A NEW logistics centre designed by Sappi places the paper giant like a spider in the middle of its web.
Established at the Ngodwana pulp and paper mill, the new logistics system is directly linked with railway operators Spoornet. It centrally controls a timber supply network of about 80 contract growers around Mpumalanga plus independent farmers and spot suppliers - delivering 130 000 tons of timber monthly to the mill. Some 40% of the total moves by rail.
Before the new system, the growers organised their own rail transport. This rail freight logistics exercise has now been taken over by the logistics centre - with Sappi and Spoornet counterparts sharing offices.
The centre effectively co-ordinates this rail supply chain with the road option - and regulates the daily supply to the stockpile to match the mill's throughput.
As we implemented the new system, we saw a marked improvement in the rail logistic system, said SW Engelbrecht, Sappi's regional logistics manager inland.
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