English [pdf | 3 MB]

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The Panalpina magazine
1_2006
connect
Panalpina’s logistics solutions
for the telecommunications
sector
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Page 4 Telecommunications
Page 10 Oil and Gas
Page 14 Supply chain management
Page 20 HSE
Page 24 Worldwide
Page 31 Publishing details
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Innovative, mobile, customer-focused
Panalpina offers much more than just forwarding. The logistics
company is a network operator managing global goods flows as
an integral part of complex supply chains. Modern telecommunications play a central role here, since the information flow is crucial. Panalpina does not simply make use of telecommunications,
however – it also delivers a very wide range of services to the
telecoms sector.
Overseas: Small but full of energy!
Panalpina has taken over the Norwegian company Overseas Shipping
Group. The integration of its long-standing agent for the nordic market
enables Panalpina further to reinforce its leading global position in supply
chain management for the oil and gas industry.
A close team
The transport logistics services delivered by Panalpina as lead logistics
provider to the globally active Swiss technology group Bühler.
Safety first!
Panalpina’s commitment to Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
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Dear Readers
We shall look back on 2005 as a particularly successful and exciting year.
Having celebrated our 50th anniversary as a group in 2004, we began a
very successful new chapter in the history of the company on 22 September 2005: going public! The flotation of 57.36% of the registered shares
met with exceptional interest on the part of investors. The timing of the
IPO was perfect, and the investors recognized that Panalpina is correctly
positioned for profitable growth.
However, 2005 was not just the year of the flotation. At the press conference held on 17 March 2006, we were able to announce another doubledigit percentage rise in the Group results. Both gross and net revenues
rose by over 10%, while Group profit increased by more than 20%. These
pleasing results are almost entirely attributable to organic growth. They
reflect the positive business trend in the forwarding and logistics sector
and also amply demonstrate the wisdom of our “asset-light” strategy and
our focus on core industries.
Several articles on these matters are to be found in this magazine. On
pages 4 to 9 we take a look at the breakneck speed of change in the
telecommunications sector, where developments show some similarities
to those in the forwarding industry. Pages 14 to 19 consider the secrets of
success of the long-term partnership between Panalpina and the globally
active Swiss company Bühler AG. We then go on to introduce you to
the Norwegian company Overseas Shipping Group. This firm, an acknowledged specialist in the oil and gas business, was one of our exclusive
partners for many years before being acquired by the Panalpina Group
recently. Finally, pages 20 to 23 explain the efforts we are making in the
area of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE).
Gerhard Fischer
Chairman of the Board of Directors
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Retail & Fashion
Telecommunications
Innovative, mobile,
customer-focused
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What do the telecommunications and logistics sectors have in common?
On the one hand, modern businesses and the globalized economy are
greatly dependent on the rapid development of the telecoms sector,
while on the other, goods flows around the world enable the system to
>
function smoothly. But those are not the only similarities.
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Telecommunications
Retail & Fashion
By Martin Spohn
If you compare Panalpina’s current “Communications Directory” – the blue groupwide address list – with older editions, it's
clear that there have been changes regarding how key individuals are contacted.
Mobile phone numbers are now indispensable – in many cases people do not even try
to reach the person on their land line first.
Just as e-mails can now be read nearly anywhere in the globe, mobile calls can be
received the world over – in Kazakhstan,
Nigeria, Brazil, China, Canada or Italy,
whether the person you are talking to is in
an airport departure lounge, motorway service station, conference room or on a building
site! A communications company has to be
mobile, and decision-makers in the logistics
business can’t stay in the office the whole
time. They have to be wherever the customers need them, whenever they need
them. Different time zones are no excuse
these days – goods flows move too fast for
that.
The impact this has on the logistics
business was amply demonstrated recently
during a visit to Baku (Azerbaijan). British
Petroleum is installing an offshore platform
at a big site there, complete with equipment
and support structures (see article on pages
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20 to 23 of this magazine). All the staff were
in constant contact with one another, both
during the site visit and while travelling, so
they were able to solve problems quickly,
answer any questions that came up, and
arrange meetings as necessary.
