Global news in brief

Norbert Dentressangle’s €223m takeover of logistics provider TDG is due to be complete on 28 March following its announcement last November.

 

Following the buyout of shares from TDG’s holding company Laxey Logistics, 53% of Norbert’s business will be in road transport with €1.95 billion in revenues and the largest wholly-owned fleet in Europe (more than 8,000 tractor units and 11,000 trailers). Logistics will account for 44% of the business including nearly 6.5m m2 of warehousing €1.6 billion in revenues. The final 3% will come from freight forwarding with revenues of €100m.

 

According to Norbert Dentressangle the transaction will create a new group with annualised revenues of €3.6 billion, with stronger positions in transport (€1.95 billion) and logistics (€1.6 billion), as well as delivering critical mass in the strategic freight forwarding sector (€100m).

 

Chinese vehicle and two-wheeler manufacturer Lifan (Industry) Group has added the Lifan 320 hatchback to the CKD kits it sends for assembly to its joint venture plant in Cherkessk, Russia. The move means the company is now building its complete lineup of sedans at the plant, which it owns with Russian carmaker Derways Automobile.

 

Lifan started assembling cars in Russia in 2007. The first model shipped as a CKD to the Cherkessk plant, which is situated close to the Black Sea in the Karachay-Cherkessia region, was the Lifan 520 compact car. It was followed by another compact sedan, the Lifan 620, in 2010.

 

Annual output of the Russian plant is expected to increase to 32,000 units this year from 14,000 units in 2010.

 

Lifan is located in the south China city of Chongqing.

 

Supply chain research and consulting firm Armstrong & Associates (A&A) has launched an online platform for customers to share experiences about their 3PLs. Called 3PLAdvisor, customers can anonymously rate their current 3PLs and send RFI forms to 3PLs they may be interested in working with. According to A&A the service will also provide 3PLs with valuable feedback from customers at no cost.

 

A&A’s president Evan Armstrong said: “We’ve developed a straightforward website where 3PL customers can easily provide feedback on their 3PL relationships and where 3PLs can see how well they are meeting customer needs.

“Unlike customer satisfaction surveys, 3PL Advisor takes an ongoing approach versus a one-time snapshot,” Armstrong added. “To ensure a high level of quality, A&A reviews each 3PL customer review and 3PL profile submission prior to it being displayed on 3PLAdvisor.com. While customers can anonymously post reviews of their 3PLs, we strictly prohibit 3PLs from evaluating other 3PLs and strive to ensure that the site contains the most accurate 3PL profile information possible.”

 

3PL customers can register at: http://www.3pladvisor.com/login-company-profile/user-sign-up.aspx . Once a user account is created, a customer can rate its 3PLs.

 

3PLs who are not listed on 3PL Advisor are encouraged to sign up and submit a profile at: http://www.3pladvisor.com/login-company-profile/sign-up.aspx

 

Daimler has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Algerian government, and its shareholder Aabar Investments PJS for the supply of parts for local assembly of Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses in the city of Rouiba.

 

“We are strengthening our presence in North Africa and exploiting the Algerian market’s growth potential for vehicles of all kinds,” said Peter Alexander Trettin, the Daimler executive responsible for the sale of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Africa and Asia.

 

Daimler and Aabar had already signed an initial memorandum of understanding with the Algerian government in July 2009 for the supply modules to an assembly plant in Tiaret, Algeria, for the production of Sprinters, Unimogs, and G-Class vehicles.

 

Abu Dhabi-based company Aabar Investments PJS, which holds a 9% share in Daimler, is establishing a joint venture with the Algerian government for the operational management of the vehicle assembly facility.