PLANT AND EQUIPMENTS WORLDWIDE

CSS Group is realigning its market development and customer support leadership role in a niche sector to enable an increased focus on the unique market segment in which we now serve.

Rahul Mathew, has been appointed as Key Account Manager to support the sales, market development and customer support departments in Dubai, UAE assuming responsibility of the Dubai, Sharjah and Northern Emirates. He has held management positions in the global shipping business in various geographic regions in India.

Nandakumar, has been appointed as back up support and coordinator assisting – sales, market development and customer support, for regional as well as international clients assuming responsibility for insuring all inquiries are handled in a timely and professional manner.

“The global shipping of new and used plant and equipment is expanding geographically and in complexity,” according to the VP Business Development and head of the Heavy Equipment Logistics division, Ken Dinnadge.

The CSS Group’s ‘reaching out program’ philosophy in this sector is to ensure every customer receives the highest standard of service, and this has enabled us to lead the way in different sectors serving various markets around the world. This new structure will now allow CSS to better implement market appropriate strategies globally that are in varying stages of development in the shipping of new and used plant and equipment. CSS has always demonstrated its ability to successfully develop strong customer relationships and drive strategic initiatives forward, resulting in innovative services and solutions.

Completing 4 Years Of Trust CSS Mumbai

Console Shipping Services India Pvt Ltd, an Indian establishment and amongst the leading NVOCC in its market today, saw its 4th year of operations being successfully completed on the 26th of June 2011 in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country and home to the largest port in India.

It has been a glorious journey overcoming challenges, pressures and establishing itself in the most stylish and professional way in the tough Mumbai market. “Persistence pays off well is what I believe”, says Jairam K R, Director, CSS India and Mumbai’s success is a clear cut example of this saying.
Setting up an expert team and streamlining the services were the strongest challenges they faced over the most volatile period ever seen in the logistics trade and thanks to the young and dynamic management team who laid the foundation and became the pillars of growth for the organization.

According to Jairam, the steadfast growth was made possible only because of the whole hearted support from the agents, clients and well wishers. “They have always shown trust in us and they believed in our professionalism. The company has seen its employee and business graph make waves, as is common in our industry, but we have been focused enough to achieve our organization goals”, he adds. CSS Mumbai has always stayed close to the local market and the suppliers. This was a key factor in strategizing the winning plans during the tough time.

Today CSS Mumbai have export consolidation services to over 20 destinations across the globe including Far East, Europe, Middle East, Indian Sub Continent and Africa. The strong IT systems they have heavily invested in have added value to the quality of service they offer to their clients

CSS Mumbai is giving thrust to the high potential European market where they have established inbound services from Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe, Le Havre and other eastern European cities. The agents are professionals and are committed to long term business in their outlook. The team CSS Mumbai has been successful in creating a worldwide network by participating in some of the major trade shows and travelling extensively.

Projects management is another key area where CSS Mumbai team are concentrating at. They have rendered their services to renowned companies through their exceptional skill in handling over dimensional and break bulk cargo. According to the management, the growth of projects cargo movement in India will touch new heights in the next few years and CSS Mumbai foresees a boom in this area of business because of its recent successes and professional approach.

Today with a list of credits to its hand, CSS Mumbai has widened its horizon providing a list of services ranging from LCL, FCL, Air, Logistics and Projects management. Its certifications with the MTO, FIATA and FMC are basic documentation infrastructure required by any professional company in the business

As Jairam sums it up, “The prime focus for CSS Mumbai would be to reach on top of the table and become the preferred partner for the professional companies in this market. We invest in training our employees, updating our systems, being professional in choosing our business associates who share the same thinking platform – and this goes a long way in creating the brand that we stand for today.”

Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition

October 25-27, 2011
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, LA, USA

The Breakbulk Exhibitions and Conference has been strategically positioned worldwide and is recognized as a premier Heavy Lift Exhibition. After its inaugural appearance at the 2010 Breakbulk Americas Conference and Exhibition in Houston, Texas USA, CSS Group has secured its place for the 2011 Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference and Exhibition to be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA, USA from October 25-27. Please visit us at Booth No. 845 and lookout for more details on www.cssgroupsite.com

The Preferred Partner

IronPlanet have recently expanded its global reach into the Middle East and Subcontinent region and have appointed the CSS Group as their preferred freight and logistics partner in order to provide door-to-door freight and logistic solutions no matter the size or location for cargoes purchased on line.

