Air Partner Buys Aviation Safety Specialist

The jet charter company said, Britain’s Air Partner has acquired aviation safety specialist Baines Simmons for £6 million (USD 9.4 million) to gain exposure to the growing demand for air safety advice.

Air Partner, which charters aircraft for governments, companies and high-net-worth individuals including the UK’s Queen Elizabeth, said the deal would add a more stable revenue stream to its sometimes volatile broking income.

Air Partner director Justin Scarborough said, “What companies are being forced to do across Europe is to have increased levels of accountability (for safety).”

Baines Simmons’ customers include British Airways, the Royal Air Force and Airbus.

Shipping Company of The Year

SCATA AWARD FOR CSS GROUP

Consolidated Shipping Group was honored to be the proud recipient of this year’s SCATA award, in the “Shipping Company of the Year” Category. Representing the CSS Group Management, Siby C Kurian Senior General Manager Sales & Marketing, received the award in a grand function on the 22nd of April.

The award was presented by Mr. Esam Ahmed, Account Manager- Break & Bulk Cargo DP World, UAE Region.

The ninth annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATAs) took place at the Inter Continental Dubai Festival City, honoring leadership and innovation in the regional logistics industry.

A total of 15 trophies were handed out at a gala dinner in celebration of the Middle East logistics industry’s achievements over the past 12 months.

The event was organized by ITP, the publisher of Logistics Middle East magazine and ArabianSupplyChain.com.

Winners for the other categories

Shipping Port Operator of the Year  Gulftainer
Cargo Operator of the Year
Etihad Cargo
Express Logistics Provider of the Year  FedEx Express
3PL Service provider of the Year
Agility
Supply Chain of the Year  
Landmark Group
Logistics Hub of the Year
Jebel Ali Free Zone
General Sales Agent of the Year
Dnata Cargo & Logistics

Direct Console Services to Abu Dhabi

UK
The Direct console service will be handled through the port of Southampton in the UK, which will allow CSS to target the entire UK sector with reduced transit time. Hence CSS Abu Dhabi partnered with Locker Freight which is a limited company registered and operated from the UK with nearly 42 years trading experience in worldwide logistics. “With the number of UK citizens now residing in the UAE, and the level of trade that takes place between the UK and UAE this new service is set to grow from strength to strength in the comming months, and we look forward to further strengthening our partnership with CSS Abu Dhabi,” added Chris Goodfellow, Director, Locker Freight.

Locker Freight Limited.
Haleview Road, Huyton,
Liverpool.L36 6DD.
Tel: +44 (0) 151 4808922
Fax: +44 (0) 151 4803744
www.locker-freight.co.uk
ITALY
Known as the luxury capital of Europe, CSS hopes to target the luxury segment of the Italian economy such as designer Jewelry, clothes, accessories, ceramics, marbles, tiles, home appliances and household items like luxuries furnitures with the direct console offering. In order to make this successful CSS Abu Dhabi has partnered with COMBI LINE, a leading Console Service provider. “This will be a unique offering to both customers in the United Arab Emirates and Italy, it will allow faster transit times, and even faster processing, we look forward to working with the team at CSS Abu Dhabi in making this a success,” added Massimo da Vero, LCL Export Manager, Combi Line International S.p.A

Combi Line International S.p.A
Via Fanin, 2-20090 Segrate,
Milan (Italy)
Tel: (+39) 02.213087.1
Fax: (+39) 02.3919.5177
www.combiline.it
ROTTERDAM
Rotterdam was chosen as one of the origin as it allows CSS Abu Dhabi to target inbound volume from many of the European and Scandinavian sectors  like Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, France, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Swiss.  For this unique initiative CSS Abu Dhabi has chosen to partner with FPS Rotterdam. For over a decade, FPS Rotterdam and CSS Group have been working with each other because of FPS Rotterdam’s specialization in consolidation services worldwide, weekly and directly to and from Rotterdam. “We are truly looking forward to working closely with CSS Group on this new endeavor, which we believe is an untapped opportunity for our business in this region,” added Saskia de Jong, Director, FPS Rotterdam.

FPS Famous Pacific Shipping B.V.
Rotterdam
Tel:  + 31 10 2831919
Fax:  + 31 10 2831910
www.fpsrtm.com
For further information, Please contact :  
Arun Kuriakose, Sales Executive – NVOCC       Tel: +971 26431717, Fax: +971 26431919, Ext:410      arunk@cssabudhabi.com
www.cssabudhabi.com

Shipbroker Pays High Price, for Failure to Produce Written Evidence

Emphasising on the costly consequences of failure on the part of shipping intermediaries to confirm in writing any initiative performed on behalf of their principals, the International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) in the latest issue of its Claims Review, said that it has seen an increasing number of claims on its ship broking members relating to the receipt and forwarding of messages.

