Cooling systems keep Belfreight's project business buoyant

JOY ORLEK THE MOVEMENT of project cargo has provided a lucrative niche for Johannesburg-based forwarder Belfreight – in particular the movement of giant cooling systems for one of their customers, Carrier South Africa. It’s a client with whom Belfreight MD Bela Broekman has been involved for the past ten years, and with two decades of experience in the field under her belt, she is patently aware of the crucial importance of meeting deadlines under challenging circumstances. “Planning is of the essence,” says Broekman, who co-ordinates the company’s project business, offering a door to door service and outsourcing to a select group of hand-picked subcontractors. “A number of projects carry a penalty for late delivery, which is why potential delays need to be factored in at the planning stage – there is no margin for error.” A recent shipment involved the movement of a unit almost 12 metres long – the largest ever handled by the company – and Broekman is already working on the next big project. Once again this involves cooling systems, this time to be shipped from France to various destinations in Gauteng, Durban, Namibia and Port Elizabeth. But cooling units are just a part of the company’s portfolio – its project business covers the full spectrum. “It’s all about applying the skills we have acquired to a range of business disciplines – whatever the product, the principles remain the same.”