WWL has opened a heavy equipment processing facility at the US port of Galveston in Texas, bringing the number of high and heavy processing facilities it operates to 11. The centres support the construction, agricultural and mining equipment sectors and the latest facility at Galveston provides storage for 7,000 units.
WWL will also provide a range of support services including inventory management, inspections, repairs, cleaning and dealer distribution, procuring and managing transport on behalf of the customer.
The company is also carrying out what is termed ‘preventative maintenance’ during storage, namely exercising the machines every 30-45 days depending on model type and manufacturer to prevent issues related to such things as hydraulics, engines and hoses affecting them while idle.
“WWL’s specialised processing sites are designed to provide considerable conveniences to heavy equipment manufacturers,” said John Felitto, executive vice president of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Americas. “These facilities allow manufacturers to store products closer to the end buyer, shorten delivery times and save on priority shipping expenses.”
The company reports that the Galveston facility offers the advantage of being located in a Foreign-Trade Zone, providing duty exemption on re-exports for units that are temporarily stored at the site, as well as deferral of customs duty.
Galveston County also has a Foreign-Trade Zones at the port of Texas City. Both are secured specialised areas, which are considered outside the Customs Territory of the United States. Foreign and domestic merchandise may be admitted without formal Customs entry for the payment of government excise tax.
The latest development builds on the transhipment services WWL has offered high & heavy manufacturers from Galveston for a number of years now. Amongst its customers are John Deere and at the beginning of March the company received recognition as a partner-level supplier for 2010 in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program.
