Dear Readers,
Thursday is here again and I am still scratching my head to understand just where did the past 7 days go? It feels like it was only yesterday, perhaps it is age creeping up. I am told that with age time also passes more quickly and I believe I am starting to feel that.
Last week I was very pleased to have a visitor come all the way from Miami to visit me in Stockholm (see one of the featured photos below). We discovered that we hadn’t seen each other in exactly 25 years. Last time we met was in an office at China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing in 1993.
It kind of felt like it was just yesterday that we last saw each other but I suppose that is the way it works if you get along well with someone. Friendship seems to warp one’s sense of the passage of time.
I shall be joining my old classmate’s party on the 20th of October in Denmark. We were in the same class from the 2nd through the 7th grade and I believe I was the only one who ended up living an extended period overseas (other than one who lived in Greenland). It is fun to meet up and we have now had our class party every year for about 40 years. Last year we decided that every 2nd year we will meet in Malta where my condo is the meeting point.
It is interesting to see how people change over time and since I am in heavy-lift shipping I can confirm that my classmates and I all seem to qualify as heavy-lifts.
My point is that generally we go through life with a lot of acquaintances but actually few good friends. Sometimes family is not necessarily the same as friends and sometimes you find that faces can change rapidly when it comes to money & greed. People who often claim and look to be friendly often disappoint when asked to stand-up for what is right.
My grandfather used to say “The man is good but the money is better” and sadly there is a lot of truth in that saying. Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy (my favourite rock group when I was younger) sang a lyric that went “nobody gives a damn when you’re down on your luck”. So the lesson is to develop the real friends you have and spend less time on the fake ones.
Enough of the philosophy 101 and back to the business world. in today’s issue we visit the very landlocked country of Uzbekistan then pay a visit to Hungary which is also landlocked and with a strong leader who is disliked by the politically correct media and EU bigwigs. In both countries we speak with local freight forwarders who are active and capable in their field. Being landlocked means that you are forced to be innovative in many ways.
We then speak to an operator of a digital platform where freight can be bought and sold (so to speak). With internet creeping in everywhere why not also in freight procurement? Read the interview to learn more about one of the players out there.
With all the serious talk in this editorial it’s time for a light moment, this time also referring to digitization of the home. Click this hilarious link to see the video made by a Norwegian supermarket chain.
We have excellent shipping news, industrial contracts news and the usual featured video and photos and I wish you will enjoy it.
Until next week, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Transasia Logistics Group – Uzbekistan
Interview with
Mr. Kamil Ernazarov
Deputy CEO
Kamil, please tell us about Transasia Logistics Group. Where are your headquarters and when did you first establish the company?
Transasia Logistics Group is an international freight forwarding company established in Tashkent city, Uzbekistan, in 2008. Our main business is organizing international cargo transportation. However, lately we have developed and added 4PL contract logistics to our pool of services.
During its ten years of operation, Transasia Logistics has grown and opened offices in the following countries: Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), Kazakhstan (Almaty, Astana), Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), China (Wenzhou), Tajikistan (Dushanbe), Latvia (Riga) and Czech Republic (Prague).
Holleman Special Transport – Hungary
Interview with
Mr. Sandor Szanto
Managing Director
When was the company, Holleman Hungary, established? Does Holleman have offices in other countries in Europe or abroad?
Holleman Hungary was established a little bit before I joined, but when I took over it was a sleeping company and I started from zero. As such, I consider the establishment to be when I joined. Holleman is one of the biggest and most famous groups in Europe with its own fleet (around 350 of own special equipment). That was the reason why I joined. We have offices around Europe (Germany, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldavia, Hungary) and that means we are at home almost everywhere in Europe with our own equipment.
i-Freight24 – Switzerland
Interview with
Ms. Elena Padovano
Managing Director
Please tell us how an online booking platform actually works and what the advantages are for the customers?
On our platform, you have the possibility to reach a wide range of freight forwarders and customers. If you place a booking as a customer, you will receive various offers from different freight forwarders. This means the best market rate will be provided. If you are the forwarder you can choose what you are going to offer, which means you can focus on your strengths and only answer requests in which are you really focused and interested.
