Global news in brief

Emergency logistics provider Evolution Time Critical is celebrating ten years of activity supporting global carmakers and suppliers.

“We have developed with the automotive industry over the past decade and moulded our services to meet its needs,” said managing directory, Brad Brennan. “We have continually sought to improve our service levels and capabilities in the regions in which are customers are active by expanding our international network of logistics and transport experts, and now have hundreds of operational partners throughout the world.”

Most recently the company assisted a tier one automotive supplier avoid production stoppage over the Christmas period by arranging for the urgent delivery of a component required to fix a critical piece of tooling to maintain manufacture of a dual-clutch transmission.

Evolution managed the shipment of the component from Germany, via France to Mexico on Christmas Day, delivering it to the supplier’s manufacturing site in the early hours of 26th December.

Evolution now has a UK headquarters at East Midlands Airport and two European offices in Germany and Sweden. It operates a 24/7 service from its global control centre, and offers a single point of contact for all critical transport modes.

The company revealed that it had record revenue of more than £12m ($18.7m) in 2010.

Indian commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland will supply logistics and transport provider VRL Logistics with more than 200 car carriers following a deal signed this week. The order builds on one placed last month for 500 multi-axle trucks and 100 buses.

As part of the new order Ashok will supply a total of 262 vehicles including 200 U-3518 car carriers and 12 U-4923 models. It will also supply a further 50 12 metre buses.

“The rise in demand for fully-built vehicles in the Indian automotive industry is a positive sign and I am happy to note that this order also features a requirement for 40 fully-built, ready-to-use vehicles,” said R. Seshasayee, managing director, Ashok Leyland.

Ashok said the car carrier’s tandem axle fitment provides greater stability and helps generate higher fuel efficiency and faster turnaround time and features a wide inspection door to view the loaded cars as well as sufficient clearance between cars to reduce damage when stored.

Vijay Sankeshwar, Chairman, VRL Logistics said, “VRL is into a high-growth mode which is why, on the one hand, we are substantially expanding our fleet. On the other hand, we are entering new, high-potential growth segments, like car carriers, and at the same time consolidating our position in areas like the passenger segment.

The 862 vehicles will be inducted into VRL’s fleet, 80% of which are Ashok Leyland vehicles.

Hyundai started assembly of the Solaris sedan at its new €330m plant in St Petersburg, Russia yesterday supported by the presence of 11 parts suppliers based at the facility’s adjacent logistics park.

The plant’s annual capacity is 150,000 vehicles, while this year’s production target is 105,000 units.

The facility, Hyundai’s sixth overseas production base, is to play a central role in the its expansion in the CIS nations and Eastern Europe according to the company and was located in St Petersburg to take advantage of well-developed industrial infrastructure and logistics. The company said it will be able to respond more flexibly to the local market by shortening delivery dates to dealerships and making savings on storage costs as a consequence.

The plant, which includes storage facilities and a shipping area, covers approximately 83,000m2.

Norwegian ro-ro provider Höegh Autoliners has restructured its business in Switzerland and terminated its agreement with Furness Shipping, which represented the company in the country.

“This reorganisation of activities is part of an ongoing process to review how we deliver services to our customers around the globe,” said Höegh’s head of Organisational Support and Development, Gary Shoesmith.

“We have the necessary competence and capacity to work directly with customers in Austria and Switzerland, and have therefore decided to handle these activities ourselves, without the use of an agent. Enquires will be managed by our team in southern Germany, based in Stuttgart.”

In other news the company reported that its ro-ro vessel Höegh Tracer is her final route to the Changjiang Ship-breaking near Shanghai for recycling. Maersk Ship Management BV will be responsible for planning and monitoring the recycling in accordance with Höegh’s Green Ship Recycling Specification.

Höegh Tracer is the 10th Höegh Autoliners vessel to be recycled in this manner since 2009 and will be the second vessel recycling arranged through Maersk.