‘Adapt or die’ the SACD mantra

Adapt or die is a given in the logistics industry – and for SACD it’s a mantra that has played out many times over the past 30 years. Currently operating in the supply chain logistics space where it has gained traction in a number of focused sectors – wine and fruit in the Cape, Africa at City Deep in Gauteng, and automotive in Port Elizabeth – the company has reinvented itself several times since its launch in 1977 as a customs-licensed depot operator handling LCL, groupage and overstay containers. As the only customs-licensed depot in the country at the time, it gained a reputation for being somewhat autocratic – and rode the crest of a wave until the mid 80s. When the sole licensing agreement ended and new licences were handed out, the company was forced to find a new identity. “At that stage we partnered with the major shipping lines to handle empty containers,” Johannesburg director Dennis Trotter told FTW. “But post- 1994, when our customers became our competitors, SACD decided it would no longer focus on the container but rather on the cargo. “And that strategic shift was the most significant in terms of our development today,” said Trotter. Now rebranded SACD Freight and part of the Bidvest Group of companies, it markets itself as an intermodal import and export management company. “We have never been afraid to change,” said Trotter, whose wish for the future is to control the logistics chain throughout Africa. “We would like to be offering similar facilities outside of our borders with growth either through acquisition or by setting up new facilities.” Watch this space! INSERT & CAPTION We would like to be offering similar facilities outside of our borders with growth either through acquisition or by setting up new facilities. – Dennis Trotter