Bridgeport Durban invests R40 million in two years

There is no quick fix for the economic downturn, says Paul Levy, sales director for Bridgeport Durban – and brilliant deals that promise huge returns over a short period of time can only appeal for a while. “The most recent SA Ponzi scheme seems to be an example of this sales strategy,” says Levy. “Similarly some warehouses and logistics providers offer unmatchable rates to entice volumes during difficult times. This appeal works for a while and some will take advantage of these opportunities but they must be sure that they’re able to clear their cargoes out of those traps in time. One can only sell a rand for 90cents for so long and the house of cards collapses.” There is no denying that times are tough as the worldwide economic crisis continues to impact on South Africa. “We have been visited by competitors who try to gain access to our facilities to see what we are doing and for which customers. This practice has increased significantly over the last period and should be viewed as an index of how tough things are out there,” says Levy. “Everyone believes that someone else has the answer, the secret solution to surviving through what are the most serious economic times in recent times.” And Durban is a tough market. “It is not for sissies. But it remains integral to the wider Bridge Group and we have invested heavily in our Durban operations. In fact, Bridgeport Durban has seen in excess of R40 million worth of infrastructural development in the past two years. With Bridgeport Durban and Bridgeport Johannesburg uniquely linked by rail, cargoes are warehoused and can either be containerised or moved breakbulk between facilities in large quantities, with relative ease. Similarly, empty containers can be shuttled between facilities whenever imbalances in container equipment occur in either region. According to Levy there is a critical shortage of containers in Johannesburg at the moment. “The result is that shipping lines are turning empty containers in to Bridgeport Durban to be emptyrailed directly from our sidings into our Bridgeport Johannesburg private sidings. “This flexibility is of interest to the shippers as well as the shipping lines because it alleviates the difficulty of matching container availability with cargoes on the move.” More and more containers are being moved by rail due to the simplicity of moving large volumes in single shunts rather than controlling large numbers of individual vehicles that are subject to road congestion. “In terms of new developments, our rail shuttle service between DCT and Bridgeport Durban is high on both our agenda as well as Transnet Freight Rail’s,” says Levy.