It is quintessential for shipbrokers to maintain accurate records and to reconfirm telephone conversations in writing, the article elaborates on how the mere failure of a shipbroker to provide written confirmation of the appointment of an arbitrator in a dispute between its principal, a charterer, and a ship owner, exposed the broker to a claim and costs in excess of $200,000 at a court-ordered mediation in the United States.

In the case at hand the shipbroker found itself in the middle of a dispute between the owners and charterers involving a demurrage claim in excess of $400,000. The charterers failed to settle and the owners initiated arbitration in London. Since the charters failed to either nominate an Arbitrator or file appearance in the proceedings initiated by the owners, the sole Arbitrator appointed by the owners passed an award against the charters for the full amount of the demurrage claim plus interest and costs – totalling to $575,000. The owners tried to collect the award against the charterers through the US courts. The charterer’s defence was that they had never been advised of the arbitration proceedings and therefore had no opportunity to appoint an arbitrator. The charterers also alleged that the shipbroker had failed to inform them about the arbitration, and brought the broker into the US action. The broker confirmed that it had advised the charterer by telephone about the appointment of an arbitrator, and again when arbitration proceedings had started but they had failed to confirm this by email and the charterer, well aware of the lack of written confirmation, simply denied that such telephone conversations had taken place. The case was concluded via mediation wherein the owners received an award of $450,000 of which the broker contributed $75,000 to the settlement; the legal costs of defending the broker were in excess of $140,000 – a total of $215,000. “This was a high price to pay for a simple failure to follow up a telephone conversation with an emailed confirmation” said ITIC.

The Road Ahead – Expo 2020 – By Jan Bak

After enjoying 23 years as a resident in Dubai the vision and determination of this city and country keeps, impressing me. Celebrating the victory at the impressive Atlantis Hotel at Palm Jumeirah with hundreds of other singing and dancing residents made me wonder, how one could take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

It also made me remember my 10 years at Dubai Ports Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone and Tejari.com, which showed me the ability; a strong team has, in making dreams a reality. We had strong leadership and worked strategically and tactically across the divisions in winning new businesses, and always to the betterment of Dubai. There was a pride and self-belief that I have never come across since, and I feel proud having been part of these incredible growth years.

Now it is time to embark on another journey, capitalizing on EXPO 2020 and like Norman Vincent Peale once stated – “If you want to get somewhere, you have to know where you want to go and how to get there” – Then never, never, never & never give up and as with anything else it is about planning your work, and work your plan.

EXPO 2020 is starting in October 2020 running for 6 months, so is it a bit early to plan your attack? No it isn’t and certainly not when you are in the logistics, transportation, removal and industrial packaging game.

First it is getting involved with the construction industry at all levels and segments building relationships, and later it turns over into the fun of warehousing and distribution, ambient, cool and cold storage you name it. You want to win your share of the imports from all over the world, from raw materials to know how and expertise, moving people and arts for the exhibition, as countries show cases their pride and joy. Denmark moved the “Little Virgin” statue from Copenhagen to Shanghai for the 6 months of EXPO 2010, which is like the UK moving the “Crown Jewels” across to Dubai for EXPO 2020, this is an example how seriously countries value this opportunity. You want to position yourself as a company and individual to take advantage of this movement of people and goods that may turn into export opportunities later. It kind of also makes you think about the EXPO 2020 city and community, where a need for a fleet of small flexible cool and cold stores trucks would be evident, moving the tonnes of foodstuffs and waste materials in and out of the EXPO city from logistics centers, again it is not something you plan or finance over night.

Point is, nothing comes to you, you need to go and win it, create relationships locally and internationally within the segment and niches you see yourself playing a role. It is about showing one’s competences, willingness and ability to invest in resources whether hardware, software, people, structures etc., sell, sell, sell and creating the strategic relationships that maximize the opportunity to win the big tenders that no doubt will come to light, or focus on the specific niche elements and do them better than any competition. There are tonnes of opportunities and who will win them is about determination, persistency, consistency and a winning formula, planned well in advance. Everyone speaks about it but only few are really able to execute it over the long-term.

Happy Hunting from an old loyal resident.