The mutual exchange of information did
not always operate so smoothly. It is hard to
imagine how people used to get their work
done without mobile phones or global e-mail
systems. Those times were not that long
ago, though, when you consider the breathtaking speed of change. The mobile communications sector met in Barcelona recently
for the 3GSM World Congress (GSM stands
for Global System for Mobile Communication and represents some 80% of the global
mobile communications business; the “3”
refers to the third-generation GSM standard). Over 50,000 people attended, whereas
the first such event in 1991 attracted only a
few dozen participants. Now, in 2006, the
GSM system connects about 1.69 billion
people, and according to Jorma Ollila, head
of Nokia, global sales of mobile handsets
reached 795 million in 2005. If the suppliers
have their way, this number will go up
sharply over the next few years.
No logistics without
telecommunications
Forwarding has always relied on efficient
communications. In the past, this was limited largely to the flow of information between
sender, forwarding agent, customs authorities and recipient, but now a whole range of
parties are involved. Today, Panalpina offers
much more than just forwarding. It would be
more accurate to call us a network operator
that manages global goods flows as an integral part of complex supply chains. Our job
is to coordinate production and delivery
deadlines with numerous suppliers, and
ensure prompt delivery to assembly lines
and sales outlets. Tasks include managing
global supply chain processes and setting
up reliable distribution systems. However,
our work also involves designing tailored
solutions, optimizing or reducing interfaces,
organizing global goods flows, and offering
supplementary services. None of these tasks
could be carried out properly without modern telecommunications. Of course, the
logistics sector has undergone huge
changes recently, particularly because of the
trend towards outsourcing and global sourcing – which in turn have been made possible
only because of the rapid development of
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electronic means of communication such as
the Internet!
Shipment data and forwarding times
used to be communicated by letter, and then
by telegram and telex, but nowadays electronic systems can transmit information,
pictures and sound round the world in seconds. Who could have imagined this at the
beginning of the last century, when wireless
telegraphy was just being introduced for
shipping, superseding flags, signal masts
and lanterns as the main means of communication on the high seas? And who doesn't
remember the famous photo of the radio
room on the Titanic? At the beginning of
1999 the era of wireless telegraphy for
marine communications came to end with
the introduction of the new global maritime
distress and safety system (GMDSS).
Panalpina: always at the cutting edge
Panapina has always been aware of the
importance of top quality communications
for its business, and has been a trendsetter
in this sector, too. “IT and communications,
the vital nervous system of the haulage
industry, saw early and intensive development at Panalpina,” as the book published in
2004 to celebrate Panalpina’s anniversary
puts it, going on to say: “In 1970, an IBM system was installed at the holding company's
Basel headquarters that had previously been
located at Finatra AG, the corporation's
main controlling centre. The move made it
possible to provide analysis services to overseas affiliates. An electronic data processing
department was established around the
same time. In 1976 — again long before the
bulk of the industry — Panalpina opened a
communications centre in Zurich with two
goals: securing internal communications
through a special arrangement with the PTT
satellite station at Leuk* and providing a
supplemental communication channel for
Panalpina's customers” (*PTT was the Swiss
state post office and telecommunications
company; Leuk is a village in the Alps).
However, Panalpina did not simply use
telecommunications to help it in its own
business: it soon began to offer these services to other companies in the sector. One
of many examples is the satellite station
mentioned above, which Panalpina brought
over to Switzerland from Japan. Panalpina’s
subsidiaries in Canada and New York
worked with Panalpina Airfreight to provide
freight forwarding services for the second
American moon landing in November 1969,
shipping a directional beam aerial facility
from various production sites in Canada and
the United States to Guam within a tight
time-frame. This was a first-class supply
chain management project, even if it was
not yet described as such at the time.
The telecommunications industry
manufactures high-value products and
invests huge sums in developing new technologies. Companies in this sector place
high demands on themselves, and their
customers expect nothing less than the
most up-to-date, innovative and – ideally –
cheapest products. That’s why these companies depend on service providers in the
logistics sector who can fully satisfy their
requirements, and whose organizational >
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Telecommunications
research company Gartner. And figures from
the Global mobile Suppliers Association
(GSA) show that over 31 million new GSM
contracts are taken out each month, equivalent to about 1 million per day! GSA reports
that the markets are growing fastest in
Africa, Latin America and Asia, which
proves that it is by no means the prerogative
of the major industrialized nations to benefit
from the development of telecommunications technology. In reality quite the opposite is true, since the new products are giving people in poorer or rural areas
opportunities that would have been
unthinkable only a few years ago.
structure meets their need for fast, reliable,
global forwarding solutions.
