WITH EXPECTED growth of 50% in its automotive business in the next two years, MSC Logistics is set for expansion. The company, which currently handles 1 000 FEUs (forty foot equivalent units) a week, expects to double its premises and capacity by the end of the year, says director Georgi Georgiev. “We invested R40 million in equipment and facilities in Uitenhage last year and plan to invest a further R40 million this year,” he told FTW. Georgiev believes a big part of the company’s success is the strategic location of its facilities. “We have based ourselves in or next to the manufacturing hubs in the Rosslyn and Uitenhage automotive supply parks. “This allows us to deliver parts to the client in 25 minutes within a 5km radius while other companies are moving stock and parts from 40 to 600kms.” The Rosslyn facility handles 250 import FEUs a week and 100 export boxes (mainly SKDs), of which 80-90% are BMW vehicles and parts. In Uitenhage the company handles 350 import boxes a week – mainly parts and accessories – and 150 export containers, exclusively for Volkswagen. “We have the capacity to handle much more than that,” says Georgiev. “The MSC way is to offer customers cost-effective solutions that improve supply chain reliability and speed up transit time through collaboration. “We have achieved that for some of the major automotive companies in South Africa and are ready to apply our expertise to other interested customers in this very competitive sector of the global economy.”