(The author is a professional change management specialist, motivational trainer and an environmentalist based in Dubai.  Feedback can be sent at communications@cssgroupsite.com or janbak21@gmail.com )

Tips on Ship Arrest Procedures in UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now become an important global hub for the people in the Shipping Industry. To arrest a vessel is a statutory right of a claimant under the UAE Maritime Code No. 26 of 1981, as amended (The ‘Maritime Code’). It provides and regulates the arrest of vessels.
(PART 1 Concluded with
Whilst the UAE is not a signatory to the above conventions, the UAE Maritime Code borrows largely from the Hague-Visby Rules and relevantly incorporates, by way of example, the carrier’s obligation to exercise due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy, the Hague-Visby force majeure- type defences to the breach of the sea-worthiness obligation and package limitation.)
JURISDICTION
Under Article 122 (b) of the Maritime Code clarifies that the UAE Courts will, inter alia, following an arrest, have jurisdiction to hear the substantive proceedings if the ‘Maritime debt’ arouse in the UAE. Hence it is important to establish a nexus with the UAE in order to establish jurisdiction for the arrest and the substantive proceedings.
FILING OF SUBSTANTIVE PROCEEDING
Once the arrest order being granted the claimant needs to file substantive proceedings (i.e. proceedings on merits) within eight days of an order. Further, court fees are payable for the substantive proceedings, current calculated on a sliding scale up to AED 30,000.  Within the stipulate eight days of an arrest order, if the claimant fails to file substantive proceedings the arrest will lapse. Hence the UAE Court will then typically schedule a number of hearings and determine the case on its merits. In the meantime, the arrest order will remain in place unless the arrested party provides a UAE bank guarantee for the release of the vessel or pays cash into court (or provides other security acceptable to the claimant).
COUNTER SECURITY
Counter Security in UAE Courts have wider discretion, depending on the facts and circumstances of each case and the said counter security is normally in the form of Bank Guarantee drawn on a UAE Bank in Dubai. Some times a port undertaking letter would suffice for counter security (i.e. no Bank Guarantee). However in some other jurisdiction (like Fujairah) Court insist counter security and generally the same be upto 10 percentage of claim amount..
JUDICIAL SALE OF VESSEL
UAE Maritime Code permits for the sale of vessel by judicial auction on merits. However the same shall be a final enforceable judgment.
WRONGFUL ARREST
If the plaintiff obtains the arrest order maliciously with an intention to cause damage to the defendant, the said arrest is regarded as a wrongful. However the burden of proof in relation to this matters rest on the defendants who claim damages for the wrongful arrest. But I feel this would be an uphill task.
CONCLUSION
Since UAE has enacted its own specific laws regulating the arrest of vessel and not a signatory to any of the arrest conventions, a claimant in UAE jurisdiction shall be very cautious, as an arrest procedure in UAE is depend on various legal and procedural issues, which are specific to UAE.

CSS Opens Delivery Order Counter

As part of it constant commitment to provide the best possible service to its customers and clients alike, CSS Group recently announced the opening of its Delivery Order Counter at its new location at the Dubai Customs Building, adjacent to Port Rashid. The opening of the new delivery order counter was inaugurated jointly by Anil Kumar, Director – Finance, and Ahmed Al Rais, Senior VP, Air Freight, CSS Group.

The decision to relocate the CSS Group’s delivery order counter was done in order to provide better service to the growing clientele by being more centrally located within the shipping fraternity. The new office will allow customers to collect their delivery orders, and move directly into customs processing within the same building.

Tips On Ship Arrest Procedures in UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now become an important global hub for the people in the Shipping Industry. To arrest a vessel is a statutory right of a claimant under the UAE Maritime Code No. 26 of 1981, as amended (The ‘Maritime Code’). It provides and regulates the arrest of vessels.
TYPES OF CLAIM UNDER “MARITIME DEBT” LISTED IN ARTICLE 115 OF THE UAE FEDERAL MARITIME LAW
(a)    Damage caused by a vessel as a result of a collision or other accident.
(b)    Loss of life or personal injury occasioned by a vessel and arising out of use thereof.
(c)    Assistance and salvage.
(d)    Contracts relating to the use or exploitation of the vessel under the charter party or otherwise.
(e)    Contracts relating to the carriage of goods under charter party, bill of lading or other documents.
(f)    Loss or damage to goods or luggage transported by a vessel.
(g)    General average.
(h)    Towage or pilotage of vessel.
(i)    Supplies of product or equipment necessary for the use or maintenance of the vessel, in whichever place the supply is made.
(j)    Building, repairing or supplying a vessel or dock dues.
(k)    Sums expended by the masters, shippers, charterers or agents on account of the vessel or on account of the owner thereof.
(l)    Wages of the master, officers and crew and other person working on board the vessel under a contract of maritime employment.
(m)    Dispute over the vessel’s ownership.
(n)    A dispute in connection with the co-ownership of the vessel. Or with the possession or use thereof, or with the right to the profits arising out of the use thereof.
(o)    A maritime mortgage.
LOCUS STANDI OF THE CLAIMANT TO ARREST THROUGH POWER OF ATTORNEY
To arrest any vessel in UAE, the claimant shall provide a Power of Attorney (POA) to lawyers along with right of audience in the UAE Courts and if the said POA is executed abroad, it shall be notarized and regularized by the relevant Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Country of execution and authenticated by the UAE Embassy in that Country. Further, upon its arrival in the UAE, the POA shall be further authenticated into Arabic. In fact, this could be lengthy process and in case of urgency, these procedures are always an impediment to complete the arrest process.
NO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS APPLIES TO ARREST IN UAE
UAE is not a party to any International Conventions relating to arrest of ships. The arrest will be under the UAE Maritime Federal Law.
In this context, it is relevant to note that the UAE is not a signatory to the Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules, or the Hamburg Rules. The UAE has not expressed an interest in the Rotterdam Rules as well.
International Conventions that are expressly incorporated into bills of lading will only be given the force of law in UAE Courts, if a translated and certified copy of the convention is provided to the Court. In practice, this rarely happens due to expense of having conventions translated and certified.
Whilst the UAE is not a signatory to the above conventions, the UAE Maritime Code borrows largely from the Hague-Visby Rules and relevantly incorporates, by way of example, the carrier’s obligation to exercise due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy, the Hague-Visby force majeure- type defences to the breach of the sea-worthiness obligation and package limitation.
Joy Thattil
Maritime Lawyer & Partner @ Callidus Corporate & Maritime Consulting ( CCMC) Dubai & India
joy@calliduscmc.com 