IronPlanet via CSS also provides complete documentation services, which enables seller and buyers complete security when handling transactions online.

“We are delighted to be appointed the preferred freight and logistic solutions partner in the Middle East and Subcontinent region for IronPlanet as our local knowledge with global expertise will enhance this fruitful business relationship,” adds T.S. Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group.“With our reliable network of partners worldwide andour well-trained and seasoned professionals we are able to cater to a niche market in the Middle East and Subcontinent region for used construction and agricultural equipment and look forward to continually build on our business relationship with IronPlanet worldwide,” says T.S. Kaladharan.

About IronPlanet

IronPlanet is the world’s leading online auction companies for used construction and agricultural equipment. Their sellers achieve more profitable sales through low transaction costs and better price realizations through a global audience of buyers. Their guaranteed inspection reports and exclusive IronClad Assurance enable buyers to bid with a high degree of confidence. IronPlanet is backed by Accel Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Caterpillar, Komatsu and Volvo.

GREGORY J. OWENS – IRONPLANET

Chairman and CEO

Greg is Chairman and CEO of IronPlanet, responsible for development, refinement and execution of the company’s overall business strategy and tactics. Prior to joining IronPlanet, Greg served as Managing Director at Red Zone Capital, a Washington, D.C. private equity firm focused on strong revenue growth opportunities. Prior to that time, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Manugistics Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MANU), where he doubled annual revenues to over $300 million for the supply chain management software company. Before that, he served as Global Managing Partner Supply Chain Management at Accenture (NYSE:ACN) where he was a founding member of their supply chain group. Greg also serves, or has served, on several outside boards including Serena Software, Inc., S1 Corporation and SecureWorks, Inc. Greg brings to IronPlanet many years of experience and proven results in revenue growth and supply chain business management.

Greg holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and serves on the President’s Advisory Board as well as the College of Management Board.

IronPlanet auctioned more than 3,000 items in June 2011

IronPlanet® (www.ironplanet.com), a leading online marketplace for used heavy equipment, has sold thousands of construction and agricultural equipment as well as cars, trucks and powersports items in its June online auctions.

The June auctions featured equipment from many different sellers located around the world including financial institutions, OEM dealers, independent distributors, rental companies and contractors. IronPlanet’s June auction calendar includes:

June 1 – IronPlanet Motors (Autos and Powersports): ?The auction featured more than 100 items from across the U.S. including cars, golf carts, motorcycles, RVs, trucks and more from manufacturers such as GMC, Harley-Davidson, Jeep, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and others.

June 2 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment: ?More than 550 items across the U.S. were for sale including aerial work platforms, compactors, excavators, forklifts, on-road trucks, skid-steers, trailers and more.

June 8 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment in Europe: ?The auction featured more than 140 items located across Europe including aerial work platforms, compressors, dumpers, excavators, forklifts, generators, telehandlers and other types of equipment.

June 9 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment: ?This auction will included more than 800 items from sellers located in the U.S. such as asphalt equipment, conveyors, compactors, crawler tractors, crushers, excavators, off-road trucks, screens, skid-steers, wheel loaders and more.

June 15 – IronPlanet Motors (Autos and Powersports): ?The auction featured more than 80 items located in Florida, Georgia and Utah and includes cars, golf carts, motorcycles, RVs and trucks.

June 16 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment: ? More than 500 items from sellers across the U.S. were up for auction. Backhoe loaders, compactors, excavators, forklifts, generators, trucks, wheel loaders and more will be part of the auction.

June 22 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment in Europe and the Middle East: ?The auction featured more than 250 items from across Europe and the Middle East including boom trucks, excavators, forklifts, farm tractors, off-road trucks and more.

June 23 – World Crane Auction?Cranes from around the world were on sale including all terrains, crawlers, rough terrains, truck mounted and tower cranes.

June 23 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment: ?More than 350 items were on sale from sellers across the U.S. Featured items include aerial work platforms, backhoes, compactors, dozers, excavators, forklifts, on-road trucks, scrapers and skid-steers.

June 30 – Agricultural and Construction Equipment: ?This auction highlighted hundreds of items from sellers located in the U.S. such as concrete equipment, excavators, loaders, skid-steers, tools, trucks, water related equipment and more.

IronPlanet offers its Priority Bid service allowing users to place bids in advance of the auction. On auction day, all items will be sold online to the highest bidder. Buyers can attend the auctions from the comfort of their office or home, saving unnecessary travel expenses to view the items or visit the auction site.

