All Europe articles – Page 178
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Feature
IT still in demand despite recession
The demand for visibility and IT services in the supply chain is proving resilient despite the huge drop in vehicle sales and production, IT suppliers have told Automotive Logistics. Several companies have just announced investments or updates to their IT systems, while an IBM survey of supply chain executives published ...
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Feature
Tata Nano could be saving grace for supply chain
Following months of delay, Tata Motors has announced that the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, will officially launch on March 23rd, and should reach dealers by the first week of April, according to the company. Sales in the short term could defy the sour economy and be enough to help ...
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Feature
Carriers get creative in tough times
With new car sales at their lowest point in decades in the US, finished vehicle logistics providers are looking outside their traditional business segments. Car transporter United Road, has grown in the used-vehicle market, in moving repossessions as well as “green” vehicles. Ro-ro carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) is moving ...
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Feature
March is make or break for LSPs
The automotive supply chain in both Europe and North America will be at high risk during the coming months as part suppliers and logistics providers come under financial stress, analysts predict. Following the high number of plant closures and production cuts since December, a result of a global collapse in ...
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FeatureGefco receives new UK trailer fleet
Lohr has provided Gefco with a fleet of ten car carrier trailers from its factory in Strasbourg, France that will enable more efficient vehicle transport from the company’s regional distribution centre in Corby, in the English Midlands. The Eurolohr 3.53 UK Hybrid trailers, which allow mixed loads for up to ...
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FeatureRival car carriers increase scrappage
NYK may double the number of car carriers it had planned to scrap by 2010 in the face of production cuts at Toyota, Honda and Nissan. The number could reach 40, instead of the already planned 20, according to comments made last week by Mikitoshi Kai, head of investor relations ...
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FeatureAutomotive supply chain executives to meet in Montreux
Executives from carmakers, tier suppliers and logistics service providers from across Europe will gather in Montreux, Switzerland next week to discuss the impact of the economic slowdown for the automotive logistics industry in Europe. Speakers will cover topics such as analyses of what today’s tough economic pressures mean for the ...
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FeatureAsian carmakers target Mexico
The Mexican car industry, where sales and production have been hit hard by the economic downturn, received a small boost in the past week: Nissan announced it would be shifting some of its small-car production from Japan to its plants in Mexico. Meanwhile, Changan Auto has said it will build ...
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FeatureIAC reveals opportunities for logistics providers
The sessions dedicated to logistics provision for the automotive industry at last week’s International Automotive Conference in Durham, UK, drew comment from some of sector’s leading figures and what they said revealed that upheaval was an opportunity to look closely at traditional practice and bring long-term change: “There are many ...
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FeatureKey executives on the move
Ceva Logistics has appointed Pierre Girardin (pictured) as Managing Director for the Ceva Business Unit France, Benelux & Nordics. He will manage the region across all Ceva businesses and takes over from Onno Meij, who has led the unit for more than six years. Meij has been appointed Group Director, ...
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FeatureRussian taxes devastate imports through Vladivostok
Finished vehicle imports through the Commercial Port of Vladivostok have dropped 85% since the introduction of the new tariffs, mainly affecting second-hand vehicles brought in from Japan. The new charges, which came in to effect on January 12 this year, have brought unprecedented disruption in Vladivostok and have sparked protests ...
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FeatureDHL tests OEMs on collaboration
DHL Exel Supply Chain is integrating the various parts of its UK and EU collection services into one inbound freight network, which the company says will test OEMs' commitment to collaboration. Talking at last week’s International Automotive Conference, held in Durham in the UK, DHL’s Managing Director for Automotive in ...
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FeatureMaersk signs up to MIT supply chain programme
Maersk Logistics has joined a supply chain exchange programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) designed to benefit its supply chain management and carbon footprint strategy. The MIT Supply Chain Exchange is designed to help companies manage their supply chains more effectively by providing access to the latest research ...
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FeatureHonda streamlines European logistics with Polish centre
Honda Europe is building a 20,000m2 distribution centre in Pniewy, near Poznañ in Poland, to increase its service level for spare parts deliveries to Poland, the Baltic states and the western region of Germany. The €10.7m facility, which is due to open in April 2010, is expected to handle about ...
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FeatureTwo-tier wagon to revolutionise Indian logistics
A joint venture of rail experts is planning to deliver a new two-tier wagon for car transport in India that could see carmakers dramatically cut their logistics costs. Advanced engineering and rail logistics provider Focal Earth has been working with French double-deck wagon maker AFR and India’s Texmaco, the ...
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FeatureGefco provides packaging solution for Ford
Ford has outsourced its materials handling management for engine production at Dagenham in the UK to European logistics provider Gefco UK. The LSP is now helping manage Ford’s container logistics through its GefBoxSystem, which provides reusable plastic boxes, pallets and covers for parts required by engine plant in southeast England ...
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FeatureFirst shipment to Hawaii from Port of Gray's Harbor
Following the recent contract between The Pasha Group and the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington, US (as reported in our newsletter dated 21 January), the ro-ro vessel M/V Jean Anne is taking 1,100 vehicles to Hawaii from there as part of its 100th voyage this week. The ship left ...
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FeatureUK ports bill could force CAT out
The UK’s controversial backdated ports rates proposal may force logistics provider CAT (UK) to withdraw activity from Teeside as it faces a £500,000 bill for its 50-acre storage site at the port. CAT (UK) is the only importer of Renault cars to the UK and makes final inspection and fittings ...
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FeaturePayment scheme leads to supply problems at AvtoVAZ
Russia’s largest carmaker AvtoVAZ stopped production at its huge Togliatti plant last Thursday, just three days after restarting the assembly line following a month-long extension to its winter break shutdown. The stoppage was blamed on a component supply problem. "The conveyor was stopped on Thursday for an indeterminate amount of ...
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FeatureLogistics academy to serve UK automotive hub
The logistics sector in the north-east UK, is set to benefit from a new academy established to provide information on skills development and training.At the end of last week Skills for Logistics (SfL), the sector skills council for the freight logistics industry in the UK, launched the Logistics Academy ...