SEKO Logistics is demonstrating its confidence in the continued cross-border growth potential of British brands globally by investing in a new flagship airfreight and omni-parcel services facility close to London Heathrow. The move comes as SEKO’s revenues are set to top £100 million in the UK in 2018 for the first time.
With Heathrow’s expansion gaining Government approval in June as well as the UK aiming to double its export business to £1 trillion by 2020 – and alongside Britain’s place in the world’s top five importing countries – SEKO says Heathrow will become an even more vital gateway for a plethora of new cross-border trading opportunities for both British and international businesses.
Moving into the new 22,000 sq ft purpose-built location in Egham this month is part of a
£5 million-plus commitment to support SEKO customers’ fast-growing international shipment volumes, which includes the rapid expansion of pureplay e-tailer business from the UK to Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. It also provides additional capacity to manage new business from British brands attracted by SEKO’s hybrid logistics solutions offering fulfilment, forwarding, cross-border eCommerce and its award-winning supply chain software.
Keith O’Brien, SEKO’s Chief Operating Officer – EMEA, commented, “We are growing organically mainly on the strength of existing customer recommendations as well as our specialist expertise, expanding global footprint and reputation for helping British companies to quickly access the lucrative cross-border eCommerce space, which has been our biggest growth area in the past 2-3 years. This will continue because of the international demand for British brands. Our decision to invest in this new facility close to Heathrow will make the cross-border delivery process even easier for our customers.”
SEKO opened its first UK location in 2003 and now operates eight facilities, including a 225,000 sq. ft. logistics center in Milton Keynes from where it delivers a full range of omnichannel services for global order fulfillment, delivery management, returns solutions and ecommerce for leading brands. Outside of the U.S, where SEKO was founded in 1976, the UK, boosted by the growth of eCommerce, is now the largest global market in a SEKO Logistics network spanning over 120 offices in more than 40 countries. Currently, the UK is the third largest eCommerce market in the world, with 46% of UK SMEs exporting and receiving revenue from overseas.
Addressing ‘The Delivery Conference’ in London recently, Justin Irvine, Commercial Director of SEKO Omni-Channel Logistics, stated, “Speed and service drive growth. It is already clear that consumers shop more and have higher cart spends with companies providing consistently higher service levels. And, quite often they are willing to pay to receive a better service once they have confidence in a company’s ability to deliver. This is driving growth of eCommerce Express or premium shipping options and expectations. It’s now possible, for example, for UK e-tailers to deliver to Asia and Australasia – collectively the largest eCommerce growth market in the world – in 2-3 days for under £10.00. Companies that deploy these increased service levels can expect to see their businesses grow 1.6 times faster.”
“We are extremely confident in the level of global demand for high quality British brands and will continue to invest to help facilitate their growth. Our hybrid logistics services, and the end-to-end supply chain visibility we provide, means SEKO customers can focus on fulfilling their sales potential. And, as a customs broker and 3PL, we will also help to ensure they are fully-prepared for all eventualities once the full outcome of the UK-EU negotiations is known. This is supported also by the added peace of mind that comes from us working closely with our neighboring SEKO Logistics facilities in Europe, which underpins our ability to manage all customer requirements,” Keith O’Brien said.
SEKO Logistics’ global expansion also saw the opening of its second largest operation in Europe at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Logistics Park in February, bringing its entire service offering under one roof for customers using SEKO’s cross-border eCommerce, Omni-Channel and international transportation and fulfillment solutions. The Amsterdam operation provides a further distribution channel into Europe for U.S. retailers and will help to spearhead the development of the company’s Final Mile and White Glove services across the continent.
This investment increases SEKO’s ability in the Netherlands to handle fulfillment for multiple wholesale, retail and eCommerce channels, including reverse logistics and returns. It is also satisfying growing demand for the company’s value-added services, which include quality control checking, labeling, re-packing, adding and removing price tags, kitting and light assembly. SEKO also operates cross-dock operations for various customers in Amsterdam.
Broekman Logistics has introduced a dedicated Global Air Charter Desk as demand for air cargo services changes.
The freight forwarder said it had decided to launch the desk in response to tightening capacity and shorter supply chains.
Ton Smulders, a ‘well-known airfreight veteran’ with four decades of experience, will lead the new charter division.
Cor de Man, general manager international freight forwarding at Broekman Logistics, said, “supply chains shorten, demands rise, capacity is not a given and expectations skyrocket: this will increasingly call for Air Charters or Part Charters to fill gaps in elaborate supply and demand chains.
“In this dynamic field, Ton Smulders and his team will gladly provide the solutions to our clients supply chain challenges.”