Wind Power – Maersk Tanker Fitted with Rotor Sails
Editor’s Note:
Using windpower onboard ships to save fuel is now being practiced, this time by Maersk. I recall the now defunct Beluga Shipping having had one of their vessels fitted with sails a few years back. Jury is still out as to the efficiency of it but it will be interesting to know more about it.
As the quest for alternative power in shipping continues, Maersk Tankers has gone back to the future installing two Norsepower rotor sails on a product tanker.
Swire Shipping Celebrates 500th Call of Polynesia Line Service Into Pago Pago
Editor’s Note:
Who wouldn’t like to ship some project cargo into the South Pacific and in particular Polynesia? I for one would be the first to go there in case of “trouble at destination” it’s what you could call trouble in Paradise.
Official opening of new office underpins confidence in American Samoa. Swire Shipping celebrated the upcoming 500th call of its Polynesia Line service into Pago Pago on 30 August 2018, marking a significant milestone in its involvement in American Samoa. Adding joy to the occasion was the official opening of the new Swire Shipping office headed by Rob Hardman, a veteran in the industry. Located at Fagotogo Square Suite #103, the office represents all Swire Shipping’s global services to/ from American Samoa, including Polynesia Line’s longstanding USA service.
Evergreen Group Celebrates 50th Anniversary “Full Steam Ahead” Into the Future
Editor’s Note:
Who wouldn’t like to ship some project cargo into the South Pacific and in particular Polynesia? I for one would be the first to go there in case of “trouble at destination” it’s what you could call trouble in Paradise.
Evergreen Group celebrates its 50th Anniversary today at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, home of the charity set-up by Evergreen Group Founder and Chairman Dr. Y.F. Chang.
Beijing Set to Pledge Billions More for Africa Despite Concerns over Chinese Lending
Editor’s Note:
Africa, as mentioned before in one of our newsletters, seems to be the only continent growing and the continent where more and more projects are going into. China keeps up the pace with investments likely in line with their 100 year plan already mapped out.
China is slated to pledge billions of dollars more in aid and loans to African nations at a key conference in Beijing on Monday, even as rising debt risks and lower-than-expected returns have slowed Chinese investment in the continent, analysts say.
Plants & Processing
US Water Company Xylem to Open Second Pump Factory in India
Xylem, a US company in the water business, finds a need to open a second factory in India to make pumps. The location and investment are yet to be finalised, the company’s President and CEO, Patrick K Decker said. Read more…
Renewables
Meeco and Groupe Filatex partner on Solar and Hybrids in Madagascar
Swiss-headquartered firm Meeco has signed a cooperation agreement with Malagasy company Groupe Filatex to build solar projects in Madagascar, starting with two large-scale projects of 7MW and 8MW capacity and one hybrid solar-diesel project comprising of two 500KW parts. Read more…
Mining & Minerals
MCC Lands Clean Teq Sunrise Project
CLEAN Teq has struck a heads of agreement with the Metallurgical Corporation of China under which MCC will become a key project delivery partner for the Sunrise nickel-cobalt-scandium project in New South Wales. Read more…
Editor’s Note:
Stormy weather is a marvel to look at in particular if you are not onboard. Enjoy some minutes with a cup of coffee (ashore) of this video taken onboard a log carrier bound for China….spend a few minutes on it. RESPECT TO THE SEAFARERS OF THE WORLD for doing this job and a reminder to the desk general and shipowners of the world to treat their seafarers well.
Editor’s Note:
A great video of one of the CMA CGM flagships here “Vasco de Gama” on the River
Elbe outbound.
Editor’s Note:
Pleasure for me to have met with Mr. Gus Campo again last week in Stockholm. Last time we met was in Beijing 1993. 25 years and we could still have fun now thats something. Gus living in Miami is a project logistics expert in Latin America and Caribbean and has handled many oversized projects into the region with site delivery, logistics and monitoring. So anyone needing help in the jungles of South America or the islands of the Caribbean contact:
