Heavy-duty break-bulk transport specialist HRMP Logistics opened a R17.5 million warehouse at Dube TradePort (DTP) TradeZone 2 on Friday.
HRMP, a 100% black-owned logistics company has leased warehousing space from a third-party developer at DTP TradeZone 1 for the past six years.
However, its business expanded across the value chain, leading to it acquiring a 5600 square-metre site through a notarial lease to build its own warehouse in the special economic zone (SEZ).
HRMP Logistics CEO, Musa Makunga, said DTP’s leasehold model and Ithala Development Finance Corporation’s (IDFC) willingness to fund a leasehold property development was the primary reason the company had chosen to build its warehouse on the site.
He said HRMP Logistics had grown from a micro enterprise into a small to medium sized business since it first opened its doors in the SEZ.
“From the first time I contacted DTP in 2017, looking for warehousing, until now, they have worked with us to find solutions to our challenges,” Makunga said.
When HRMP Logistics started in 2018 it had two employees, was leasing 2 000 square metres of warehousing at DTP TradeZone 1, and hired vehicles from other logistics businesses. Now it employs 10 people, has its own premises and five trucks capable of transporting up to 34 tonnes of cargo each.
HRMP Logistics is a subsidiary of HRM Holdings which started in 2002 when Makhunga decided to establish a human resources consulting business, HR Matters, followed by HRM Properties.
“We used this business in 2017, to start our warehousing and logistics business HRMP Logistics, in March 2020, initially relying on third-party transporters including Dube AiRoad. Now we have formed a clearing agency which facilitates imports and exports, providing a turnkey solution for clients,” said Makunga.
