Ray Smuts
KOOS Bouwer is still in the business of loading except it's export fruit rather than arms and ammunition that now occupy his days.
Bouwer, 42, is the newly-appointed terminal manager for Fresh Produce Terminals (FPT), formerly known as International Harbour Services (IHS), in the Port of Cape Town.
The son of a Kirkwood, Eastern Cape citrus farmer, Bouwer qualified in industrial engineering at the University of Stellenbosch and later obtained his MBA from the same institution.
Prior to joining Unifruco's packaging company as managing director and later manager, logistics projects, for Capespan, he spent
13 years in product and operations management and systems engineering at Denel, the armaments manufacturer.
As to his new mission, he says: We must make the best out of what we have for at least the next ten or so years by running a good, efficient terminal at low cost to our customers.
With a capacity of 12 000 pallets, FPT Cape Town is the second largest after Durban (25 000-pallet capacity), but its throughput is greater due to a longer season and larger product focus - about 520 000 pallets compared with Durban's 400 000 pallets.
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