Global network and inside knowledge
Panalpina is one such logistics provider, and
its customers include all the big names in
the sector, whether equipment manufacturers or network operators. The company has
positioned itself accordingly, and follows a
clear strategy that focuses on the core activities of air and ocean freight, together with
the associated supply chain management
solutions. At the same time, Panalpina concentrates on defined core industries. The
telecommunications sector is one of these,
as part of the hi-tech segment. Here,
Panalpina benefits from its many years of
experience, and from the in-depth knowledge of the industry which enables its
experts to design tailored solutions with real
added value for its customers. The whole
structure is underpinned by a comprehensive key account management system.
Organizing itself in this way means that
Panalpina is in a position to gain a thorough
understanding of the connections between
the customer’s business and all the other
parties involved, and to know how the
industry really works. After all, if you want to
be of help to your customers, you need to
relate to how the sector actually operates!
More than just making phone calls!
Just as logistics providers have continually
expanded the services they offer, telecommunications, too, is now far more than a matter
of just making phone calls. The developments
of the past few years have brought about
social changes that benefit people in their
private as well as their working environments. This has brought the economy new
sources of income, as information could be
passed on faster and with more transparency.
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The enormous speed of technological
change in fixed line and mobile telephony,
and the new generations of portable phones
with more and more functions, offer considerable growth potential to suppliers as well
as network operators. New consumer
demand is being created through opportunities to do things like transmit photos by
phone, arrange appointments using online
diaries, send e-mails, and gain wireless
Internet access, not to mention using
mobiles as games consoles, televisions or
MP3 players. Providers are rushing to meet
this demand. The same goes for the ability
to talk on the phone, watch TV and work on
the computer all at the same time on one
network, thanks to broadband Internet
access.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) – or
telephoning over the Internet – is gaining
ground both in the industrialized nations
and in many emerging markets. In the USA,
the number of VoIP users has been predicted to grow from 4 million to 17 million over
the next few years. There is obviously huge
potential in China, too – a country whose
size means that communications are a vital
necessity. (It is hardly surprising that mobile
telephony has taken off in China so quickly,
and not just in the major urban areas.) VoIP
calls in China are forecast to rise to 210 billion minutes by 2007, bringing in revenue of
over CHF 8 billion. In 2004, fixed line longdistance calls grew by 26.3% in China, while
mobile long-distance calls went up 11.4%
and those on VoIP rose 39%.
A truly global business
Here are a few more impressive figures from
the world of telecommunications: in 2005,
nearly 817 million mobile phones were sold
throughout the world – up by a good 20% on
the previous year, according to the market
Award for outstanding service from
US customer
A global corporation like Panalpina is at
home everywhere in the world, and as such,
it is the obvious partner of choice for telecoms companies. On the trade route
between Hong Kong and North America
Panalpina cooperates with the telecoms
company Adtran, which last year presented
it with an award for “Outstanding Service
Provider 2005”. Adtran is a leading manufacturer of telecommunications devices, and
produces numerous products ranging from
digital transmission equipment to Internet
security applications, via network routers.
This award marks the customer's recognition of Panalpina’s outstanding service
when forwarding goods between Hong
Kong and Huntsville/AL. The two companies are to expand their cooperation even
further.
Support in Nigeria …
Panalpina helped set up a telecommunications network in Nigeria that enables thousands of people to gain access to mobile and
fixed line telephony. The network was commissioned by the Nigerian network operator
Globacom Ltd., in cooperation with telecoms experts from a number of different
countries. Siemens, a world-leading
provider of network technology, was one of
the companies involved in the project.
Panalpina has been cooperating with
Siemens for many years.
For this contract, Panalpina set up a
special department in Europe to deal with
the delivery of equipment to Nigeria. Frank
Hofmann, Global Key Account Manager for
Siemens, believes that individual customer
service is essential. “The ever more exacting
demands confronting us necessitate a
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proactive stance on product development.”He is convinced that the only way to
define and achieve targets is through a clear
and open dialogue with the client. "Longstanding partnerships and the resulting
familiarity with clients’ products and
requirements, backed up by the utmost flexibility, are pivotal to our clients’ success.
And, ultimately, that's all that counts."
… and China
Panalpina has had a presence in China
since 1976 and today it has over 20 offices
there, offering the full range of services
based on extensive expertise in complex
logistics tasks. It is therefore no coincidence
that a major customer should entrust an
important contract to Panalpina.