IronPlanet conducts inspection reports on the items sold in its online auctions. The reports include visual inspections of the exterior and interior conditions, operating systems, working components and fluid and oil samples. The reports are backed by IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance guaranteeing the inspection reports are accurate descriptions of the equipment’s condition. The inspection reports and the IronClad Assurance equip buyers with the information they need to bid with confidence on the items they want.

Wood and Machinery Show

H.E. Dr. Rashed Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, inaugurated the 6th edition of the ‘Dubai International Wood & Wood Machinery Show’, the regional landmark event for wood trade and investment, at the Dubai Airport Expo which took place from April 5th-7th, 2011. There were over 300 exhibitors and 10,000 specialized visitors who made it the most successful show in this region for this business sector.

Dubai Wood Show is the stage for wood products such as timber, hardwood, softwood, plywood and hardboards, wood and timber flooring, treatment products, spraying equipment and raw wood materials. Various wood machineries including boring and combining machines, blades and knives, drying kiln equipment, plywood manufacturing machinery and dust control equipment, to name a few, were exhibited.

Wood and wood product importers and exporters, suppliers and end users gathered at the Dubai Wood Show to display products, forge beneficial partnerships, and explore actionable strategies to expand into the global wood industry.

The event featured six international pavilions- the Malaysian pavilion; American pavilion; French pavilion; German pavilion; Canadian pavilion and the Chinese pavilion. The American pavilion, which is being hosted by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), is the largest of the six pavilions and will feature leading US companies that offer a variety of American hardwoods species.

Suku Sudhakaran, AGM CSS Abu Dhabi and Sajesh P, Transport Supervisor both attended the 2-day exhibition and were extremely pleased with the attendance and the networking session during the show. “The Dubai Wood Show was an excellent platform to network with various people and organizations as CSS has a dedicated Industrial Crating and Lashing division whereby we need to maintain existing and new potential vendors ensuring only premium materials are used for the services, directly benefiting the end user,” added Suku Sudhakaran.

CSS Industrial Packing & Lashing Divisions offers a wide range of services to meet your requirements.

SERVICES OFFERED

Industrial Crating:

Undertake all kinds of crating requirements

Well trained and skilled carpenters for fabrication of industrial crates, minor and major carpentry works

Providing all types of packing inside the crate

Use only top quality materials for all the packing

Arranging heat treatment with ISPM certificates

Flexible and timely arrangements of crating

All personnel use standard PPE and adhere to Safety Standards

Industrial Lashing:

Undertake all types of lashing and securing

Using top quality materials with certificates

Providing certificates for lashing

Well trained and skilled riggers for the lashing

Over dimensional and over weight cargo lashing

Chemical Warehouse Facility in Jebel Ali,UAE

With the growing demand in the market for the storage of hazardous cargoes, CSS has taken its first steps for opening a new warehouse facility in the Chemical Zone situated in Jebel Ali Free Zone. The new facility will be built with a state-of-the-art office area, and a temperature controlled warehouse. Upon completion, the new facility will have loading and offloading ramps. The warehouse will be able to handle the majority of the classified hazardous goods. Professionaly trained and certified CSS employees, handling dangerous goods will be managing the facility.

Multi Million Dollar Auction In Dubai

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 41 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer conducted an unreserved equipment auction on May 10 – 11, 2011 at its auction site in Dubai, UAE. More than 1,700 items from 200+ owners were featured in the auction, including 700 transportation items, of which, 80 are late model MAN TGA33.400 6X4 truck tractors. The highlights include several late model Komatsu rock trucks and a diverse selection of heavy equipment items. The bids were placed at the Dubai auction site on auction day, online in real time at www.rbauction.com and by proxy.

The auction also featured hundreds of heavy industrial equipment items, including, 70+ hydraulic excavators, 50+ wheel loaders, 25 plus dump trucks, 25 plus rock trucks, 25 mixer trucks, nearly 20 crawler tractors and many more items. This is the second Ritchie Bros. sale conducted at the site this year. At a previous Dubai auction held on March 8 – 9, 2011, more than US$57 million of heavy equipment and trucks were sold—the highest amount of gross auction proceeds ever generated from a Dubai auction.

