Helping the customer find economies along the supply chain

joy orlek
AS MANUFACTURERS come under increasing pressure to reduce their prices, logistics providers are equally hard pressed to reduce freight costs, says Birkart Globistics managing director Patrick Federle.
And Birkart, which has established itself as one of the leaders in the field, is continually looking at economies along the entire supply chain.
“Shippers need more than simply having goods transported from A to B. They require complex logistic concepts that promise speed and flexibility in the face of competition, and that’s what we can offer,” says Federle.
In addition to its traditional German hubs in Frankfurt and Hamburg, the company recently established a second hub in Spain for southern Europe, a move which is already paying dividends, says Federle, serving mainly France and Italy.
And the outlook, in his view, is very positive.
“There are lots of developments in South Africa, in particular the big Toyota project which should begin in July this year and where we are hoping to get a share.”
He reports little change in transport trends – with both air and seafreight playing their role – but his single most pressing concern relates to port congestion.
“There has been a slight improvement in Durban, but we have had major problems in Port Elizabeth. The automotive industry allows no margin for error when it comes to meeting deadlines, and South Africa needs to be seen as a reliable partner which demands a fluid traffic flow through all our ports.”