Dear Readers,
It is Thursday of week 35 and that means we are back with this week’s issue of PCW.
The world has not ceased to be amazed at just how quickly the Western so-called powers have left the country of Afghanistan. There has been an exodus that we haven’t seen in years, and I fail to find a similar comparison in recent decades. The pictures of the amounts of aircraft, leftover tanks, and military hardware is a terrifying sight and in the wrong hands. Whether or not damaged by the power that left them behind, still they represent a waste of astronomical proportions. Perhaps it teaches us in the West a valuable lesson once again NOT to impose our way of life on other countries.
There have been many losers and few winners if any in this conflict, but as mentioned before, the military hardware suppliers have had a field day. Now, I have no doubt that the Middle Kingdom will be sweeping in to make “great friends” with the new rulers to get access to what is both above and below the ground in Afghanistan.
My country, Denmark, was in there with the US 20 years ago as we pride ourselves on following our NATO allies. There is a big line at the washbasin for some politicians now to wash their hands and to claim partial success, but then again, politicians can always “spin it”. For that purpose, they have professionals to teach them how to make a defeat sound like a victory.
I am still in Denmark this week but have already left today by car from Grenå via Copenhagen and Helsingor/Helsingborg towards Stockholm. Enroute will have a few stops in order to meet some people face-to-face. I am thankful indeed for Scandinavia. At the moment, at least in Denmark and Sweden, we have come so far in our vaccination of citizens that we will soon be fully “protected” or at least that is the general hope. There is also an increased optimism in the entertainment and leisure industry, and it is now virtually impossible to find “working hands” to assist in restaurants, bars, hotels and so on. We even talk about having to take in further immigrants to cover the shortfall. It seems to me that the Nobel peace prize should be given to the people who figure out HOW to match the people without a job (nor not wanting to work) with the jobs that are really available.
You will see some beautiful shots from the port city of Grenå in both today’s featured picture and video (below), and it has reminded me to try to get up early once in a while to enjoy the peace and quiet of very early mornings!
On the business front, besides lamenting the shipping and supply chain mess that the world finds itself in (as you all know by now) and which has reached ridiculous proportions, we start off by visiting the country of great history, great beaches, great food, beautiful women but also lawlessness in certain parts, and here we talk about Mexico. The company FGTV tells us what they are capable of in their country and beyond.
We stay in the NAFTA region and visit the country that was spearheading the stampede out of Afghanistan but also a country of wonders and one that we still (in most parts of the world come hell or high water) need help from because (in particular in the case of EU) we are unable to take any kind of decisions on anything substantial, and the is the United States. We interview Atlantic Ro-Ro Carriers (ARRC): a shipowner based in the US who is running services into Europe and tells us an interesting story altogether.
Finally, we go back to an area that is part of the “union” of Denmark & Greenland, and here we are talking about a shipping line that for decades has been (and in many ways still very much is) the ONLY lifeline between the world’s largest island and the outside world. Royal Arctic Line (RAL) shares their story with us and a great video at the end which I wish to point your attention to.
Before I bid you goodbye for now, let me remind you of the PCW APP where you can listen to both video interviews and podcasts as well as read our written interviews online.
Until next week, we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
FTGV Transport Logistics Cargo S.A. DE C.V – Mexico
Interview with
Mr. Cesar Santiago Orozco
Owner and CEO
Can you tell us about the history and ownership of FTGV in Mexico?
The company was created in 2012 by my wife, Yadira Galindo, and myself, so it is a family company. We started as freight forwarders, but we have also developed some other trade branches such as project cargo, show business cargo, fairs and exhibitions,, fine arts,, food and beverages, and sport events. We have offices in main ports and borders of the country like Veracruz, Altamira, Manzanillo, Ensenada, Cancun, and Nuevo Laredo.
Atlantic Ro-Ro Carriers Inc — New York, USA
Interview with
Mr. Rick Shannon
Board Member
First of all, Rick, tell our readers a bit about ARRC and yourself. In particular, how did you get into shipping in the first place? I also believe that you set out a couple of clear demands before joining originally. Tell us more.
Atlantic Ro-Ro Carriers, Inc. was incorporated in New Jersey in 1995. We started the service using two small vessels with ro-ro capability. Over the past three years, we have upgraded our vessels to carry more variants of cargo. This was in order to keep up with the changing cargo needs of the trade.
Newer, larger, multi-purpose vessels were brought on to the service to accommodate cargo demands as well as increased ports of call.
