IN AN on-going expansion in the airfreight export market, Bachmann Megafreight recorded a 53.4% increase in turnover in 2003, hitting a total of R53.7-million for the year, and placing it in 15th spot in the IATA Top 30. This followed a similarly exciting 80.7% growth in 2002, and confirmed MD Gordon Pascoe’s forecast last year that “there’s more to come”. The branches in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town all made their own strong contributions to this continuing growth, according to export manager, Pieter Henning. “In general,” he said, “it was just a good year for us.” Primary areas of success were textiles and clothing – with some of this airfreight export category being boosted by the US trade incentive contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), where duty-free entry into the massive US market is the benefit. Henning would not be pinned down to selecting any specific areas of major growth. “We are fortunate that we do not rely on any single customer or product line for business,” he told FTW. “It was across-the-board as far as product categories were concerned - and from all our operations around the country. “Looking at destinations, the main areas of expansion were the US and the now 25-member European Union (EU).”
