NICHE MARKETING is key in the road transport sector where operators have developed specialised areas of competence to grow their market share. FTW takes a closer look at some of the industry leaders.
Frikkie Smit... looking at
value add
NICHE MARKETING is the clearly defined strategy of road transport major freightdynamics, which is harnessing its considerable competitive advantage to build on a solid foundation of blue chip
customers.
"We target specific industry sectors, we prefer to do business on a contractual basis, and in terms of
container business, we look at value-add," says executive manager operations, Frikkie Smit.
The tanker petroleum business is an important sector, with some 120 vehicles dedicated to the industry. "We do work for most of the major fuel companies, and although we prefer to do business on a contractual basis, we can cater for peak requests as has been the case with the recent surge in demand for petrol as a result of the World Summit on Sustainable Development," said Smit.
The company is also big in refrigerated cargo where it is the sole carrier for Rainbow Chicken, one of the largest refrigerated contracts in the industry.
A recent addition to its portfolio was SA Breweries which it won on open tender over several industry contenders.
Immediate
implementation
"We had to put up the capital and implement within two to three months, but we had to start running from day one Ð which we accomplished without a hitch."
ItÕs this flexibility that Smit believes provides the edge.
"We have the infrastructure, the expertise and the resources to
add value."
Infrastructure is part of the value add to which he refers, fitting well into the companyÕs more holistic supply chain strategy which will
ultimately see it entering the
logistics arena.
Strategically located depots in the major port cities of Durban, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth and East London, and within the Blue IQ development close to the container terminal in Gauteng, are an important part of its future
logistics planning. Viability studies are currently in progress regarding the extension of this network to include Coega and Richards Bay at a future date.
"In our depots we have the lifting equipment at hand for pre-stacking containers and we can offer tracking through a central operations room. An internet-based tracking system is currently under development."
Client focus is the name of the game, in SmitÕs view, and with this in mind a one-stop client call centre will shortly be a reality. This will enable clients to phone one number for all their queries from tracking to quotes to service complaints.