Smulders his first taste of air cargo while working at Holland America Line in 1976 and when they pulled out of aviation he decided to stay with the industry.
He also represented Iscargo of Iceland who operated a twice-weekly freighter service between Reykjavik and Rotterdam using two where they operated DC6 aircraft and worked for Active Airline Representatives, Transport Airline Services and EGSAC.
Over 2.5 tons of compassionate drugs have been transported in SkyCell containers from London in the United Kingdom to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The novel pharmaceutical is being used to treat patients suffering from copper poisoning. “We are very proud to have contributed with our technology to this humanitarian effort as part of the ongoing struggle to rebuild this war-torn country”, said Richard Ettl, CEO of SkyCell. In cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Health, the investigational new drug was delivered to Baghdad in SkyCell containers, successfully completing a difficult logistical challenge, delivering the needed pharmaceutics door-to-door to a hospital in Baghdad.
In Iraq, copper poisoning is a widespread problem due to the burning of electronic waste and plastics. An overdose of copper disturbs mental function, irritates the nerves and nervous system leading to many inflammatory conditions, such as skin irritations, asthma, and depression. In a joint project with the Iraqi Ministry of Health, 2.5 tons of compassionate drug were delivered to Baghdad in SkyCell containers in an effort to help the victims.
The experimental drug not only represents a value of US $ 6.8 million but is also highly temperature sensitive. The experimental pharmaceutical requires a fully controlled cold chain solution with an unbroken temperature environment between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Any temperature deviations would result in the shipment becoming unusable. In addition to that, security requirements at Baghdad Airport demand all shipments to be X-rayed, which would result in the cold chain to be broken. “Hence, SkyCell 1500C units became the “containers-of-choice”, as their innovative design and passive cooling system not only guarantee the required temperature range, but also allow X-ray-examination without breaking the official seals”, said Nico Ross, CTO and co-founder of SkyCell. Therefore, a door-to-door delivery of the compassionate drug was possible, arriving at the designated hospital without the cold chain being broken. “SkyCell was selected also due to the possibility to travel not only to the Baghdad airport but door-to-door to the dedicated hospital, giving a guarantee of maintenance in the cool chain. There was simply no room for error as any temperature deviations would cause the life-saving product to be written off with a replacement shipment taking around 6 months to manufacture”, said Chiara Venuti, Business Development Director at SkyCell. The customers decision to use SkyCell containers was also made due to its low carbon footprint, saving 6 tons of CO2 per container in this transport alone, compared to competitors’ products.k
ZAJEL, one of the fastest growing courier companies in the UAE, has signed a partnership agreement with OnTime Government Services to provide logistics services to various transactions at the OnTime centres.
ZAJEL CEO, Khawla Kabanji, and Waleid Abdulkareim, CEO and Founder of OnTime Group signed the agreement.
Khawla commented, “The agreement is important for us as it contributes to the expansion of the logistics we provide to our customers and enhances our role as a reliable company both locally and internationally. This agreement will benefit customers as it saves time and cost to complete transactions and facilitates delivery to customers at their residence or business premises without having to leave their office or residence, contributing to road safety.”
OnTime Government Services has pioneered offering Government Services through the private sector since December 2003. It owns and operate more than 25 service centres across the Emirate of Dubai. It has an expanding relationship with many Dubai government entities to facilitate the efficient delivery of services to both government and corporate sectors, serving over 2.3 million customers per year.
Etihad Airways Inflight Chef, Sanjay Thakur, has broken the world record for creating and serving dinner to guests at the highest pop-up restaurant in the world, located at Everest Advanced High Camp.
Accompanied by fellow chef Soundararajan Palaniappan, Mr Thakur completed the grueling mission earlier this month, reaching the high camp and serving the meal at an altitude of 5,585 metres above sea level.
Mr Thakur’s record-breaking achievements were celebrated at Etihad’s headquarters recently with a special ceremony attended by Etihad senior management and staff.
Commenting at the event, Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Sanjay exhibits the true Etihad spirit and we are thrilled to welcome him back home and congratulate him whole-heartedly for this epic achievement. We are all very proud of him.”
The world record-holding chefs prepared for months to make the attempt, including acclimatization and fitness training, and complex logistics to ensure they had the permit, gear and transportation they needed to prepare the meal and welcome guests.
“Coming from the Himalayas, I’ve grown up in awe of these mountains and it has been a huge personal achievement to combine my love of food and cooking with a remarkable project to promote sustainability and to help protect this unique part of the world,” adds Mr Thakur.
