THE NEW REEFER facility established by SACD at its Cape Town depot last year to service and repair refrigerated containers is now up and running, says m.d. Graham Peinke.
It is staffed by an experienced team of technicians and represents a dedicated facility with sufficient capacity to cater for the growth in perishable products from the Western Cape.
The years ahead will present new exciting challenges both in the commercial sense and in the area of social transition, he says.
The depot industry will be hard pressed to render acceptable returns to shareholders, and margins will come under further pressure as shipping lines try to drive down landside costs and landlords demand real increases in rental and land appreciation.
The balance between new capital employed and adequate returns will be the subject of much debate. There will, no doubt, be some joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions as service suppliers in the container system try and leverage up economies of scale.
This scenario is no different to the development on the 'wet leg' of the shipping industry that we have observed among the major carriers of the world.
Licensed depots will need to adjust to import decline - Scott
IMPORTS ARE destined to see a slight decline in the months ahead as a result of the falling value of the rand, but exports will make up for that, predicts Stuart Scott, g.m. Confreight Containers Transvaal (CCT).
It is going to be a tough year in the industry, but those of us with level thinking and planning will adjust the horizons and targets and see it out on the right side, he says.
CCT had a smooth run through 1997, anticipating a peak in general cargo which didn't arrive in November, but saw this manifest itself during December.
No problems in handling the situation, says Scott. I think our clients like what they get in efficiency and friendliness. That counts for a lot.
He is also satisfied that the South African Bureau of Standards ISO 9002 grading is a major factor in his operation.
The ISO 9002 systems are in place and allow us to detect problems before the consignee or recipient of the consignment are aware of them, he says.
We've had this in place for a little more than a year now, setting standards and working within those parameters. We are able to adapt around customs requirements and undergo SABS inspections every six months.