Video Interview
Royal Arctic Line A/S
Esper Boel, Team Leader, Agency & Projects at Royal Arctic Lines A/S interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly. https://www.ral.dk/
COVID and the Supply Chain – How it Changed the World and What’s to Come
Editor’s Note:
A sharp project freight forwarder gives her insight into the increase in rates, precarious validity, scarcity of space, long waiting times and the chain reactions that all of these factors cause. I agree with her that pre-planning and flexibility are keys to adapting to these new market conditions.
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has impacted everyone, whether through lockdowns, mask mandates, travel restrictions, and working and learning at home. Prior to the pandemic, few likely would have guessed that some of the largest and most enduring impacts would be related to supply chains and logistics. After reduced activity in the first 3 months led to a near halt in many supply chains apart from essential goods, global shipping volumes returned like a tsunami to a world that was very much not prepared in light of the pandemic and the changes to supply and demand patterns it caused. We’ve all seen and been forced to live with the consequences. Vessels are full, containers are in short supply, ocean rates are still today increasing and it seems only the sky is the limit.
AntwerpXL Returns from the 7-9 December 2021
Editor’s Note:
Happy to say that Project Cargo Weekly will be represented with a booth and in person at the AXL conference in Antwerp, Belgium in December. Hope to see as many of you as possible. We need some partying and the sooner the better for all of us.
AntwerpXL is back! Are you ready to connect, face-to-face, with the breakbulk industry, for the first time in over two and a half years?
Following an incredible first edition, AntwerpXL returns from the 7-9 December 2021. The event will bring the breakbulk community together again to showcase innovative technology, overcome industry challenges and provide networking opportunities.
The Baltic is Not Just a Sea – it is a Bridge Between Neighbours
Editor’s Note:
Indeed a very fitting headline, and I have sailed/travelled this route numerous times. Luxury ships, great food, and fantastic scenery made possible for everyone by the reasonable prices. In short, just unbeatable as a short getaway!
The Baltic Sea Day places this important body of water firmly in the spotlight. The Baltic Sea is essential for trade and travel, but it is also a fragile ecosystem. This summer has seen the long-awaited restart of vessel services at Ports of Stockholm in the wake of the pandemic. Now the ports in Stockholm and Helsinki are continuing their collaboration on sustainability issues to protect and care for the Baltic Sea, our common resource.
US Icebreaker Departs on a Voyage that will Transit the Northwest Passage
Editor’s Note:
A well-narrated and great article here from Arctic Today about an expedition through the Northwest Passage. Enjoy!
A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker embarked Wednesday on a long Arctic mission that includes a rare transit of the Northwest Passage, conducting scientific research and a joint exercise with Canada in Arctic waters.
The cutter Healy, one of two operational U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers, departed Wednesday from Seward, Alaska, for the three-week journey to Nuuk, Greenland.
Bedeschi to Supply Pipe Conveyor for SECIL Plant in Portugal
SECIL Group has awarded Bedeschi with a contract for the supply of a new pipe conveyor to handle different kinds of alternative fuels at the Outão Cement Plant in Portugal.
European Manufacturer Selects Lenoir County For First North American Expansion
Global manufacturer of household appliance components, Grupporeco, will Global manufacturer of household appliance components, Grupporeco, will create 110 new jobs in Lenoir County, Governor Roy Cooper announced this week. The company will invest $28 million to build its first manufacturing facility for dishwasher components in North America. “It is positive news that Grupporeco has selected Lenoir County for its first expansion in the United States,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolina maintains a manufacturing legacy with a highly-skilled workforce combined with our prime East Coast location and robust transportation infrastructure that attracts global companies.”
Mills to Add 1,290 Platforms in 2022
Latin America’s largest access rental company Mills Estruturas e Serviços de Engenharia said it will invest in up to 1,290 aerial platforms to renew and grow its fleet in 2022.
Mills said it aims to operate 42 branches by the end of this year, with a further eight new locations – the target by the end of 2022.
Sweetman Biomass Signs Japanese Bioenergy Deal
Terms surrounding a 20-year, binding supply agreement have been reached between a subsidiary of ASX bound Sweetman Renewables and a leading Japanese conglomerate over a material supply of waste biomass to help power Japan with the renewable fuel of the future.
Sunrise in Grenå, Denmark
Editor’s Note:
To stay in the sunrise Denmark mode, please see here what I have chosen as this week’s featured video, enjoy!
Editor’s Note:
Martin Bencher Group has handled the transportation of several units of cargo – in total 16,632 CBM. Due to great cooperation between Martin Bencher Sweden and Martin Bencher China, 1,505 tons of cargo is now on the way from China to Finland. Tuesday this week, the ship passed the Bund of Shanghai – and luckily Martin Bencher staff in China were able to catch the moment on camera. www.martin-bencher.com
