KWE grows global market to and from SA
FOUR MONTHS since Kintetsu World Express became the first Japanese forwarding company to invest in South Africa through a joint venture partnership with local clearing and forwarding company Freightech International, it has seen a steady growth in its worldwide forwarding activities in and out of South Africa.
KWE, Japan's second largest international freight forwarding company, is part of the Osaka-based industrial conglomerate, Kintetsu Corporation.
While the company is headquartered in Japan, its 70% investment in South Africa is truly global - 20% from the USA, 20% from Germany, 25% from Japan and 5% from Taiwan - an aspect which sales manager John Suckling is keen to promote.
Freightech, which holds the remaining 30% shareholding, looks after local customs clearance for KWE. Freightech m.d. Andy Pearce is also the m.d. of KWE.
The company offers a door-to-door service for air and sea shipments, full loads or groupages to and from destinations worldwide.
KWE has its own offices in 33 countries and 120 cities, and employs some 3800 people worldwide.
The Kintetsu Corporation was set up in 1910 as a railroad operation but has since expanded into a vast organisation with transportation as one of its interests.
Its previous involvement in South Africa was through agency agreements.
KWE is based at Freightech's Jet Park premises and uses Freightech's offices around the coast to look after its interests in those areas.