An ERP Solution For Your Shipping Business? Think Again, Hard!

The global financial crisis of 2008 was quite a while ago but the economic slowdown that followed is far from gone. Being one among the worst hit, the shipping industry still sails through troubled waters.

With profits plummeting, most shipping companies are reluctant to invest in innovation, or anything new, for that matter. There are a few others who think out of the box and see this as an opportunity to equip themselves to meet the fierce competition and offer “more for less”. This is where Information Technology acts as a strategic business enabler and adds value to the business.

BE SURE OF WHAT YOU WANT

So what do you look for when you invest in an ERP software during such hard times? An earlier trend was to choose standard ERP systems and integrate them with internal systems. The downside of this strategy is that the software might not be very relevant to your business requirements. The operational needs of a freight forwarder can never be complementary to those of a container leasing agent. With a standard ERP, you might end up getting something insufficient for your cause or buying more technology than you need.

The most critical factor in successfully selecting an ERP system is identifying what you need to efficiently run your business. After doing an initial ball park analysis for product fit, it is important to review your needs thoroughly and relate them to the ERP solution you have opted for. Ensure that the software comprises of all the modules you need and it is well designed to offer all what you are looking for. Also, the product should be intended for your type of organization.

UNDERSTAND THE MARKET TRENDS

Keep yourself updated on the latest technologies implemented in the shipping arena while choosing an ERP solution. For instance, the RFID technology is widely used now, owing to its ability to speed up the inventory management. While most shipping companies are still in a pre-cloud stage, some have moved on to use Cloud based solutions, thereby enabling business improvement. Crisis might be a good opportunity to move to a new architecture where solutions are Cloud-based. This will help to integrate new Social Media channels and make use of Analytic tools in the post PC era ruled by mobile devices.

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

When you are evaluating a solution cost, consider all the aspects including the software, implementation services, ongoing maintenance and the cost of upgrades. All these elements play an equal role to help achieve a quick ROI. In an age of aggressive marketing & attractive discounts, you may be forced to believe that you are getting a good bargain at the time, but high cost of implementation, expensive annual maintenance and pricey customizations will take its toll on your return on investment, perhaps eliminating it totally.

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Before you choose an ERP system, see if it offers enough capacity for the growth of your business. Analyze your business thoroughly and forecast your position in the near future, say 5 years or 10. Buy a software that can meet your changing needs in these 5 or 10 years, and not one that is good for the 1st year alone. Very often, companies do not plan ahead. As a result, they are forced to plan an upgrade or overhaul immediately after they are done with the installation of a new ERP system. This can be a very expensive mistake and should be avoided at any cost.

Many ERP vendors today understand that, to exist in today’s competitive market, they need to work hand in hand with their clients to ensure that the implementation of their software is a smooth and fruitful affair for their clients. “Educate and sell” is the new business mantra and this is what we follow with our Shipping ERP solution – FINS. We have utilized our extensive experience in the shipping sector to understand and address the IT requirements of various Logistics services. Over the past 6 years, we have utilized cutting edge technologies and relentlessly studied the shipping sector to fine tune and enhance our ERP suite. And the result – we have enabled our customers to transform the way they do their business. With an increase of 30% in operational efficiency, our clients are a happy lot. We continue to embrace the latest technology trends and push our limits to serve the shipping sector better.