In addition to breaking a world record, the goal of the challenge was to raise awareness of sustainability in the region, with all proceeds being donated to Altruistic Hands, a Nepal-based charity.
The meal itself included ingredients collected from the alpine environment around them on the mountains. Staying true to the theme of sustainability, the team used solar energy to cook the meal, served on lava rock plates.
Gulf Air, has launched its double daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner service connecting Bahrain International Airport and London, Heathrow. Onboard the airline’s inaugural double daily Dreamliner service to London Heathrow were members of the airline’s executive management team including Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi who was welcomed upon landing into Heathrow by Bahrain’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom H.E. Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, embassy officials, executive management from Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited, officials from Gulf Air’s General Sales Agent for United Kingdom Aviareps UK and Gulf Air’s London team.
Captain Waleed Abdulhameed AlAlawi, Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are delighted to introduce our newest aircraft on Gulf Air’s London Heathrow route. With five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft entering our fleet in 2018, an additional two arriving by end 2019 and three arriving by end 2020, Gulf Air’s Dreamliner orders will ensure we maintain one of the youngest fleets in the region while building upon our award-winning reliability, on time performance and product and service standards. I am looking forward to receiving passenger feedback on this exciting addition to our fleet and how our enhanced product will elevate the passenger experience for all.”
During a tour of Gulf Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, H.E. Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and other guests praised the new, state-of-the-art aircraft and its enhanced on-board offering with H.E. saying: “I am delighted to welcome these truly impressive aircraft to London as part of Gulf Air’s fleet. These new Dreamliners underscore Bahrain’s position as a regional hub, where cutting edge technology and infrastructure combine with traditional warmth and hospitality to create a unique, internationally-renowned experience. I look forward to experiencing these fantastic new aircraft on my next trip to Bahrain!”
Gulf Air’s double daily nonstop flights connecting Bahrain and London Heathrow Terminal 4 provide excellent two-way connectivity. Regional passengers can seamlessly connect via Bahrain to London while UK-based travellers can fly non-stop to Bahrain, with onward connections to key cities throughout the Middle East, Africa, India Subcontinent and the Far East, all on-board one of the airline’s newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) and Crop One will co-invest US$40 million to build the world’s largest vertical farming facility near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The project is a joint venture with US-based Crop One Holdings, the world’s leading vertical farm operator.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group said, “Today’s announcement is an important milestone for the Emirates Group, for Dubai, and for the UAE. This investment to build and operate the world’s largest vertical farming facility aligns with the UAE’s drive for more agricultural self-sufficiency, a vision that began with the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father. The introduction of ground-breaking technology at the facility also enhances Dubai’s position as a global innovation hub.”
“As one of the world’s largest airline catering operations, Emirates Flight Catering constantly looks at innovation, and ways to improve our productivity, product and service quality. Introducing the latest technology to our operations, we secure our own supply chain of high quality and locally-sourced fresh vegetables, while significantly reducing our environmental footprint. We are pleased to partner with Crop One, the industry’s leading grower, packer and distributor, and a successful company that shares our corporate values. Together we look forward to delivering a best-in-class product and excellent value to our customers and stakeholders,” said Saeed Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Flight Catering.
“Our proven business model has demonstrated profitable commercial production longer than any other major vertical farmer,” said Sonia Lo, Chief Executive Officer of Crop One Holdings. “We are farmers using the most sophisticated plant science and proven business efficiencies to provide market leading consumer products every day. Our selection after a 10-month search by EKFC is a validation of our successful business model that uses patented technology and processes to optimize crop yields and facilitate hyper-growth.”
When complete, the vertical farm facility will cover 130,000 square feet, but have a production output equivalent to 900 acres of farmland. At full production, the facility will harvest three US tons (2,700 kg) of high-quality, herbicide-free and pesticide-free leafy greens daily, using 99% less water than outdoor fields. The proximity of the farm to the point of consumption also substantially reduces carbon emissions associated with transportation. It will also ensure the quick delivery of the fresh products, reaching customers within hours of harvest, maintaining high nutritional value.
The construction of the facility is scheduled to start in November 2018 and will take approximately one year to complete. The first products are expected to be delivered to Emirates Flight Catering’s customers, including 105 airlines and 25 airport lounges, in December 2019.
In partnership with The Department of Immigration, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has rolled out new immigration stamps commemorating the Year of Zayed.
All travelers requiring an entry or exit stamp while traveling to or from the airport will receive a special Year of Zayed themed mark in their passport, replacing the regular immigration stamp for the remainder of 2018.
Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Our founding father Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan established a policy and practice of welcoming international guests to our shores, as well as frequently traveling around the world for the considerable and impactful diplomacy that gained him global recognition.
“To have his image and legacy imprinted in passports traveling through Abu Dhabi Airport is a fitting commemoration as we celebrate the Year of Zayed and reflect on his values and principles,” Al Khoori added.
2018 was declared the Year of Zayed by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, marking 100 years since the birth of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE.
Carsten Hernig first had a brush with the air cargo industry in his 10th grade as an intern. He was so fascinated with air freight that he even made a thesis about it and eventually built his career in the industry.
Today, Hernig is the Managing Director at Jettainer GmbH, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG. Headquartered in Germany, the company is considered the global market leader in outsourcing solutions for so-called Unit Load Devices (ULD) management operating at more than 450 airports around the world.
“There was something exciting about it (air cargo) making me stick to it. Hence, it was just logical to stay in the industry,” Hernig told Air Cargo Update in an email interview.
Hernig keeps a busy schedule all-year-round that also involves a lot of traveling across the world.
“Working in a small but global company like Jettainer is always majorly driven by proactively reacting to customer wishes and market developments. Hence, the daily job routine is always a balance of managing the new versus driving structural projects forward. And my job demands a lot of traveling in order to have my ear on the pulse of our customers,” the head of Jettainer said.
Though his job extends globally with Jettainer’s reach to hundreds of airports, Hernig still finds time to relax with his most prized possessions: His family of five, his sports, his motorbike and his old Citroen.
How do you handle stress in a very competitive industry? I have a fantastic family, I go running almost daily – this is relaxing and at the same time the source of creativity. And I like to ride my motorbike. Additionally, we travel a lot as a family. This keeps our minds open and it is the best education for kids to be open for other cultures. This is particularly important in these times, where unilateralism is threatening to replace amicable forms of cooperation of the human race.
What is it about vintage cars and motorcycles that you like? Do you collect them? Well, I personally drive a Citroen DS from 1973 and my wife a 2CV. Both cars have been revolutionary. The DS has been an incredible step forward in technology at the time and the 2CV has given affordable mobility to the masses. Hence both cars have dramatically changed human mobility. Hence, I believe it’s worth to conserve them for the future. From my time in India, I still own a vintage Royal Enfield bike, a bullet built in ’64. Again, a vehicle which has impacted the development of a whole subcontinent. At the time, when these vehicles have been developed, great minds have been behind them. They had a vision for which sometimes have been offended. But at the end, they had the right entrepreneurial feeling and did make a significant impact on development.
We heard you’re a huge aviation enthusiast. How do you satisfy this? I am not flying planes, but I have to admit that I am frequently on flight radar. I read a lot about aviation and sometimes, I do spent hours with my son at the runway of some airports to spot planes.
Further, I do fly a lot as a passenger for business and private travel, and it has never become a commodity to me. Every time the plane accelerates on the runway, I do feel thrilled – at the end there is a lot of complexity behind every flight, be it in terms of technology, commercial network planning, loading, etc. Many hands have to work together in sync to make a flight happen. This is fascinating. And so is the fact that we as humans would not be flying, had there not been some enthusiasts who started to jump from hills with simple gliders. Everyone laughed at them and considered them idiots. But look where we are: It requires people with a vision who think out of the box to make things happen!
If you were given the chance to meet someone, who would it be and why? I am happy meeting the people who are crossing my way. My first boss told me: “You have to be interested in human beings behind name” – this is what counts, and which makes every person interesting.
Please share some philosophies that helped you sail through life. First: I always give trust a chance over skepticism. On a base line, the only connecting factor between all people is the fact, that we are humans. If you take this as a basis for cooperation, it should bring us forward. Second: Doing whatever you do, even if sometimes it’s totally stupid and useless, is much easier, if it is done with passion. Third: When we lived in India, someone told me: “At the end everything will be good and if it is not good – it is not the end yet”
Warehousing and inventory control systems help your business monitor and track the amount of raw materials, finished goods and work in progress.
Many businesses rely on the information provided by the inventory control to make sound decisions on productions, purchases, scheduling and fulfill other warehouse needs. Accurate inventory systems help small businesses keep costs low and efficiently meet customers’ demands.
When it comes to warehousing, many businesses already know its importance in managing a supply chain. Though it is mainly seen for storing goods and preparing items for outbound shipping, packing, etc., warehouses are also economically beneficial to both owners and customers.
The global warehousing and storage market was valued at $479.4 billion in 2017 with North America being the largest geographic region accounting for $132.7 billion or 27.7% of the global market.
