Cape Crating diversifies

Strategic partners are a must for
anyone entering the container
business, according to Owen
Bottomley of Cape Crating.
While the company originally
specialised in the supply of crates,
it has diversified to provide a
range of container-related services
in the logistics industry.
“The development of strategic
partners is an ongoing process,”
says Bottomley, who believes
these are crucial to success in the
industry.
“This is especially true in the
light of the global economic scene
at present where the future is
not looking as rosy as one would
want. Markets are volatile and
uncertain, making planning very
difficult. Having partners in place
is therefore more important than
ever before.”
According to Bottomley, one of
the biggest challenges faced on a
daily basis is the turnaround time
of vehicles at ports and empty
container depots.
“A waiting time of up to
three hours is quite regular and
obviously becomes very costly as
one’s asset is not actually working
but just queuing.”
He says it is therefore important
to have the right equipment on
board at all times to ensure the
process is not held up anywhere
else along the supply chain.
“In the Port of Cape Town we
have a 25t forklift that enables
us to ground containers for quick
and safe loading and offloading.
This service is particularly useful
when loading out-of-gauge cargo
onto flat racks.”
According to Bottomley, the
company has extended its
service offering to include the
hiring out of certified opentop
containers to the offshore
industry as well as providing
both loading and unloading
services – at its premises or those
of the client.