The service portfolio was indeed very
varied. For instance, Panalpina analyzed the
supply chain and drew up optimization proposals, used its EDI tools to ensure transparency in the chain, and handled the management of returns and substitute
deliveries. It also consolidated and cleared
products through customs, delivered to
factories and project sites and organized the
provisioning of the necessary products at
the suppliers.
Comprehensive range of services
Panalpina offers the full spectrum of services
to the telecoms industry, including all
aspects of global forwarding and logistics.
They range from LCL and FCL ocean freight
shipments, airfreight services including
chartering aircraft, customs clearance,
inventory control and purchase order management, right through to warehousing and
a large number of added-value services. The
latter are mainly offered for particular contracts individually. Quite often, Panalpina
employees are “implanted” at the customer’s
premises, where they work on site on an
exclusive basis.
As a provider with over 30 years’ experience, Panalpina has a thorough knowledge
of the industry, and it has its own presence
in all the strategically-important markets in
the sector. Its centralized capacity management system means that Panalpina is able to
call on additional capacity in peak periods.
This is an important factor, particularly
when importers and retailers have to be
supplied with new products.
The fact that it has its own projects division also makes Panalpina a preferred partner for network operators, as they are able to
call on Panalpina’s expertise when expanding in remote areas with poor infrastructure.
In such cases, Panalpina’s experts work in
locally-based project teams, inspecting the
terrain at the construction sites and
handling the “last mile” and delivery of the
components needed.
The high value of the products concerned means that great emphasis is placed
on security during forwarding and storage.
Panalpina has implemented a rigorous security programme, which includes certifying
the facilities and ensuring that staff receive
appropriate training.
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Oil and gas
Overseas: small but
full of energy
Oslo-based Overseas Shipping Group is now part of Panalpina, the global transport and logistics group. The take-over of the Norwegian oil and
gas industry specialist was effected retroactively per 1st January 2005.
As Overseas has been a long-time exclusive partner of Panalpina, the
transformation is set to go smoothly.
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By Rolf Sulser
“Our cooperation with Panalpina has grown
year-by-year; we became their sole agent
and they were our exclusive partner,”
explains Tore Ruud, former co-owner and
Managing Director of Overseas Shipping.
Tore Ruud can be described as an impeccable Norwegian gentleman, tall, relaxed and
measured, yet surprisingly spontaneous in
his personal views.
Asked about the characteristics of Overseas Shipping, he does not hesitate for a
second: “We are an asset-free company. We
have our desks, our PCs, our IT and connecting systems – and basta!” The company’s
biggest capital asset was the 20 years-plus
experience of its key members of staff, Tore
Ruud emphasizes. “We know our business.
This is why we do not have problems in buying, leasing, renting etc. the services and
equipment necessary to provide a top service quality.” With this philosophy, Overseas
is very close to Panalpina.
Moving with the times
Overseas’ main activity is in the oil and gas
industry, where it achieves more than 70% of
its revenues. This was not always the case.
The company was founded in June 1976
by a German named Holst Meissner who
had moved to Norway with his family. He
developed his enterprise into one of the
biggest liner agents in Norway.
Tore Ruud celebrates 30 years with
Overseas this year. “I have been together
with Meissner for 20 years as a member of
the board, without actually working for the
company,» he explains. “Ten years ago, my
partners and I took over Overseas.”
At that time, the shipping agents' trade
was undergoing a fundamental change.
Shipping lines replaced agents by opening
offices of their own in places they deemed
important. Elsewhere, they started to change their agents.
“For our company, forwarding and especially project forwarding seemed to offer a
safer option” says Tore Ruud. Apparently he
made the right choice. During his ten years
at the helm of the company, the number of
employees increased from four to forty.
Annual revenues soared from NOK 8 >
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Oil and gas
million to NOK 200 million, and Overseas
was consistently profitable.
“Overseas today is one of the biggest
mid-sized forwarders in Norway,» he adds
“We have concentrated on Oil &Gas projects, focusing on the upstream part of the
business, i.e. exploration and drilling. At the
beginning, the big orders were for offshore
oil rigs in Nigeria, e.g. for the Wilrig company. We were already co-operating with
Panalpina at that time.”
