New FPT head focuses on landside logistics

RAY SMUTS FRESH PRODUCE Terminals’ new managing director Danie Maartens no doubt has many irons in his fire, but for now his focus is on optimising South African landside logistics from the pack house to the quayside. “The benefits are essentially that it will grow the FPT business,” says the affable 39-year-old, a CA graduate from the Rand Afrikaans University who cut his teeth serving his articles with PriceWaterhouse Coopers in Johannesburg. Maartens, who succeeds Ronnie Kingwill in the demanding position, is no stranger to FPT. He has been with the organisation since its inception in 2001, during which time he has observed a gratifying 20% growth in productivity. With cooling terminals in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Maputo, FPT has since the beginning of this year concentrated on transport brokering through the creation of a brokerage division, which already handles around 15% of volumes throughout the country. Among the changes implemented this month, Mike Fell, FPT general manager in Port Elizabeth, moved to Cape Town to take on the brokering and marketing portfolios – with input from Maartens. Gerrit Laubscher, currently Cape Town GM, has moved to Port Elizabeth to take over Fell’s former position, while the GM positions remain unchanged in Durban and Maputo (Denny Reddy and Paolo Franco).