hartrodt set to grow Africa business

Forwarding and logistics major a. hartrodt has launched a concerted drive to grow its Africa business – with groupage high on the agenda. “We see Africa as a market of significant potential,” says newly appointed CEO Guido Ghiselli. “South Africa has established itself as a supplier to the region and we plan to develop our services to tap into that potential. “We already have some agents in Africa and are in close discussions with several others. Most have worked with us as handling agents but since we are now looking at expansion we are looking for partners with whom we can develop.” Outgoing managing director Gerald Rowe will spearhead the company’s over-border expansion efforts until his term of office ends at the end of next year. And for Ghiselli, who has been based in Japan for the past 20 years, it’s about creating a service ethic that is globally recognised. “Industry is moving away from a culture of ‘that’s Africa’ when it comes to service. “Shippers here and in neighbouring countries are desperate for supply chain visibility – and that’s where we intend to implement systems that will provide quality and stability of service.” Over the past few decades hartrodt’s groupage product has focused largely on Europe and the East. “Our footprint in both these markets is strong – and the idea is to build on those strengths, distributing into the continent. Groupage is part of the company’s DNA. It was born as an NVOCC and its footprint has always been strong in seafreight and LCL cargo. It currently co-loads in an alliance – branded Team Player – on certain routes. “The growth of the neutral NVOCC has fragmented the market to a certain extent, but as a group we are still able to provide a variety of services on countless routes.” The bottom line is that in the current economic environment customers need flexible solutions to help them with their stock levels – and that’s where groupage comes into play. “We’re looking to provide a doorto- door service by introducing systems that can increase the level of visibility for the customer and give us a better level of control.” INSERT & CAPTION It’s about creating a service ethic that is globally recognised. Guido Ghiselli