“Besides a broad range of heavy construction and mining equipment items, our customers are also able to bid on a large selection of transportation items,” said Steve Barritt, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. “A highlight in the Dubai sale was the package of 80 late model MAN truck tractors. As always, there are no minimum bids or reserve prices in our auctions and all items are sold on auction day. The Dubai auction will be a great opportunity for anyone looking to buy trucks, trailers and other assets they need.”

The Heavy Equipment Logistics department led by V.P. Business Development Ken Dinnadge along with Hinna Hussain, Key Account Manager and Rahul Mathew, Key Account Manager attended the two-day auction. As per Ken “ This was a great opportunity to network with the buyers and sellers at the auction as it gives us a platform to promote CSS and its first class services offered. We were able to assist and secure logistical solutions for the buyers and sellers to ensure their equipment’s reach from point A to B in a safe and cost effective manner. Basically we provide ‘Local Knowledge with Global Expertise!’ added Ken.

A Ritchie Bros. auction is an exciting event: millions of dollars of equipment, thousands of bidders, an item selling almost every minute – often for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Here are some interesting facts and records about Ritchie Brothers:

THEIR FIRST AUCTION
1958 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada – CA$2,000 of furniture sold

THEIR FIRST AUCTION OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA
1987 – in Liverpool, the United Kingdom

THE LARGEST AUCTION IN RITCHIE BROS. HISTORY
US$190 million of equipment sold over five days at our Orlando, Florida auction site (February 2008)

THEIR LARGEST CANADIAN AUCTION
CA$93 million (US$79 million) of equipment sold over three days at our Edmonton, Alberta auction site (April 2009)

THEIR LARGEST AUCTION IN EUROPE
US$67 million of equipment sold over three days at our Moerdijk, the Netherlands auction site (November 2004)

THE HIGHEST BID EVER PLACED AT A RITCHIE BROS. AUCTION
34 million Euros (US$46 million) – for the 220-ft mega yacht Apoise, at an auction in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (March 2010)

THE HIGHEST BID PLACED ON A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AT A RITCHIE BROS. AUCTION
US$3.7 million – for a Liebherr LR 1800, 800-ton crawler crane at an auction in Sacramento, California (April 2006)

THE MOST BIDDERS AT ONE AUCTION
More than 8,500 people registered to bid on-site or online at an auction at our Edmonton, Alberta auction site (April 2009)

THE MOST LOTS EVER SOLD AT A RITCHIE BROS. AUCTION
Over 8,300 heavy equipment items and trucks sold over six days at our Orlando, Florida auction site (February 2009)

MOST EQUIPMENT SOLD TO ONLINE BIDDERS AT ONE AUCTION
US$36 million of equipment sold to online bidders participating in an auction at our Orlando, Florida auction site (February 2009)

THEIR LARGEST AUCTION SITE
Orlando, Florida – 200 acres

THEIR FIRST PERMANENT AUCTION SITE
Edmonton, Alberta – opened in 1976

GPLN Annual Meeting Global Conference

The Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) recently held at the 2011 Global Conference at the Hilton Munich Park Hotel in Munich, Germany, from May 3rd – 5th. 136 project cargo experts and independent project logistics specialist companies from all around the world, all of whom have an expert focus on project logistics attended the global conference.This global meeting allowed face-to-face contact with various GPLN partners. Members were able to efficiently build professional relationships in the most lasting and cost effective manner.

The GPLN Munich meeting was the largest ever, up 68% from the 2010 meeting in Rio de Janeiro (93 attendees), which was GPLN’s previous attendance record.

“This meeting in Munich gives us a high bar to aim for in 2012,” said Gary Dale Cearley, Executive Director of GPLN, “But actually, the reason for the growth is not a secret. It is the quality of the members we have. We plan to keep to our membership standards high so I expect to attract even more high quality project logistics professionals to next year’s meeting.”

The CSS delegation attending the global conference were, Sreenath V-General Manager, Projects, Oil & Energy, Suku Sudhakaran, AGM, CSS Abu Dhabi, and Chandrakala (CK) Management Trainee CSS. “The global conference was an excellent platform to network with all of our associates across the Projects, Oil & Energy fraternity worldwide. We were able to meet and discuss various trends within the industry and share ideas with each other that will promote mutual growth respectively. A special thanks to the GPLN team for organizing such a wonderful global conference,” added Sreenath V.

Colombo Calling

The booming Abu Dhabi market is prone to more LCL imports compared to LCL exports where Abu Dhabi Terminal has exported only 38,000 MT against 56,000 MT of imports as per their statistics report of 2010. CSS Abu Dhabi established NVOCC department as a separate division from General Sales on April 2010 and within a span of one year were able to grab 70% of LCL export market share by using different marketing strategies and better services offered in a LCL import prone market.

