Honda to build logistics centre in Spain
Honda has announced plans to build a new logistics centre in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, near Barcelona in Spain. The new facility, expected to be approximately 24,000-square-metres and due to open in late 2013, will be located on part of the existing 86,000-square-metre Montesa Honda site, which currently accommodates the company's Spanish motorcycle sales subsidiary, the Honda Safety Institute and Honda's production plant.
The new centre will store and process parts for Honda's car, motorcycle and power equipment businesses, serving Honda customers and dealers in Spain, Portugal, southern France and North African countries. The centre will also manage motorcycle logistics for the whole of southern Europe.
Logiventures offers vehicle processing through Hambantota
Sri Lankan multinational, The Hayleys Group, has begun providing automotive services through its logistics subsidiary Logiventures at the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa port in Hambantota.
The company cleared its first shipment of 850 vehicles in June, when the NYK Line vessel Cygnus Leader called at the port. Logiventures said it would work closely with NYK Line, to expand its engagement with the automotive industry in Sri Lanka.
The company has already ordered more car carrier trailers to supplement its existing fleet and invested in a vehicle transit facility in close proximity to the Hambantota port to facilitate the clearing, inspection and transportation of vehicles discharged there by ro-ro vessels. The initial capacity of the facility is approximately 700 vehicles, the company said.
"Investment in this operation is in response to the recent Sri Lanka Ports Authority decision to divert ro-ro vessels to the new port in Hambantota to reduce congestion at the Colombo Port," Logiventures director Janitha Jayanetti said.
Logiventures has been providing automotive logistics services to leading vehicle importers since 2006.
Rail joint venture provides China-Germany service
RZD Logistics, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, has co-founded a joint venture to handle rail freight between China and Europe called YuXinOu (Chongqing) Logistics. As well as RZD, the joint venture involves the Transport Holding of Chongqing (CQCT), the China Railway Company for International Multimodal Transport (CRIMT), Schenker China and the joint stock company Kaztransservice.
The company will provide regular rail container shipments between Chongqing in China and Duisburg in Germany, with the first train scheduled to leave Chongqing at the end of June.
At the Automotive Logistics Russia conference last week, Vladimir Chernichkin, deputy sales director of Transcontainer, a joint venture operator for RZD, identified the rail movement between Chongqing and Duisberg as being for BMW, which is importing electronic equipment consolidated in China that would ordinarily move by air. BMW has also used RZD and Transcontainer to send knockdown kits from Leipzig to Shenyang, according to Chernichkin (read more here http://www.automotivelogisticsrussia.com/115/2012_Conference_Report/#Long_distance_rail).
The new joint venture will also provide freight forwarding, customs, information, consulting and other services related to the provision of international container traffic. According to RZD, the ultimate goal is to create a logistics company that provides door-to-door, third-party logistics services.
Volume forecasts on the service are for around 5,800 TEUs by the end of 2012.
DHL offers automotive recall service
Logistics and transport provider DHL has set up a global logistics service for automotive recalls.
According to the company, the DHL Recall Solution provides services to manage the exchange of the replacement parts, their transport and warehousing, as well as supervision of third party providers such as external carriers and recyclers.
DHL said the service is geared up to support a fast deployment of automotive recalls and can survey the customer's supply chain in advance to prepare it for major recalls.
"The developments of sourcing and manufacturing in the automotive industry, as well as the strengthening of regulations, have raised the likelihood of product recalls," said Fathi Tlatli, president, Global Sector Automotive, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. "With our new recall solution, we can provide the best possible support for our industry partners to be prepared for and handle these critical, complex and time sensitive logistics procedures."
Kerry secures after service contracts
Kerry Logistics has signed a contract to provide international freight forwarding and logistics services to the Exego Group, the largest retailer and supplier of aftersales automotive parts in Australia and New Zealand.
The contract will involve Kerry Logistics providing all global freight forwarding services as well as developing consolidation hubs in Hong Kong, Shenzhen Yantian, Shanghai, and Taiwan.
The contract also includes provision of cross docking and logistics services in Australia and New Zealand.
The Exego Group has five separate operating divisions servicing the automotive aftermarket and operates around 450 stores in Australia and New Zealand with revenues reported to be approximately $1 billion.
Kerry has also recently been awarded a contract by Continental Tyres (Thailand) to manage the company's warehouse storage and management, local transport and express distribution across the country.