Oil & Gas heavyweight
Overseas was, and still is, moving every conceivable kind of equipment connected with
the oil & gas industry. “We are working very
closely with Houston-headquartered FMC
Engineering, for example,” explains Tore
Ruud. FMC is one of the giants in this industry. To meet the requirements of this
demanding customer, Overseas operates a
special office near FMC’s Kongsberg base in
the vicinity of Oslo. “We take care of their
forwarding and transportation needs including imports, exports and documentation.
We are closely working together with Panalpina,” Tore Ruud explains.
Within the Aker Kvaerner Group, Overseas Shipping has an implant. This office
within the Egersund shipyard is directed by
Thor Høiland. “We are actually working on
their computers,” he says illustrating the
degree of consolidation. “We take care of
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Tore Ruud, Managing Director of
Overseas Shipping.
their transportation needs, of customs procedures and documentation, and we just
started doing their invoicing for the material
they send to subcontractors all over Europe.”
Aker Kvaerner is the Norwegian market leader in engineering and construction services for the oil & gas industry. It was closely
involved in the development of the North
Sea oil fields for which it built entire platforms and loading buoys. At present, it supplies a lot of subsea valve and pipeline
systems connecting outlying wells to a central platform. The replacement of obsolete
platform parts with new modules containing
equipment and accommodation is another,
increasing business sector.
Aker Kvaerner's specialisation means
that much of its shipments are large, i.e.
oversize or heavy. “We often go to the supplier and the place of destination to verify
measurements, weights and accessibility,”
explains Thor Høiland. Overseas then works
out a number of proposals featuring different
routings, including procurement of equipment for transportation and transhipment as
well as the necessary local expertise. “Local”
in such cases may denote the stormy
Barents Sea, the shallow Caspian Sea or a
Polish welding yard.
The aim of all these efforts is of course to
offer Aker Kvaerner the best possible choice
of options, thus providing it with a competitive advantage. “This is not new to us, but
being part of Panalpina is opening up additional resources for us,” Thor Høiland
affirms. An increased choice of resources
of course translates into increased options
for the customer.
Naturally, 99% of Overseas’ business at
Egersund is with Aker Kvaerner. Nevertheless, Thor Høiland emphasizes his strive for
diversification. “But we offer our expertise in
the transportation of heavy and oversized
equipment on the market and to any potential customer.”
At present, the biggest challenge both
for Tore Ruud and Thor Høiland is the multinational Kashagan project (see separate box)
in which Aker Kvaerner is taking part.
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Diversifications and synergies …
Diversification is a keyword for Tore Ruud,
too. “Together with Panalpina, we can both
expand our traditional forwarding segment
and add more weight in our speciality, the
oil & gas business.” he says.
Panalpina was not well-known for general cargo in Norway, Tore Ruud maintains.
This is no longer the case as Overseas Shipping just changed its name to Panalpina AS,
contributing as its dowry its strong local
market presence. In return, Overseas will
expand its range of services by making use
of Panalpina's worldwide network.
“As a mid-sized company with 40
employees we do not have the means to
serve everyone with everything, or take part
in each and every tender. That’s the dilemma of a mid-sized forwarder,” Tore Ruud
explains. “Being part of a bigger group will
change this, allowing us to boost our revenues from traditional forwarding beyond the
present 30%.”
There is another important aspect
which is foremost in his mind. He is aware of
his direct responsibility for over 100 people,
employees and their relatives put together.
“When Panalpina proposed, we knew we
should accept it. To be part of a big group is
both good for us and our employees, and for
the group. And I think it makes a difference
to be a Panalpina company rather than just
an agent of theirs.”
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And what about his personal plans? “I
shall stay on board for the foreseeable time,
as ‘country’ manager Norway”, Tore Ruud
replies, thoughtfully adding a personal
observation: “You know, I am 63, and at that
age you do not meet same-age customers
any more. Everybody is younger, and you do
not have the same ideas, interests and background as they have.”
This is why he wants to bring younger
people into the company who have ideas of
their own and are willing to work hard to
make them a reality.
… and their dangers
In a takeover, there is always a possibility
that the new owners impose their business
model and procedures to the detriment of
employee motivation. Tore Ruud dismisses
this danger outright: “We have been partners with Panalpina long enough to know,
and appreciate, their way of doing business.
I am sure that they will not interfere as long
as we deliver. And in the past, as I said, we
have always delivered.”