As a team with valuable experience and professionalism they added to the LCL business by adding a console box from Abu Dhabi to Colombo.

Why Colombo?

As one of the largest cities and been one of the biggest commercial hub in South Asia, Colombo is very well known commercially for textiles, chemicals, glass, scrap & furniture trading. 2000 years back Colombo port was one of the largest trade lane in east west sea trade route which is well known for its geographical position and now Colombo is the home city for major cooperate institutions and also one of the major entertainment venues.

As per the Colombo Port statistics report 2010, they have handled 3.7 million TEU’s inbound which is 10.6% growth compared to 2008 & 2009 which includes the transshipments as well, which drove our focus into Colombo direct console by which we can cover most of the South Asian destination.

Special Features & advantages of direct console:

Abu Dhabi based companies have a major issue of passing documents in Dubai Trade as they require Abu Dhabi customers to have an account with them. Due to these issues, Abu Dhabi based clients prefer not to utilize LCL export service and by using direct console from Abu Dhabi there will be no more hassles in passing export declarations in future.

Colombo state warehouses are state-of-the-art and modern warehouses, which utilize modern technology, and professional team of warehouse staff, which ensures the security, and professional handling of the cargo.

Through promoting new hassle free services, CSS Abu Dhabi is looking forward for a better stability in Abu Dhabi market and providing full customer satisfaction as per their requirements.

A Rare Honour

T.S. Kaladharan featured in the Book of Achievers

The contributions of top business leaders and professionals from Kerala in the GCC are being unfolded again by The Book of Achievers, a coffee table book, when it launched its second edition recently.

Selected numbers of 37 personalities are featured in this edition of Achievers. It contains the inspiring growth stories of dozens of visionaries, their insights on current economic scenarios and future market outlook. It narrates the pain-n-gain stories of a series of high net worth entrepreneurs who have brought in the remarkable facelift of the Gulf region with their service over the past several decades. T. S. Kaladharan, Chairman of CSS Group is one among the Achievers in this edition.” The book identifies and honors accomplished business leaders and top professionals from Kerala based in the GCC countries, and I am extremely privileged to be a part of it” mentions Kala.

This volume will be made available through prominent libraries, chambers of commerce, business and professional organizations across India and the GCC as well as selected libraries in Europe and the US.

Publisher and Editor Biju Ninan said, “The book talks about their contribution to GCC economies and their native state, Kerala, India. It unfolds an untold story of select achievers, who made it big for themselves and for millions of others through their entrepreneurial excellence and hard work”. This multi colour, 248-page hardbound book contains photographs of these Personalities and their families.

These achievers were handpicked by a special jury comprising of Isaac John, deputy business editor, Khaleej Times and senior businessman & philanthropist Dr. Ram Buxani based on factors like the number of jobs created by their respective companies, the positioning of their businesses and the soundness of their corporate citizenship (corporate social responsibility).

The coffee table book is conceived, designed and published by Grey Matter, FZ, LLC, a 360-degree media-consulting firm in Dubai, UAE.

Projects At A Glance Cabling Project

As part of the cabling project, CSS Projects, Oil & Energy was appointed as the logistics provider to transport the shunt reactors as well as cable drums to the site location, which is one of the new generation residential hubs in the heart of Dubai. The 50-ton shunt reactors were transported on hydraulic multi axle trailers to the site and were installed onto the foundation by jacking & skidding methods. In addition to this, 272 cable drums were also transported and offloaded at the facility. The CSS Projects, Oil & Energy team were at the prime location and supervised the entire operation and represents yet another milestone for the team.

Attendance At 2011 Breakbulk Europe Conference Jumps 30 Percent

Signaling a strong return to business growth, UBM Global Trade’s 6th Annual Breakbulk Europe Transportation Conference & Exhibition posted a record turnout of 4,343 attendees and 190 exhibitors, reflecting respective increases of 40 percent and 28 percent over the previous year.

Held May 17th-19th at the Antwerp Expo Centre in Antwerp, Belgium, the conference program showcased industry leaders and noted analysts over two days of discussions, which addressed the multipurpose fleet, combating the scourge of piracy, the changing emphasis on short sea shipping, infrastructure developments in India, the status of Middle East and North Africa projects, and energy generation prospects.