DP World Marks Handling Of 100M Containers In 10 Years

CSS Vice President Business Development, Ken Dinnadge was invited to celebrate a milestone with DP World Senior Management whereby they achieved 100 Million TEUs handled.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, DP World UAE Region, Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World and Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development CSS.

DP World celebrated a milestone achievement in its history when its Dubai ports handled the 100 millionth container to pass through UAE Region terminals in ten years on February 4th, 2013.

DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said, “The feat was made possible by the high level of support the company has received from Dubai’s leadership, loyal customers, stakeholders and committed employees.”

The 100 million TEU record was achieved between January 2003 and January 2013 and covers all container boxes handled in both Mina Rashid and Jebel Ali Port. DP World, UAE Region’s annual container throughput increased more than 150 per cent over the decade, from around five million TEU in 2003 to 13.3 million TEU in 2012.

In all, the two container ports have handled 135 million TEU since the opening of Jebel Ali Port in 1979, around 75 per cent of it since 2003.

In a recognition of the crucial roles they have played in DP World’s success story, members of the DP World Alumni Network were invited as special guests to celebrations at Jebel Ali Port where the Chairman unveiled a container box painted in company colours, in the presence of senior officials, including Vice Chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Group Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Sharaf, and Senior Vice President and Managing Director of DP World, UAE Region Mohammed Al Muallem – all of whom have played pivotal leadership roles in the company’s emergence as the third largest global marine terminal operator.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, said: “DP World owes its success to the vision and support of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Our flagship facility Jebel Ali is counted among the crown jewels of Dubai’s economy. We remain committed to supporting Dubai’s unparalleled position as the region’s commercial hub.

CSS Group was also represented during this landmark moment by Ken Dinnadge VP Business Development, as part of the DP World Alumni invited to this exclusive event. During his tenure at DP World Ken was part of the first commercial team that set DP World on its way to achieving its first million TEUs. Ken Dinnadge said, “The growth of DP World serves as a lesson for ports worldwide, as its success is owed to the vision of the country’s leaders and the Chairman of DP World. On behalf of CSS Group, I would like to congratulate DP World on achieving this tremendous milestone and wish them further success and growth in the future.”

The expansion work currently underway at Jebel Ali includes adding 1 million TEU in new capacity to Container Terminal 2 (T2) during the first half of this year and the development of a 4 million TEU capacity mega Container Terminal 3 (T3) by 2014. When the expansion work is complete, Jebel Ali Port will be able to handle ten of the next generation 18,000 TEU mega vessels at the same time – the only port in the region able to do so.

For well over a year now, DP World, UAE Region has been handling volumes of more than 1 million TEU every month. In 2012 DP World, UAE region handled 13.3 million TEU.

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.

Ormayil Oru Poomazha

PALM-UAE, formed in 2006, the active alumni of a famous technical institute, NSS Polytechnic, Pandalam, Kerala, India having more than 500 Engineers working in the United Arab Emirates, affiliated to AKCAF, All Kerala Colleges Alumni Forum, possibly the largest socio-professional organization functioning in the UAE.

They are sponsoring around 40 students from their institute every year selected from the well academic & financially backward students. The proceeds of the 5th Anniversary Celebration will be used to generate revenue for the PALM educational charity fund.

The event organized to celebrate the fifth anniversary celebration of PALM UAE was held on January 27th, 2012 at Al Nasr Leisure Land, Dubai. The programme started with a public function at 7.00 pm with a silent prayer to mark condolence to earlier principal Late N Bhaskara Kurup and famous Literate, Dr. Sukumar Azhikode. Sreekumar VK, General Secretary, PALM UAE delivered the welcome speech followed by presidential speech by Christopher Varghese, President PALM UAE. Felicitations by Shahul Hameed, President, AKCAF and patron Thomas George Mottakkal, Joshi George.

Thomas George Mottakkal, Chairman, Tomar Construction, USA has been selected for the lifetime business achievement award. Mementos were distributed to sponsors and other dignitaries. CSS who has been in the forefront for CSR activities was proud to be the Main sponsor of the event. The event created a platform to meet with new faces in the industry and make healthy relationship with the people and the organization.

The musical extravaganza led by famous play back singer G Venugopal & Gayathri was the main attraction of the event. Apart from the musical performances the celebration includes other cultural Indian dances, Tanura-Egyptian Dances etc.

Alpha Palliative Council

A FAMILY GET TOGETHER

Alpha Palliative Council (APC) was formed in February 2010 to spread the awareness of palliative care in the local and expatriate community in UAE and also to support the activity of Alpha Pain Clinic in Edamuttam in Kerala.  They have membership of over 250 from various emirates.  Many of the members have attended & extended financial support for the wedding function of daughters/sisters of Alpha patients held in Edamuttam, India on 27 February 2011 and 4 September 2011.  The members are committed to all the future activities of Alpha Pain Clinic.  APC’s board of patrons consists leaders from various walks of life supporting our activities.

