Expansion plans await end of recession

Expansion plans are part of the thinking of Hans Houniet, MD of Excellence Forwarding, but they are not being put into play before the recession is truly over, he told FTW. “A lot of people are talking about the ‘big recovery’,” he said, “but I’m not prepared to believe such a thing exists until I see the figures actually recorded in my accounts. “This big recovery will only be real when it becomes cash in the bank.” He noted that a lot of the market was still shipping in less than container loads (LCL) whereas before they were moving in full container loads (FCL). That’s still a sign of a recession, Houniet added. “And it’s only when it’s truly over that we will start to look at increasing our number of vehicles, and possibly opening a warehouse in Johannesburg.” That would be added to the four truck-tractor and trailer units that Excellence currently runs, offering its clients the service of clearing the container in Durban and delivering it direct to its customers’ premises in Gauteng, and carrying export containers down to the KwaZulu Natal port city. It would also see a Johannesburg storage facility joining the company’s present 2 400m² warehouse and office complex in Durban, and its office and 200m² warehouse sited at the Cape Town International Airport (CTIA). Asked about his major market areas, Houniet said: “We’re finding ourselves quite busy in Europe. And, like everybody else, we’ve added a strong focus on China – mostly forwarding and clearing imports, but with some exports as well.” Although Excellence Forwarding concentrates primarily on moving containers by road, Houniet pointed out that it had to be able to offer the rail alternative. “Your service obviously has to meet the customer’s demands,” he said.