All articles by Marcus Williams – Page 113
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FeatureEuropean car sector benefits from Q1 sugar rush but outlook is more modest
Vehicle sales growth across Europe in the first quarter is up more than 7% according to industry analyst LMC Automotive, with all major markets outside of Russia having made progress at the beginning of 2015. And it is likely to stay that way this year. The reduction in oil prices, ...
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FeatureLogistics providers to move into former GM Flint warehouse
Logistics providers Martin Transportation Systems (MTS) and its warehousing affiliate Bay Logistics are to take up residence at GM’s former warehouse facility in Flint Michigan. The trust handling the property, RACER Trust (Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response), has sold the 176,000 sq.m facility to Johnson Enterprises, which will own ...
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FeatureGorlier adds components role to responsibilities at FCA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has appointed Pietro Gorlier (left) as its chief operation officer for Components, replacing Eugenio Razelli who has chosen to leave the company. Gorlier will take up the new responsibilities at the end of June this year while retaining his role as president and CEO of Mopar ...
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FeatureFVL conference: time is money in vehicle remarketing sector
Seasonal trends and regional buying habits in the used car market are a headache for transport companies looking to maximise efficiency and even profit on the backhauls of outbound new car deliveries. Used car movements remain largely reliant on regional truck haulers when often a national transport solution is needed. ...
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FeatureFVL conference: VW’s revival plan depends on reliable logistics
The Volkswagen Group’s aggressive plans for plant capacity expansion and new model launches in North America, on which it is pinning its hopes to reverse declining sales in the US, will test the carmaker’s logistics network and logistics providers, according to Jan Bures (pictured left), executive vice-president of aftersales and ...
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FeatureFVL conference: rail providers and carmakers moving past the ‘angry phase’
Following nearly 18 months of considerable disturbances on the North American rail network, including severe weather issues, labour disputes and demand surges in unexpected areas, railroad providers are investing large amounts in rolling stock, infrastructure improvements and new track as they strive to meet demand and regain business lost to ...
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FeatureFVL conference: US car haulers renew call for weight exemption
The US car hauling industry’s long-running battle for a weight exemption in the next Highway Reauthorisation bill was raised in an impassioned plea during last week’s Finished Vehicle Logistics North America conference in Newport Beach, California. Mike Riggs (pictured, standing), chief executive officer of the biggest road transport provider ...
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FeatureEast Malaysian logistics hub is first step in Honda expansion plans
Honda’s division in Malaysia has opened a logistics hub in Kota Kinabalu in the east of the country which it said will cut vehicle delivery times to dealers there by a third. It is the first step in the carmaker’s expansion plans into the east of Malaysia, which were first ...
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FeatureVorrath moves to new role at Johnson Controls
Frank Vorrath has moved from his role as vice-president, global sector head for Automotive at DHL Global Forwarding to take up a new role at tier supplier Johnson Controls as vice-president of global supply chain. He is based in Burscheid, Germany."In his role, Frank will lead the development and implementation ...
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FeatureKintetsu completes buyout of APL Logistics
Kintetsu World Express has completed its purchase of APL Logistics from its parent company Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) for $1.2 billion. As reported in February this year the Japanese freight forwarder said the decision was based on its management priority to compete on a par with European and US competitors ...
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FeatureSubaru extends lease for operations at port of Vancouver to 2030
Subaru of America has extended its lease at the US port of Vancouver until 2030 with two additional five-year options that could extend its tenancy there for a further ten years. The carmaker’s lease was due to have expired on August 31, 2020.The carmaker leases around 16 hectares from the ...
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FeatureEC launches infringement proceedings against Germany over wage legislation
The European Commission (EC) has launched an infringement procedure against Germany in response to its extension of minimum wage legislation to international transport operators entering German territory. “[T]he application of German measures to transit and certain international transport operations can in the Commission's view not be justified, as it ...
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FeatureBMW begins import of X4 kits to Russia from US
BMW has confirmed it is beginning exports of its X4 model in kit form from its US plant in Spartanburg to Russia. The semi-knockdown (SKD) kits will be assembled at the German carmaker’s joint venture plant with Russian firm Avtotor in Kaliningrad. The assembled vehicles will be sold exclusively on ...
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FeatureTurkey’s Ekol begins logistics operations in Poland
Turkish logistics provider Ekol has added Poland to the growing list of European countries in which it has operations. The company, which started operations from Katowice last month and has a number of automotive customers in the country already, said that it would be providing domestic and international transport across ...
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FeatureOvenden to replace Cannis as head of Ford Sollers
Ted Cannis is moving from his role as president and CEO of Ford’s joint venture with Sollers in Russia to take up a new role as executive director, Investor Relations at Ford, based in Dearborn in the US. He will be replaced in Russia by Mark Ovenden (pictured), who is ...
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FeatureGAC develops services in US for automotive sector
Shipping, logistics and marine services provider, GAC, is opening four new offices in the US that it said will provide customers, including those in the domestic and international automotive sector, with coverage in key logistics hubs.GAC North America – Logistics has set up the offices in Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago and ...
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FeatureGM to invest $1.2 billion in Fort Wayne truck plant
General Motors has announced this week that it will invest $1.2 billion in pickup truck assembly at its Fort Wayne plant in the US and that part of that investment would be in improved material sequencing and conveyance systems to make the plant more efficient and competitive.The investment will include ...
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FeatureVW China opens latest plant in Changsha
Volkswagen’s joint venture in China with SAIC – Shanghai VW – has inaugurated its 20th facility in the country in the southern city of Changsha, a move that VW Group China’s president and CEO, Prof. Dr Jochem Heitzmann, said would improve the quality of the supply chain in the ...
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FeatureFord rings the changes at Valencia
Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain has been transformed into one of its busiest and most complex supply chains globally, with five models across two assembly lines, and a global export distribution. Marcus Williams considers why Ford chose itThe consolidation of production at Almussafes, just outside Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, ...
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FeatureVolvo starts vehicle exports from China to US
Volvo has started volume exports of the S60 Inscription sedan from its Chengdu plant in China to the US. The Inscription is a US-tailored version of the Volvo S60L sedan and this year the carmaker expects to ship 2,000 units of the model to the US. A spokesperson for Volvo ...