ILA signs with Spanish partners

Matching synergies and similar ethics were just two of the factors that led to International Liner Agencies and Globelink Spain joining forces. The deal, which now sees ILA extending its services to Barcelona Spain, headquarters of Globelink Spain, was signed in mid- June this year and is already bearing fruit, says Raymond Cutts, ILA national sales and marketing director. “We met the team from Globelink earlier this year at a freight fair in Brazil where we talked about working together, and from there it evolved into an exclusive agreement.” While Globelink Spain has a long history of working in South Africa, it will now be represented in South Africa by ILA and in return become the ILA agent in Spain. “It is not often that two companies with such similar ways of doing business come together,” says Vicente Martinez, national sales manager for Globelink. “We share the same values in doing business and have the same approach to customers. We also hold neutrality in very high regard. It makes sense for us to work together more closely.” ILA managing director Rod Taylor agrees. “Having the same philosophy made it easy to sign an exclusive agreement with the Spanish company,” he told FTW. “It fills a gap in our portfolio and adds value to our customers. Our objective now is to grow the trade between South Africa and Spain.” The two companies will have access to each other’s systems and schedules ensuring a smooth working relationship. “It is all about the customer,” says Martinez, who is currently in the country on a two-week sales trip. “This agreement will see a weekly direct service from Barcelona which will act as a hub for the surrounding Mediterranean countries, North Africa and the Middle East to Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. We have a global network that will now benefit customers here.”