Dedicated team handles projects of any size

Recent shipment involves 280 containers and 1 500-freight tons of breakbulk ALAN PEAT THE HANDLING of over-dimensional, heavy, sensitive, high-volume or extremely urgent cargoes is part of the everyday business for Durban-based Access, but acquisition and development of skills have been crucial factors in success, according to MD Garth Loudon. “In order to enhance our project management capabilities,” he told FTW, “we have now put together a dedicated team of skilled and experienced professionals to handle any project – no matter how big or small.” Heading up this team is Brad Stephens, who has just returned from seven years in West and East Africa. “He has brought with him a wealth of inside knowledge of the complexities of moving specialised cargoes to-and-from these challenging areas,” said Loudon. And it was Stephens who described to FTW one of the company’s current projects. It is a brand-new plant for Zambezi Portland Cement, manufactured by the Indian company, Walchandnagar Industries – and is being shipped from various points of origin in India via Durban and Dar es Salaam to Ndola in Zambia. Part of this 1 000-tons-per-day (TPD) cement production unit is already in place, with Access having already moved the crusher plant section. “The transport of this project is expected to be completed in December,” said Stephens, “and involves the shipment of approximately 280 containers and 1 500-freight tons of breakbulk.” Other projects currently underway include a copper processing plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and an RDC water piping project. “Local knowledge, strategic alliances, having the right people in place and genuine passion for the business is the key to project success,” Stephens added, “and at Access, we believe that we have found this perfect balance.”