This positive attitude is obviously shared by the employees, many of which confirmed in private that they see the take-over as
a chance rather than a threat. “We are very
close to Panalpina in Sweden,” Tore Ruud
adds. “Their mentality is close to ours; we
have a similar way of life and doing business. What is working well in Sweden will
also work in Norway, I am sure.”
Egersund
Egersund is situated at Norway’s
southern west coast some 75 km
south of Stavanger. It is connected to
Stavanger and Oslo by a railway line,
and to Denmark (Hanstholm/Jutland)
by a daily ferry service. In the past,
the city used to be an important centre for fish processing and pottery.
Today, 550 of its around 10,500 inhabitants work for Aker Kvaerner.
About a quarter of the population is
directly or indirectly dependent on
this company.
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SCM
At the heart of Bühler’s transport logistics in Uzwil (Switzerland): the loading hall.
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Rudolf Münger, Head of Distribution, Bühler AG (left) and Rolf von Allmen, Head of Logistics
& Supply Chain Management, Panalpina Regional Center Europe & AIMEC.
A close team
2003 saw the globally active technology group Bühler put its worldspanning transport logistics up for tender. Having clinched the contract
with an attractive submission, Panalpina has now assumed the role of
lead logistics provider for the group.
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SCM
Roller mill stands are vital components of the mills produced by Bühler.
By Michèle Thüring
The key finding from a survey conducted by
Bühler in 2003 into its transport logistics
was that the technology group, headquartered in Uzwil (Switzerland), was at that
time collaborating with a full 220 forwarding
and logistics agents across the globe. This
prompted Bühler to revamp its global logistics strategy through the appointment of a
lead logistics provider (LLP) to handle both
the production plant and spare parts business of the group. Three objectives were
paramount: first, the new partner had to
Markus Stieger, Head of Logistics Services,
Bühler.
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coordinate all Bühler shipments worldwide
(procurement, inter-factory and distribution
logistics). Bühler’s second priority was to
find a partner with a global logistics infrastructure which it could tap into. The third
goal, specifically targeted by the LLP concept, was process optimization, i.e. a general shortening of transit times for deliveries,
coupled with a speeding up of overall
processes and palpable quality gains. With
Bühler footing an annual CHF 50–80 million
freight forwarding bill, the three-pronged
strategy was generally designed to cut
costs. The boldness of the project and the
demands it would place on both Bühler and
its new logistics partner were clear from the
very outset.
To forge a strong identity for the Bühler
and Panalpina team in the face of the challenges ahead, Markus Stieger, Logistics
Services Manager at Bühler, christened the
project “Magellan” in memory of the Portuguese seafarer Ferdinand Magellan, who
in the 16th century became the first man to
circumnavigate the globe. As the name signalled, it was to be a major undertaking over
a long period. Indeed, the cultivation of a
long-term partnership was the Bühler logistics team's avowed priority.
Panalpina scoops lead logistics
provider contract
The close business association between
Bühler and Panalpina Switzerland, stretching back over decades, made Panalpina a
natural candidate for the LLP contract in
2003, and Panalpina’s attractive tender ultimately secured the deal. As to what tipped
the balance in Panalpina’s favour, Bühler’s
Distribution Manager Rudolf Münger can
reel off a host of convincing arguments: “Our
many years of collaboration with Panalpina
gave us first-hand insights into the group’s
performance and quality standards. We recognized Panalpina’s in-depth experience in
project and plant shipments, and were
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acquainted with its world-spanning transport logistics network underpinned by local
subsidiaries.” The heavy focus of many of
the other tenderers on a particular niche
meant that they were unable to offer the
integral package required by Bühler. As
Münger sums up: “It soon became clear that
our partner of choice for the wide-ranging
global transport logistics needs of our plant
and spare parts business would be none
other than Panalpina.” And Stieger adds:
“Given that we needed a logistics partner
that is familiar with the ins and outs of our
business, the prime consideration was an
understanding of and responsiveness to our
requirements, rather than price. The first
question we asked all tenderers was how
they proposed to tackle transport logistics
for us. And Panalpina’s response was immediately convincing.” As Rolf von Allmen,
Panalpina’s Magellan Project Manager,
recalls: “We made it clear that we had much
more to offer than a global network plus
associated expertise – namely the ability,
Seite 4
gained through experience, to fine-tune our
services to Bühler’s specific transport logistics needs.”