“Keynote speakers over the two days highlighted ‘Energy Outlook’ and delivered captivating views for the growing risks of oil shock, as well as detailed forecasts for the production of natural gas, offshore oil and gas, and green energy,” said Siby C Kurian, General Manager Sales & Marketing who represented CSS at the Breakbulk Conference & Exhibition. “We were able to learn where major growth is under way and what factors are impacting these markets.”

Breakbulk Europe is one of three major conferences and exhibitions organized annually by UBM Global Trade’s Breakbulk division. From February 28-March 1, 2012, the first Breakbulk China Conference and Exhibition is scheduled to be held in Shanghai. The event is an alternate to the successful Breakbulk Asia Transportation Conference & Exhibition that has been held in Singapore for the past three years. Breakbulk Americas, held alternately each year in Houston and New Orleans, is the original Breakbulk event that has been held continuously for the past 21 years. CSS Group will be exhibiting at the Breakbulk Americas Conference & Exhibition, booth # 845, stay tuned to www.cssgroupsite.com for more details!

Relief Mission

Disaster recovery and Business continuity

As part of the business continuity process CSS has launched its Disaster recovery sub site at Twin Info Solutions, its business continuity back office in Kerala, India. Disaster recovery is the process, policy, procedure and early planning of the company to protect its business critical data or technology infrastructure from loss or from any outside threat. As information technology systems are growing with mega bytes or terabytes of data, a fast growing organization like CSS needs to take strategic steps for protecting its essential data in a highly secured area.

This was the compelling factor for creating a replica of its production environment. CSS was following the off-site backup technique for quite a long time till they created its own backup site in 2010. The company allocated 10% of its annual IT budget for disaster recovery planning and measurements.

In the event of an unexpected stalemate, the IT infrastructure will start working within no time from its back office location and take control of the situation, preventing the loss of data of all CSS offices. The backup sites can be categorized into three. They are cold sites, hot sites and warm sites. CSS has setup a hot site which is a replica of the original site of the organization, with fully automated systems. The capacity of the hot site may vary from that of the original. This type of backup site is very expensive to maintain as well. CSS is also planning to go for disaster recovery sites for its entire IT related business process support systems such as portal solution to customers, communication servers, file servers, etc.

Indian Club – Western Union UAE Open Badminton Tournament 2011

The prestigious “India Club-Western Union UAE Open Badminton Tournament 2011” began on Tuesday, 24th May 2011 at India Club, Dubai with the finals scheduled for Friday, 17th June 2011. Cash Prizes, Trophies, etc. amounting to over Dhs. 50,000/- will be the highlight of the tournament.

This year, the tournament is open to players from outside the UAE also, irrespective of their visa status.

All of the matches will be played in line with rules & regulations of the World Badminton Confederation.

As part of CSS Group’s and India Club’s drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility, matches have been scheduled under a separate pool for the Special Needs Children / Individuals. The categories will be based on the number of entries received. Invitations have been sent to various Special Needs Institutes in Dubai and no entry fees will be charged. All participants will be given a certificate of participation and a memento.

Besides the cash prizes and trophies, the winners of Men Singles, Ladies Singles, Boys Singles under 18 years and Girls Singles under 18 years will also take away Jet Airways return air tickets from Dubai to Jet Airways destinations within India. The winners and runners up in all the categories will also receive gift hampers from Swiss Arabian Perfumes Trading and Carrera Sunglasses.

As co-sponsor, CSS Group and India Club would like to thank the Badminton Committee comprising of Prakashan A. K, Kishore Setpal, Anil Mohan and Sunita Maheshwari for all their support and efforts in conducting the tournament.

The matches will commence daily from 7.00 p.m. and on Fridays from 10.00 am onwards. As many as 15 matches will be played on a daily basis and over 50 matches on Fridays.

This tournament started in the early 1980’s. With every passing year, the tournament has been getting better & better. Players from Qatar / Bahrain / India / Pakistan / Philippines / Oman / Thailand / China / Indonesia / Sri Lanka / Denmark & UK have taken part in the tournament.

Last year (2010), a record number of 501 entries were registered and a record number of 460 matches were played in various categories.

CSS Group is proud to be associated with the India Club Dubai and the UAE Open Badminton tournament and we wish all of the participants best of luck.