As part of the yearly celebration a family dinner was arranged on the 24th February 2012 at Crowne Plaza Hotel. The cine artist and patron of Alpha, Innocent and other VIP’s from diplomatic missions, film industry and business community were the chief guest’s for the event and the famous playback singer Gayatri entertained the gathering with her popular Gazal, Hindustani, Semi-Classical & melody numbers.

It was indeed a proud moment for CSS Group as a main sponsor of the event to continually build upon its CSR initiatives  within the community and to contribute to support the under privileged that benefit from this organization.

Hand Picked

A DEDICATED TEAM FOR FREIGHT FORWARDING

CSS has recently started a dedicated freight forwarding division, to cater to new business trends in the industry. Since its inception, CSS has been successful in providing the best freight forwarding service worldwide. In order to cope with international and local business expectations, CSS has created a specialized team, chosen specifically for their high level of industry expertise, to lead this new venture.

Massimilano Spina was appointed Vice President Freight Forwarding UAE, a member of the freight forwarding industry for over twenty years; he is excited to be strengthening up the division within the CSS Group portfolio. “One of the biggest challenges, which I will have to take on is making clients and the industry aware of a company that is primarily known for its NVOCC and projects.” Another challenge that Massimilano Spina is excited to take on is developing a network of global and local agents that are purely freight forwarders, and experts in their region.

In order to maximize the growth potential of the freight forwarding industry, three business development managers, with extensive experience in different facets of the industry will be joining Massimilano Spina, Richard Varghese, Raju Pandeti and Kunal Wadhwani.

With over 12 years in the industry, Raju Pandeti has ample experience in FCL export, Air export, FCL Import, Air import and cross trade both internationally and locally.   “I have chosen CSS Group as my next stepping stone in the freight forwarding industry because of this reputation as a market leader in the shipping and logistics industry.”

Richard Varghese, has always enjoyed the challenges and successes of being in sales, he believes it is truly an effort related business. Having been in the forwarding industry for the last 10 years he is truly excited to be part of the CSS family given its reputation and believes that working under this CSS name will give him an edge in the competitive sales industry.

Overriding Recession

CSS Kolkata

Kolkata, like any other major cities of India is slowly being entangled in the grip of recession. One has to say that doing business is becoming an expensive affair, when you see the graphs from the Shipping Industry. This is not the case only with Kolkata or India. The entire world is suffering from recession in one form or other.

CSS Kolkata is successfully riding the waves of this so called recession phenomena. The management confirms that a change in the recent political atmosphere of this mighty city has till date has not done any thing better of this situation. But CSS with its professional experience and the trust shown by their partners has managed the situation in a very good way. Over the last months, some remarkable growth was achieved in the LCL volumes. The company is planning for some major breakthroughs in the Projects sector as well.

CSS Kolkata management and staff takes pride for being considered one amongst the first three players, in terms of business by the shipping fraternity in their region. A result they achieved only because of hard work and commitment. Plans are underway for own warehousing facility to cater its business partners in a better way by the CSS management in Kolkata.  Presently CSS India from its operational base in Kolkata caters to the need of the entire West Bengal region, Orissa, Tripura and Assam. They extend their servicing to the neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan as well. The only way to penetrate the interiors and some remote locations in the North Eastern region is to have a strong and efficient transportation network. Concur service is available in some parts but it only depends upon the load factor and it cannot guarantee timely service.

Paper Arabia

UAE’s consumption of paper is among the highest in the world, according to international industry statistics released on the sidelines of Paper Arabia exhibition. According to the Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association, one of the biggest associations in the world specializing in paper, the per capita annual consumption of paper in the UAE is 200 kg, against the global average consumption of 60 kg.

This is a significant figure for the UAE with a small population, when compared with a country like India where the per capita consumption is mere 9 kg. UAE’s consumption is on par with Italy and Spain.

In 2010, the UAE consumed 3.5 million tons of paper, against 18 million tons in the entire Middle East region and 450 million tons globally in 2010, according to International Pulp and Paper Association.

These statistics were revealed at the inauguration of Paper Arabia 2011, the first-of-its-kind industry expo, which was inaugurated by HE Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Sunday, 18 September 2011 at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Organizers of the show said that A4 paper led the demand for paper in the UAE, and the overall growth in paper consumption was between 5 and 6% where 12 paper mills operates in the country.

Talking about the importance of using latest technologies in saving production costs, Amith Horra, Marketing Manager CSS added, “ The Paper industry is developing all over the world, especially in the GCC countries.  It is important to attend these exhibitions as Paper Arabia 2011 was dedicated to the development of the paper, printing and packaging industry in the GCC. We are able to identify key suppliers, vendors while networking with new and potential prospects which reflects our efforts to highlight key regional industry segments.”

KEY INFORMATION

Paper Arabia 2011 is bringing together players from the paper, tissue and converting industries. This show offers opportunities to the manufacturers and suppliers of finished products, equipment, machinery, paper chemicals, services, supplies of paper, tissue and converting sector to tap the Middle East and North African markets.

Paper Arabia, with more than 150 exhibitors from 25 countries from across the world, is a key platform for traders and industry players to interact. The show’s participants include leading global names from the UAE, Italy, Jordan, India, China, Netherlands USA and UK amongst others.

CaroTrans’ Local Approach

Group CEO Howard outlines strategy for neutral NVO’s expansion

CaroTrans International may be among the larger non-vessel-operating common carriers when it comes to geographic coverage and information technology, but it operates in a manner more consistent with a niche or regional player.

“Although we’re a big business, we think and act small,” said Group Chief Executive Officer Greg Howard, in an interview. “Our strategy has always been to maintain a decentralized and localized stance in whatever country we operate.”

This means CaroTrans prefers to empower its managers at the branch level to cultivate and service customers, instead of centralizing functions, such as booking cargo and documentation, in far-flung service centers.

“All the work in the U.S. offices remains in the U.S. The only thing we export is freight, not jobs,” Howard said. “The same goes in other markets that we operate. All the work is handled by local teams.”

Running the business from the branch level out gives forwarders local access to CaroTrans’ decision makers, he added.

Similarly, CaroTrans prefers to cultivate future managers from within its ranks instead of poaching employees from other NVOs. Howard started as an entry-level clerk when he joined the company in 1984 and soon was tasked to open the NVO’s European and Asian network.

“We believe in succession planning as we build our future leaders,” Howard said. “We have a very good mix of experience and youth. We promote from within and break down bureaucracy at every opportunity. Our DNA is clearly defined and known amongst the team.”

What’s not decentralized is CaroTrans’ IT strategy. The NVO is among 50 companies of different sizes and industries working with Microsoft to implement its Windows.net business platform.

“There has been significant investment in user applications which provide additional avenues into the company and ways for clients to interact with our operations,” Howard said. “Internal processes have been redesigned using new software development tools. This in turn has led to further innovation.”

CaroTrans was started in 1979 by Jim Justiss of Carolina Freight Corp., and initially prospered in the U.S./Puerto Rico trade before expanding in the late 1980s to other world markets. In the mid-1990s, Carolina Freight was acquired by Fort Worth, Ark.-based Arkansas Best Corp., and CaroTrans became Clipper International, a division of the trucking company’s domestic intermodal provider Clipper Group.

Realizing an opportunity to resurrect the CaroTrans brand, Howard helped negotiate a deal with Arkansas Best to buy Clipper International in 1999.

Although CaroTrans is now a subsidiary of New Zealand-based logistics firm Mainfreight Ltd., the NVO continues to operate as an independent neutral consolidator, meaning it provides less-than-containerload and full-containerload services to forwarders and their affiliated NVOs.

Since then, CaroTrans has watched its business expand, even during the worst of the economic downturn in late 2008 and 2009.

“We experienced steady and consistent export LCL volume throughout 2009 and 2010,” Howard said. “Essentially our core business remained healthy while the export FCL volume was more dramatically impacted in 2009. We saw the FCL volume rebound in 2010 to record levels as clients shifted more volume to the OTIs (ocean transportation intermediaries) instead of committing all volume to the VOCCs due to the flexibility and versatility offered by the OTIs.”

During the downturn, CaroTrans expanded its export LCL by adding 18 new service offerings. “The weak dollar helped create a noticeable increase in LCL import volume, as clients shifted purchasing patterns to smaller and more regular LCL shipments in place of FCL,” Howard said.

The NVO experienced a marked increase in FCL export in support from shippers who had previously relied solely on liner carriers for their transportation.

CaroTrans’ 2010 global volume, which included non-controlled import shipments for overseas agents, was about 240,000 TEUs.

In addition to its Union, N.J., headquarters, CaroTrans has offices in 12 U.S. cities, including new branches opened in San Francisco, Boston and Dallas. The NVO plans to enter more U.S. markets this year.

Unlike some large NVOs, CaroTrans refrains from operating its own container freight stations. “We don’t own the assets and avoid situations where we are trapped into fixed-cost scenarios when the market is contracting or expanding,” Howard said. “We look to be the ‘anchor partner’ with our CFS operators and connect our system via EDI. These independent CFS partners can also provide our clients with an independent CFS operator with whom they can directly contract for specific service requirements outside of CaroTrans’ capabilities.”

In overseas markets, the NVO often works with local consolidators. “CaroTrans has partnered with premier neutral NVOs in key world markets that have developed leadership positions and strong brand recognition in their respective regions,” Howard said. “We see this network of long-term partnerships consisting of strong regional neutral NVOs to be one of our unique competitive advantages. It’s hard to justify breaking that up just to have your logo appear on a door in a foreign port.”

That’s not to say CaroTrans doesn’t operate any owned offices overseas. The company has four offices in Australia, two in New Zealand, and five in Hong Kong and China, and most recently opened its doors in Santiago, Chile.

“Our expansion into Chile was not through acquisition,” Howard explained. “While there were ample opportunities for acquisitions, we elected to disengage from an agent relationship of more than 17 years and establish our own company to lead expansion in South America.

“We are attracted to Chile due to the market stability and the need to solidify our position in Chile for CaroTrans’ operations in the United States, Asia and Oceania,” he added.

“Our philosophy regarding acquisitions is simple — if it fits the jigsaw puzzle we are interested,” he said. “There are numerous opportunities available to us but we simply are not in the game to acquire for the sake of acquiring. We have made it abundantly clear, however, that we have plans to expand our office network to Europe, India and South America.

“As for prime markets, we have good balance among our top 10 markets due to the fact that these are two-way trade lanes with relatively equal quantum of import and export volumes,” Howard said. “The only real soft spot for CaroTrans is the Caribbean Basin. We have been precluded from returning to this market after the divestment of our Puerto Rico operations (in 1999 to USF Worldwide, now YRC). However, strong customer demand has us evaluating our return to this region in 2011.”

CaroTrans also plans to expand its consolidation business beyond the sea. The company operates CaroTrans Air in Hong Kong and Shanghai, in addition to the trans-Tasman, as a wholesale air freight consolidator to Australia and New Zealand. “We are conducting market research to evaluate other niche trades where we may consider possible expansion of the CaroTrans Air product,” Howard said.

And it’s not all about making money. CaroTrans provides funding, administrative and operational support to Duffy Books in Homes, a 20-year-old not-for-profit organization, which supplies books to children in Australia, New Zealand and the United States in effort to improve literacy. It’s estimated that more than 6 million books have been distributed since the program’s inception.

Asked how the NVO market is shaping up for 2011, Howard said it’s anyone’s guess right now.

“FCL shipments were once considered the domain of the carriers, but an increasing market share is being served by OTIs,” he said. “Some consider this to be a cyclical trend, but it appears to be a more permanent market shift due to the added flexibility and varied services offered by the OTIs.

“The success of OTIs that focus on their core competence and innovative services which address the changing needs of the shipper versus those that simply chase volume at breakeven pricing will remain in a leading position,” he said.

(This feature is reproduced from American Shipper by Chris Gillis with their consent)

Longest Railway Bridge In India

Connects International Container Transshipment Terminal – Vallarpadam With The Main Land

Rail Vikas Nigam Constructed a railway line to the Vallarpadam terminal with a total length of 8.86 km, in which 4.62 km runs above the Vembanad Lake. This bridge has become the longest railway bridge in India. A railway station and electric substation was also constructed at Edappally. The Vallarpadam Port Railway station has been constructed by the Dubai Ports World.

The soil conditions were a challenge that RVNL engineers overcame with great élan. The bridges have been built on 1.2-diametre piles driven to an average depth of 55 metres. The total pile length is 65,000 metres.

Besides, 11,700 tonnes of reinforced steel; 58,000 tonnes of cement; 99,000 cubic metres of metal aggregates; 73,500 cubic metres of sand; 1,27,000 cubic metres of concrete work and 1,54,308 cubic metres of earth work went into building the new railway link.

The Kochi International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal, is a container trans-shipment facility which is part of the Kochi Port. It is the only trans-shipment port in India, and is situated in Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Being constructed in three stages, the first phase of the terminal was commissioned on 11 Feb 2011.

This can handle cargo up to one million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum. On completion of the third phase, the terminal will be able to handle 4 million TEUs of cargo per annum. The terminal is presently being operated by the Dubai Ports World (DPW), which will operate it for 30-years after which the control will come back to the Cochin Port Trust.

Vallarpadam Container Terminal is the only Transshipment port in India situated in Kochi. It is billed as the largest single-operator container terminal in the country. Now onwards mother vessels which can carry up to 140000 containers can reach Indian cost, previously it has been done through Colombo or Singapore port. As the first phase is opened now it is expected to handle around 700,000 containers this year itself. The length of the berth is 600 m which will be extended to 1800 m in the 2nd phase, which then will become the largest terminal operated by a single operator.

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.