As no transport logistics operation
involving 220 companies can be reconfigured into a one-to-one arrangement
overnight, the two partners agreed to implement a pilot scheme between January and
June 2004. All processes and costs were
analysed and investigations performed on
routes already handled by Panalpina. The
findings served as the basis for the cooperation agreement and subsequent phased
rollout.
Components from all corners
of the earth
Bühler’s main plants are located in Europe
(Uzwil, Madrid and Brunswick), India (Bangalore) and China (Wuxi and Shenzhen). The
technology group’s six logistics platforms
serve Europe, Latin America, North America, southern Africa, China and Southeast
Asia. The first three platforms have so far
adopted the LLP concept, with the rest due
to follow suit by the end of 2006. Panalpina
will then take charge of Bühler’s entire forwarding logistics chain at global level. A full
complement of logistics services will be provided: Panalpina will handle Bühler’s airfreight, seafreight and project consignments, while also overseeing local
shipments, customs clearance etc. Moreover, as LLP, Panalpina will procure, manage
and coordinate numerous forwarding services provided by jointly selected subcontractors.
Freight flows will encompass procured
goods deliveries, inter-factory transfer and
distribution. The focus will therefore be on
the efficient channelling of supplier consignments to Bühler sites, goods movements between Bühler subsidiaries, and
machine deliveries from Bühler’s factories
to its customers. A typical process could
involve the handling of an order for a 2000cubic-metre milling system weighing
500–600 tonnes. The installation’s >
The Bühler technology group manufactures pasta-making equipment.
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SCM
Bühler has its own on-site container terminal at Uzwil (Switzerland), for optimum transfer
from road to rail and efficient loading/unloading of 20’ and 40’ containers.
main components (e.g. roller mill stands) are
built in Uzwil, with further parts supplied by
the factories in Brunswick and/or Madrid.
Additional deliveries from Bühler’s suppliers may be routed to Uzwil, directly to a
predetermined consolidation point (e.g.
north European port) or straight to Bühler’s
customer. Panalpina superintends the consolidation of the individual consignments
and arranges sea shipment and oncarriage
of the complete facility to the customer’s
premises.
The management of spare parts logistics is a further focus. Bühler’s central spare
parts warehouse is located in Uzwil, with
smaller warehouses at the regional distribution centres of the six worldwide platforms.
Over the next two years, the Magellan team
will press ahead with a general streamlining
of the spare parts logistics processes that
will include a restructuring of the spare
parts management regime and of the supply
service to the regional distribution centres.
Pivotal role of IT
Significant headway has been made with
the transport logistics scheme. The whole
team is satisfied with the achievements to
date and is confident that the rollout will be
completed on schedule by the end of 2006.
Looking to the challenges ahead, Magellan
Project Manager Stieger singles out three
key factors: transparency, flexibility and
interconnectivity, i.e. the integration of sys-
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tems. “Speed, economy and reliability are
the watchwords of our transport logistics,”
is Münger’s verdict, though he hastens to
add: “And IT holds the key to the scheme’s
success.” What makes the project so fascinating in von Allmen’s view is the dynamic
nature of the market, the complexity of the
business and Bühler’s innovative spirit, all
of which consistently throw up fresh problems. “To see ourselves navigating calm
waters in two years’ time would be an illusion: as logistics providers, we must be
always on the alert to address new challenges.” When the LLP concept reaches
fruition in late 2006, the three gentlemen
will certainly not be twiddling their
thumbs, but will be chiselling away at new
strategies to optimize and refine the logistics operation.
Anyone who has spoken to Markus
Stieger, Rudolf Münger and Rolf von Allmen
is struck by their mutual understanding,
their instinct for acting concertedly towards
a common goal. This is, quite obviously, a
close team – three men who can safely steer
the ship through any waters, whether calm
or stormy. Through regular visits to the
national subsidiaries and presentations on
their transport logistics philosophy, the trio
have enthusiastically furthered their cause
and won the wholehearted support of all
involved in the Magellan project.
Bühler AG
Bühler AG is a multinational technology group, whose origins date back
to 1860. Bühler supplies its clients in
the food, animal feed, chemical
process engineering and die casting
industries with customized plant,
machinery and process technology.
The Swiss company is global market
leader in the food, chemical process
engineering and die casting sectors.
