Hong Kong office grows volumes

Six months since the opening of a Hong Kong office, Turners Shipping is reaping the rewards in growing volumes, says MD Blain Kondiah. The company opened in Hong Kong at the beginning of the year, employing dedicated staff tasked with route development between Africa and mainland China – and the investment is paying dividends, he said. “Asia-Africa, both to and from, is a trade lane many are watching closely as an alternative to mature markets in Europe and the US,” said Alex Ruf, chief transportation officer at BDP International. “While there are not yet huge volumes being moved, we believe this trade lane will be significant in the future.” As the logistics industry evolves Kondiah believes the focus is changing and that growth will come from more geographically based initiatives rather than from the traditional industry-specific efforts. “The supply chain from China is complicated and their conservative approach to business relationships can impact on trying to win new business in that market,” Kondiah told FTW. He believes that recruiting locally – which is the route the company has taken – provides competitive advantage in what is expected to become an increasingly competitive market. “There is a strong push to move manufacturing production inland to second-tier cities in China, which will increase demand for more sophisticated logistics services in these locations,” said Kondiah, who believes the natural evolution of trade will drive international logistics service providers to these regions. “By establishing business relationships now we hope to take full advantage of the next phase of development in China when it comes,” he said. INSERT ‘There is a strong push to move manufacturing production inland to second-tier cities in China.’ CAPTION Blain Kondiah … ‘Growth will come from more geographically based initiatives.’