Chairman’s Message

There is a saying that when times are hard true friends recognise each other. During turbulent times of recession our friends have supported CSS making 2010 a wonderful year for our group.  I would like to express my thanks to everyone in the knowledge that we have equally endeavoured to recognise and service your needs and hopefully exceeded your expectations. The relentless effort and enthusiasm shown by all our employees for achieving the goals, which help both you and CSS prosper, is to be applauded. I extend my thanks and congratulations to all the CSS team.

I believe that 2011 will bring a new optimism and a more amenable climate for the industry as a whole. Within CSS we need to ensure that our clients and associates are welcomed into a cordial and responsive atmosphere. By being more effective and enhancing our key internal strengths, I am confident my vision of opportunity and optimism will be achieved.

Over the past years we have been successful in honouring our commitments and gaining respect for the CSS family, amongst the shipping and logistics community. We have also not been complacent in our desires to support our corporate social responsibilities. May good fortune be with us so we may expand our efforts on behalf of the needy and deserving in society.

As we enter 2011, at CSS we recognise that by continually seeking to discover and refresh our ideas, we are proactive in focusing our efforts to achieve success. Enriched by this and similar experiences we will continue to demonstrate that, not only by words but also by our actions and services, we will enter 2011 with a spirit of great optimism.

I convey my sincere thanks and best wishes to you for New Year 2011.

Lighthouse FOCUS

It is probably always true that when you see an idea grow into success you feel a happy sense of achievement.  It is this feeling which should encourage us all to keep trying and developing.  “Lighthouse” began as a normal newsletter which became well patronised by our readers. The result is that it has become a prominent bi-monthly magazine in the “Shipping and Logistics” industry. To build on this success, I would like to introduce, as a New Year gift, another novel initiative “Lighthouse FOCUS”. The main aim of “Focus” will be to give in-depth coverage to every C.S.S. department and division.  “Focus” will zoom into all departments and divisions highlighting their activities and events. I am confident that this new opportunity to know us better will be well accepted by all our readers and well wishers making this a grand success.

Breakbulk Asia

Breakbulk Asia is the leading and most important gathering in Asia for companies involved in the shipping of heavy-lift, project cargo and traditional Breakbulk cargoes. It will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention Centre from January 24th to the 26th, 2011.

The success of CSS Group’s foray as an exhibitor at Breakbulk Asia in 2010 has led to the increased participation of not only Group offices but also network partners.

Oliver Hahn, Regional Manager, IFS Doha/Muscat, a leading freight forwarder and the network partner of CSS in Qatar will be participating alongside CSS Group in this year’s exhibition. Specializing in professional freight forwarding services which add value to the overall supply chain is the primary focus of its operations in Doha in addition to handling turnkey project movements for the Middle East region.

In addition to the CSS network partners the following CSS Group offices will also be participating:

Dean Landers, General Manager, from CSS Kuwait will be participating in Breakbulk Asia for the first time since the office inception in 2005. In addition to handling all facets of the freight forwarding, logistics, and projects oil and energy industry, CSS Kuwait specializes in the handling of dangerous goods and the transhipment of cargoes to Iraq via KFTZ.

Located in the heart of Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, CSS Bahrain offers its clients an expertise in projects handling and yacht and marine logistics in addition to owning and operating its own CFS facility within Mina Salmaan Port. Narayan Tagore, General Manager of CSS Bahrain will also be participating at Break Bulk Asia for the first time, having been a visitor for two years consecutively.

With the increase in the participation of CSS Group network partners and group offices Break Bulk Asia will serve as an ideal platform for which CSS Group will not only strengthen its visibility within the Asia and the Middle East market but also establish itself as a key player in the shipping industry.

Finally from the UAE, Suku Sudhakaran, Assistant General Manager of CSS Abu Dhabi who has served as a visitor will now be a participant at the Break Bulk Asia Exhibition. CSS Abu Dhabi has been successful in providing optimum solutions for the requirements of the freight forwarding and logistics industry while also concentrating in the niche areas of local and international land transportation, yacht and marine logistics, projects management, Oil and Gas sectors and personal effects management.

Also in attendance will be T.S. Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group and accompanying him will be Amith Horra, Marketing Manager, CSS Group and Chandra Kala, Management Trainee Projects, Oil & Energy Division, CSS Group.

For more information about the exhibition, please log on to:

www.cssgroupsite.com and asia.breakbulk.com

CSS GROUP

Acompany established in the year 1995, Consolidated Shipping Group is today a well known name in the Shipping and Logistics fraternity. This has been achieved by the unyielding efforts taken by the present and the previous employees in the company. Obviously the focused approach by the Management made things very easy. Time was ripe when CSS entered the industry of cargo movement and the wise thinkers who had lined up alongside T.S.Kaladharan, the Group Chairman, never wasted even a second to harvest the opportunities. Today, CSS Group has to its credit an enviable list of Global Network Partners. CSS has a dedicated and highly skilled team of over 750 professionals around the globe offering integrated freight forwarding & logistic solutions to varied clientele. The Group Company has a well established operational office presence in the Middle East & the Indian Sub-Continent.

CORE ACTIVITIES

  • NVOCC
  • Ocean Freight
  • Air Freight & Air Charter Services
  • Land Transportation
  • Industrial Packing & Lashing
  • Multimodal Operations (Sea-Air, Sea-Land)
  • CFS
  • 3PL & 4PL
  • Projects, Oil & Energy
  • Relocations
  • Yacht & Marine Logistics

Going Green Is not a Choice Any More, It is a Responsibility

Do you think Going Green is an additional expense? Well its not. Wal-Mart, the global leaders in the retail industry, have over 200 million customer transactions per week which have increased its sales to $ 401 billion despite having adopted a go green approach in its business practice last year.

A recent 3PL study conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that 36% of the respondents from the Asia Pacific agree that a green supply chain is very important today and 72% of them believe it will be very important in the future Interestingly almost in all regions across the world, 75% of the respondents agree that a sustainable supply chain becomes a future supply chain initiative among companies. Another study conducted by Supply Chain Management Review says that more than 50 percent of the respondents said they have a documented corporate sustainability plan, and about the same number said their company has a senior executive, often a vice president, dedicated to sustainability in action level. Although the results were encouraging, if we look at the implementation level and return on investment view, many companies are just starting to get involved in sustainability.

In today’s global supply chain network, organizations are looking at moving closer to market particularly towards emerging markets so as to increase the profit. Thus, they try to relocate either their manufacturing facility or their distribution centers. In a globally integrated supply chain environment, manufacturing and logistics account for major emissions. In particular, industrial manufacturing, which accounts for about 80% of the industrial energy consumption, contributes about 80% of the industrial energy-related carbon emissions. Of these, the petroleum, chemicals, and iron and steel industries produce nearly 60% of the total energy-related carbon emissions from manufacturing. The logistics sector accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in which the majority of the emissions are from road transport (76%) and aviation (12%).

For years the logistics industry had showcased enormous growth which also caused rising green gas emission which is seen as the prime cause for global warming. Companies should start focusing ecological responsibility by using energy as efficiently as possible. Going green is not a choice any more it is our responsibility hence it is very important that we do little things in our daily life like reduce, reuse and recycle. While in business we should be looking for more optimized methods which helps in more cost efficient while being a eco friendly organization. Existing business models are now being modified to incorporate green with carbon emission reduction at its core.