THERE’S A new branch manager heading up groupage specialist Independent Liner Agencies in Durban. Gail Viljoen is no stranger to the Durban shipping industry or ILA, having been a founding member when the company was launched 12 years ago. “She brings a wealth of experience spanning a variety of disciplines within the shipping industry and we believe she has all the credentials to take ILA forward in its current growth spurt,” says national sales director Raymond Cutts. Durban is becoming a significant transhipment hub and the Durban office will play a major role in developing new business not only into Africa but further afield, says Cutts. The company has recently added several new services to its product range following agency tie-ups that have seen diversification from its traditional Far East, India and Asia markets into the North West Continent. A concerted drive to increase export business has been part of this. “Our main objective is to be a company that is easy to do business with,” says Cutts, and part of that is flexibility. “We’ve gone through various system changes and tweaked our current system to provide value add for our customers. And this is all on a customised basis. They define the parameters. “It’s all a question of getting to know your customers and trying to deliver on their expectations.”