CSS – GO KARTING 2011

As part of the employee engagement activities on 30th April, CSS organized a Go Karting Tournament at Dubai Autodrome, which is located in Motor City, Dubai, UAE. The employees were given the freedom to bring their friends, family members or customers for participating in this event. The race started at 10:00 PM and 18 participants competed for the best lap time. Winner, Mr. Sai Prakash from Emirates Sky Cargo who started the race on a low note got his best lap time in the 4th lap even though Mr. Suku Sudhakaran AGM, CSS Abu Dhabi and Mr. Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development gave a tough battle to the winner. Ms. Sulaiya, Executive, Thai Embassy won the title in the ladies section. “Thanks to CSS for inviting us to this event it was fun filled sporting event and an opportunity to interact with the employees and their families” one of the participants commented.

The Dubai Center for Special Needs – Dubai Charity Centre

The inaugural clothing drive at CSS occurred in March 2011. It was a great achievement as employees from different offices in the United Arab Emirates contributed on a large scale and we were able to collect the clothes, which weighed approximately 225 kgs. CSS senior management has always supported these activities to cultivate the culture in employees to be socially responsible. The collection of clothes has been donated to The Dubai Center for Special Needs-Dubai Charity Centre for onward distribution to those who are less fortunate. On May 31st, 2011 with the support of CSS Homeward Bound (Personal Effects Management of CSS) the clothing was transported to The Dubai Center for Special Needs-Dubai Charity Centre and handed over to Elizabeth Operations Supervisor & Delhna Cama Public Relations Coordinator.

Amith Horra Marketing Manager, CSS and Deepu S Dev Marketing Coordinator represented CSS Group for the CSR initiative. “We are pleased to be associated with The Dubai Center for Special Needs and we look forward to engaging in other activities to continually build upon our CSR initiatives at CSS. I would like to thank everyone involved in the clothing drive because without your support this would not be possible,” added Amith Horra.

The Dubai Center for Special Needs is an established, non-profitable institution that provides the highest standards of service in specialized education and therapy, for children with various disabilities. It is a caring environment, largely dependent on the generosity of the local communities and corporations. Its aim is to provide each and every one of its students the key to a positive life, thereby “Lighting the path to a brighter future”. They provide academic assistance and after that concentrate on prevocational training taking them to various organizations within Dubai for work experience and finally help them to gain employment within the community and to take their rightful place in this world which is their moral right.

Green Logistics

“CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT THE PLACE FOR COMPETITION”

Logistics is the integrated management of all the activities required to move products through the supply chain. For a typical product this supply chain extends from a raw material source through the production and distribution system to the point of consumption and the associated reverse logistics. The logistical activities comprise of freight transport, storage, inventory management, materials handling and all the related information processing. The main objective of logistics is to co-ordinate these activities in a way that meets customer requirements at minimum cost. In the past this cost has been defined in purely monetary terms. As concern for the environment rises, companies must take more account of the external costs of logistics associated mainly with climate change, air pollution, noise, vibration and accidents. It is important that we examine ways of reducing these externalities and achieve a more sustainable balance between economic, environmental and social objectives.

The ‘Green Logistics’ refers to plan, control, management and implementation of the logistics system through the advanced logistics technology and environmental management, aiming to reduce the pollutant emission. According to the logistics link, the evaluation criterions of enterprise green logistics are Green Transportation, Green Storage, Green Packing, Reverse Logistics and Green Technology.

What we call ‘Green Logistics’ represents the convergence of several strands of research that began different times over the past 40 years. In these years it has developed as a an academic discipline, extending its original focus on the outbound movement of finished products – Physical distribution to companies entire transport, storage and handling systems – Integrated Logistics and then to interaction with business upstream and downstream- Supply Chain Management. Other major contextual trends includes the growth of environmental awareness, regulations, and development of national and international standards for environmental reporting and management that many companies now adopt as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. Partly as result of these trends, the volume of statistics available to ‘Green Logistics’ researchers has greatly expanded.

In measuring the environmental effects of logistics it is important to distinguish the first order and second order impacts. The first order environmental effects are those which are directly associated with the freight transport, warehousing and material handling operations. Second order impacts results indirectly from these logistics and take various forms. For instance, the increase in air freight and other traffic is resulting from global sourcing is first order effect, where as the increase in infrastructure, such as roads, buildings in sensitive areas, is a second order effect.

A large body of survey evidence has accumulated to show that companies around the world are keen to promote their green credentials through the management of logistics. It is difficult to gauge, however this reflects a true desire to help the environment by enhancing public relations.