Global news in brief

NYK has increased its dedicated car terminal activity in China by taking a 12.5% stake with three Chinese shareholders in Guangzhou port operator Nansha Automotive Terminal (NAT).

 

The move means NYK will now be supporting automotive shipments in China’s four major ports, having already established dedicated services for the industry at the ports of Dalian, Tianjin, and Shanghai.

 

NAT, which operates a car-carrier terminal at Guangzhou, now handles around 240,000 finished vehicles at its complex at the terminal, ranking it third after Shanghai and Tianjin for volume of units handled in China.

 

"This is NYK's first investment in Guangzhou Nansha Port's Automotive Terminal,” a company spokesperson told Automotive Logistics News. “As a 12.5% shareholder of the company, we would like to transfer our know-how in the field of safe car handling and efficient yard management there. Then, by combining a high quality car terminal with our service network of sea and inland transportation, we believe we can provide our customers with more flexible logistics solutions, which will enhance customer satisfaction and our presence in China in the future."

 

NYK said that through these the four ports it will be able to provide a more convenient service by combining ocean transport by dedicated car-carriers, PDI and the inland transport of finished vehicles.

 

South Korean carmaker Ssangyong Motor is planning to re-enter the German market with assembly at a new facility in Kerpen, Germany and is working with Belgian-based importer Alcadis for the movement of vehicles to a planned 150-strong dealer network, which it hopes to build up by the end of 2012. Besides the new SUV Korando, three more models will be offered.

 

Ssangyong, which previously used Dutch provider Kroymans as importer, cut out of the German market two years ago and sought bankruptcy protection as the global downturn hit sales of its SUVs.

 

Last year Indian carmaker Mahindra and Mahindra made a successful bid for a 70% controlling stake in the company and expects to gain full management of the company by March 2011 for $463m.

 

Mahindra will launch two SUVs in India made by Ssangyong and exported as CKDs from South Korea by the end of this year.

 

Alcadis is also the official SsangYong importer for Switzerland, and also handles Hyundai in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. In addition, the company is importer of Suzuki in Belgium and Luxembourg and for Isuzu in the Benelux countries and Poland.

 

Ssangyong’s new German enterprise will be headed by director Ulrich Mehling, an industry veteran of 20 years with experience at GM, Saab and Alfa Romeo.

 

Supply chain and information management provider Brambles has acquired Container and Pooling Solutions (CAPS), a US-based provider of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and automotive containers, for $16.4m.

 

CAPS' network is made up of eight service centres offering sustainable pooling solutions and associated managed services to customers in the automotive and industrial sectors in North America.

 

Brambles CEO Tom Gorman said: "This acquisition is consistent with our strategy of growing our pooling business. It will strengthen our IBC and automotive operations in North America and, in the longer term, support our global network and our access to intercontinental product flows.

 

CAPS will retain its executive leadership as part of Brambles.

 

Brambles operates pallet and container pooling services provider Chep and information management provider Recall.

 

Brambles acquired CAPS from LF Capital Partners, a private equity fund of Lazard Alternative Investments LLC.

 

Honda has awarded a five-year contract extension to logistics provider Bibby Distribution for the transport of motorcycles and power equipment throughout the UK.

 

Bibby provides a next-day delivery service operating from Honda’s main warehouse in Swindon on its dedicated fleet of vehicles fork lift-equipped vehicles. 

 

It began providing logistics for Honda in 2003 on a contract covering the North of the UK which has since expanded to make it the sole provider of transport services for Honda’s motorcycles and power equipment across the country. The contract renewal means it retains this position until 2015.

 

Bibby reports that its contract with Honda retains an On Time In Full delivery rate of over 99% to the Japanese company’s UK dealers.

 

“The transportation of such high value products – particularly high-end motorcycles – requires the right equipment, the right training and the right people,” said Gary Sharp, Divisional Director of Bibby Distribution. “The risk and cost of damage to the product is high; watertight systems and procedures must be in place at every stage of the logistics process. We work very hard to deliver this.”   

 

BMW has awarded a three-year contract Kuehne+Nagel to manage its regional distribution centre in Vancouver, Canada. As part of the new contract, the Swiss-based forwarder will handle inbound goods receiving, put-away, storage, picking and packing, returns from dealers, and kit assembly, as well as administrative and dealer support for BMW automotive, motorcycle parts and accessories.

 

Kuehne+Nagel will use an 8,200m² warehouse with an option for further development to more than 10,000m². Additionally, it will hold approximately 32,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs), stored in a three-story mezzanine with shelving, cantilever and pallet racking.

 

Currently, Kuehne + Nagel provides services for the BMW Group from inbound to production and aftermarket logistics, as well as reverse logistics in eight countries.