The US has the largest country share at $101.1 billion or 21.1% of the global warehousing and storage market, according to Warehousing and Storage Market Global Report 2018 from the Business Research Company.
The primary value –adding objective of an effective warehousing is to increase efficiency and clientele service by reducing cycle times and lowering overall costs. Storage offers added value to warehousing.
Warehousing role
Nowadays, warehousing plays a very important role in the supply chain management. It not only provides the function of holding or storing the goods but also improve value-added services to the overall performance of the supply chain.
A variety of devices—including wearables, sensors and radio frequency identification tags— are commonly used to locate products in the warehouse. This reduces the time to deliver the product to the customer and increases accuracy resulting in the rapid growth of warehousing and storage market.
The value-added services may include buffer, consolidation center, cross docking (moving the goods from a manufacturer directly to the customer with low material handling and without storage in warehouse in a long time period), Inventory tracking (helps the company manage the inventory in the warehouse with more efficiency and aims to reduce the cost and time in the warehouse operation process), reverse logistics (helps retailers in process of goods return to the warehouse and increases the satisfaction of retailer and customer), timely delivery (arrange and manage the shipment of goods for different customers) and so on.
In an email interview with Mr. Ghassan N. Nakfoor, Senior Management Consultant and Partner at the Dubai-based Meirc Training & Consulting, Air Cargo Update discussed the importance of taking a warehouse management course and how it effectively helps in managing a warehouse.
Warehouse management course
Warehousing operations are at the heart of the supply chain of any organization. The ability to secure the storage and flow of supplies with an eye on balancing costs with desired service levels provides a formidable challenge to warehouse professionals.
Taking the warehouse management course will help the candidate understand the strategic role of warehousing in the broader context of supply chain management and logistics.
The course also details the different warehousing activities and focuses on the ones which warehousing can contribute to, in the organization apart from examining the operational & financial performance aspect of warehousing, with an eye on sustainability.
“Inventories can reach millions and millions of dollars. You need a good warehouse to store, keep and protect all those millions of dollars. In this course, we will discuss the best and the latest methods to store and protect high value inventories,” says Nakfoor.
“We will also discuss the best characteristics of a modern warehouse. Knowing what you have and how much you have are the keys to proper warehousing management. Furthermore, we will explore the various methods to achieve record accuracy and successful cycle counting. Finally, a scientific method of auditing the warehouse will be applied,” he added.
The course is ideal for those candidates seeking to complement their warehousing experience with the latest theoretical knowledge in preparation for assuming higher positions in their respective organizations, in particular, those at operational, supervisory and management level.
Oldest commercial activity
Humans first learned the importance of warehousing in keeping animals as food. As civilization progressed, local warehouses were introduced. Normally merchandise is stored in connection with shipping, trading, and manufacturing activities.
During the Middle Ages, improvement in human knowledge gave rise to warehousing to handle the storage of shipped items. The first known major commercial warehouse was built in Venice, a centre of major trade routes.
“Since mankind started to manufacture and produce materials and products, the need for a place to store those end products became a necessity. And so, the warehouse was created. Also, there was a need to store all the raw materials and all the components that make up these end products. On top of that, the capital equipment that were required in the manufacturing process needed a very safe place to be kept in. And so, the warehouse was created.”
No prerequisites
The fundamentals of warehousing as a course are open to anybody with no pre-requisites. This is recommended to individuals involved in warehousing (store) activities, both at the operational and supervisory levels.
The course is also appropriate for anyone interested to know more about the interaction between warehousing and other materials management functions such as: Purchasing, Inventory Control and Distribution, according to Nakfoor.
Major concepts to be encountered during the course include: Warehouse operations; Customer service; Record accuracy; Staff relations; Safety management, and Warehouse operations auditing.
Other interactive tools used during the course are a mixture of interactive learning tools such as: videos, questionnaires, case studies, team exercises, individual exercises and group discussions.
Nakfoor shares some pointers on how a warehouse should be properly managed. These include: Having the right and relevant operational policies and procedures; using good warehouse software; having a state-of-the-art technology; having appropriate leadership and management skills of senior staff; having skilled staff along with continuous on-the-job and external training, accountable staff, and continuous auditing.
“The UAE is becoming a major industrial country in the region. More and more industrial cities such as Jebel Ali will be created in the UAE. The warehouse is a major and main pillar of any industrial city. Therefore, it is very important to study ‘Warehouse Operations and Management’ in the UAE,” Nakfoor summed up the importance of the course.
Technology has made the world smaller and faster.Real time communication with people from all over the world at different time zones through phones and gadgets
