Up-beat about the Eastern Cape

IT TOOK just four days in his “caretaker” position as Safcor Panalpina’s Eastern Cape regional director for Bruce Thoresson to decide that he actually wanted to stay. That decision was made as his flight took off from Port Elizabeth on the way back to Gauteng after his first days in the new job. “In going through the clients and the operations of Safcor Panalpina in the Eastern Cape, something appealed to me. I could see that the region was ripe for something big to happen.” The hardest part was convincing some of my family members to come down, adds the former Safcor Panalpina marketing and sales director based in Johannesburg. He flew them down and the decision was made, with his son and daughter now studying at a local college. One of the developments that attracted Thoresson was the new harbour at Ngqura (Coega). It took one look from the observation deck above the port to set him thinking about how it is going to change logistics in South Africa. “Supply chains are constantly evolving and we know they will be very different in five years time. All Ngqura needs is a competitive rail link to Gauteng and it will be able to complement Durban,” he says. With the port being able to handle larger and more efficient vessels, it will contribute to reducing transport costs and improving the competitiveness of manufacturers. The pace of business also came as a bit of a surprise. “Everyone told me how laid back it was here at the coast. There is nothing laid back about the motor industry. It is world class. And with the existing auto industry and supporting infrastructure, the region must attract additional investment,” he says. And, he adds, “the local people can do it. The people here in the Eastern Cape have some really special qualities. We have fantastic staff. The people genuinely care about each other, the clients and the company,” he says. One of Thoresson’s focus areas is training for the staff as Safcor Panalpina broadens the range of services it offers in the Eastern Cape. He was part of the rebranding of the company, which is building on a 98-year history as specialists in customs clearing and forwarding to offer a full supply chain service. This includes supply chain consulting, systems integration, clearing, forwarding, logistics and financial services. With the muscle of the Bidvest Group behind it, Thoresson says Safcor Panalpina offers all these services in the Eastern Cape – ready for “something big to happen”.