Customs Services to expand warehousing

Celebrating milestone 21 years
JOY ORLEK
AS CLEARING and forwarding company Customs Services celebrates its milestone 21st year in business, expansion and diversification within its core market are the order of the day. The company was originally established by brothers Chris and Peter Scott as a customs auditing operation. Both had originally worked as customs officers in Zimbabwe, which made it a logical point of departure. “After working in the shipping industry for several years in South Africa, we saw a niche opportunity and set up Customs Services,” managing director Chris Scott told FTW. “We had no money and the banks wouldn’t lend us any, so we borrowed from family and friends to finance the operation. Working on a commission basis for the recovery of overpayments, funds soon started to flow in and these provided the capital base to launch a customs clearing division.” The early emphasis on auditing has however shifted and clearing, forwarding and distribution, with a special focus on project cargo, is the new orientation. Operating from owned premises in Jet Park, the company is set to expand its warehousing facilities as more and more customers choose the outsourcing option for warehousing and distribution. “The emphasis on supply chain management has evolved over the years and we have adapted our service in line with this.” Six months ago an office was opened in Durban, designed to grow traffic in the port city. “It’s already beginning to pay dividends and we anticipate that it will generate significant new business.” Cape Town is the next point of expansion, and feasibility studies are currently under way. The economic upswing, particularly in the mining and steel manufacturing industries, has generated huge growth in project cargo, and it’s a field in which Customs Services has carved a lucrative niche. “Challenging, but very rewarding,” says Chris, who is largely responsible for this area of the business. “Over the years we have gained the confidence of the mining industry, and it’s this reputation that has secured a lot of business for us. “We have a simple motto – we will customise the supply chain solution to meet the needs of the importer. With a client base that spans the spectrum in terms of size and supply chain needs, it’s a philosophy that’s worked for us in the past and that we intend to carry forward into the future.”