New NVOCC to offer worldwide service

In a new SA-Scandinavia marriage, the locally-based Global Star Shipping and United Shipping Services (USS) of Sweden have entered into a joint venture in SA to establish Aseco Container Services. Aseco (Agence Service èt Conteneurs), according to Global MD Dave Orchard, will open its doors on June 1 as agents for TMCL Container Line – a non-assetbased shipping company. Orchard and Eugene Murugan, the owners of Global Star Shipping, told FTW that they were “excited about the new challenges and upbeat about the future of the new company”. Although Aseco will be headed up by Orchard – based in the Durban head office – there are well-known names in the management team. Pamela Yerushalmy – formerly GM of CMA CGM Shipping Agency – will be Aseco GM based in Johannesburg, while the branch managers are Peter De Vries in Durban and Gary Eagar in Cape Town. “USS became the owners of Aseco in 2001,” said Orchard, “and pursued the original idea of a European agency network. Today offices are operative in Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic States, Central Europe, Western Europe, UK, USA and now SA – all locally registered as private limited companies. “Aseco has close co-operation with partners around the world and the strong ownership, together with a sound financial base, constitutes the foundation for long-term, stable business relationships. Our aim is to offer sea transportation with products tailored to customers’ needs. High levels of service, customer focus and expertise are our aims. Innovation will provide new solutions to match our customers’ present and future needs for satisfactory and cost-effective transportation.” TMCL Container Line (Belgium) has appointed Aseco as agents in SA. An established and strong network of partners and agents in 71 countries, cover 117 points-of-sale around the world, and offer access to a range of quality carriers on each trade lane, according to Murugan. “At the recent world-wide agents’ conference held in Dubai,” he said, “Gordon A Braun, MD of TMCL based in Antwerp, was pleased to report that the group had tripled volumes in 2008, and despite the slowdown in the world economy, had realised a 52% growth in volumes for the first quarter of 2009.” With the operation specialising in – but not limited to – the automotive, minerals and mining, perishable, chemical and retail sectors, it is expected to boost the volumes for the remainder of the year and set a platform for 2010. TMCL is offering services to and from SA on all trade lanes.