Export services developing well

Contra Consolidations expects
volumes for the groupage industry to
remain constant this year, with the
company predicting growth ahead of
the market average.
MD Martin Schulze believes
that if the rand remains strong, it
will bring some relief to importers
this year. “Export
volumes do not
seem as sensitive to
currency fluctuations,”
he added, pointing
out that Contra
Consolidations’
export services had
“developed really well”.
“We decided to take
exports seriously a few
years ago – and with
our customer base
growing steadily, we
are now offering weekly services on
all the main routes,” said Schulze.
And its new import service from
the United States is paying off. “Since
we launched our weekly service last
year, this has complemented our
agent network with a very strong
partner based in the US.”
But it’s not just the right partners
or a strong weekly service that ensure
success in the groupage business. “We
realise that technology is one of the
key building blocks to global growth
and in helping us connect our clients
to the global trade stage. We have
therefore moved onto the CargoWise
system,” Schulze told
FTW.
He believes the
new system will
help the company to
easily integrate via
an electronic data
interface with any of
its customers who are
also using the system.
“This will reduce our
customers’ workload,
increase shipment
accuracy and allow
us to send cargo status updates
electronically.”
The company – which celebrated
a decade of doing business last year
– offers import and export services,
national transport and warehousing
solutions, as well as dedicated vehicle
groupage consolidations.
INSERT AND CAPTION
Our new import
service from the
United States is
paying off.
– Martin Schulze