The group is split into three business
areas: the Grain Processing Division
produces systems for milling, animal
feed manufacture, malting, malt
crushing, rice processing and silo
storage. This business area also
includes colour sorting machines. The
Engineered Products Division develops production plant for foodstuffs
such as cocoa, chocolate and pasta
and for coating materials. The third
division produces various types of die
casting equipment.
The approx. 6,100-strong global
workforce achieved sales of CHF 1.5
bn in 2005.
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Assembly shop for die casting equipment at the Bühler plant in Uzwil (Switzerland).
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HSE
Safety First!
Health, Safety and Environment – HSE for short – has become an essential aspect of everyday business. Panalpina is strongly committed to
meeting customers’ needs, thereby achieving a competitive advantage.
By Martin Spohn
Anyone stepping into the entrance hall of
the branch in Baku/Azerbaijan notices
immediately that HSE (Health, Safety and
Environment) is no empty promise at
Panalpina. Safety notices and behaviour
rules are displayed at every turn. The steps
are fitted with non-slip material, mirrors in
the stairwell ensure that people do not bump
into each other and “BP’s Golden Rules of
Safety” are conspicuously displayed on the
wall. On every floor there are people trained
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in first aid and firefighting. In the event of an
emergency, all the employees know exactly
what to do. Drills take place regularly to
ensure that this remains so.
All these things are not just for show but
form an integral part of daily business and
the company culture. “All employees have
attended an HSE training workshop and
were tested individually,” explains Afgan
Mustafayev, HSE Manager Central Asia.
“People understand that HSE forms an
important part of their jobs.” This involves
not only adherence to elementary security
regulations but also issues such as economical use and eco-friendly disposal of office
materials such as paper and batteries.
Economically sound investments
Panalpina has obtained ISO 14001 and OH
18000 certification and is willing to spend a
considerable amount on its principles. “In
Central Asia we invest around USD 600,000
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in HSE every year,” Mario Kropf, Managing
Director of Panalpina Central Asia, emphasizes. However, it would be wrong to view
this area just as a cost factor. Instead, a consistent HSE policy offers tremendous possibilities that can be tapped into. “Our policy
has also generated value for the company,”he explains. “If we run our business in
an ecologically and ethically correct way, we
are also contributing towards our country’s
development.” Furthermore, it makes economic sense: a lot of money can be saved by
using resources sparingly and absences
relating to accidents and sickness are greatly reduced. Working economically and without accidents also results in greater efficiency and therefore higher productivity, adds
Lynsey MacIver, Head of Corporate HSE at
the Basel headquarters, stressing: “We are
also determined to provide our employees
with a safe working environment.”
Murad Housseinov, Business Unit Manager in Baku, agrees. It would be wrong and
negligent to save on HSE, he emphasizes.
“Furthermore, the customers – particularly
Panalpina Azerbaijan's main customer,
British Petroleum (BP) – expect nothing less
than consistent adherence to all of its regulations.” Even the office building was
restructured and equipped according to BP
regulations. “We upgraded the buildings and
Seite 2
vehicles ourselves. For example, we
installed special safety equipment on the
trucks for the truck drivers and in the buildings we installed emergency exits, fire
escapes, fire extinguishers, etc.”
Panalpina pursues a clear “asset-light”
strategy worldwide and therefore does not
have much tied-up capital or infrastructures
of its own. This means that the company is
exceptionally flexible and can offer its services wherever the customer requires them.
However, it also means that in many areas
the company works with subcontractors.
Adherence to the high quality standards is
ensured by applying the “best-in-class” system, thanks to which Panalpina always
works with the best suppliers. Particularly in
the HSE segment, this is an important issue.
All subcontractors must meet the standards
of Panalpina which bears full responsibility
towards its customers.
Close cooperation with
subcontractors
How does Panalpina ensure the proper conduct of its partners? “We test them meticulously and also provide them with a lot of
support,” explains Lynsey MacIver. “We produce a comprehensive questionnaire, check
whether the specifications given are implemented in practice, and observe and evalu-
ate the services. If we identify any deficiencies, we help our partners to iron them out.
This is what our customers expect of us,”
the Head of Corporate HSE tells us. Afgan
Mustafayev agrees: “It is important to us to
support the subcontractors both with training and financially, thereby improving the
overall HSE situation. Once we even
equipped partners in the Siberian port of
Nakhodka with safety equipment.”
Customer-orientated approach
“HSE at Panalpina is clearly customer-orientated. We don't want to write fat tomes on
theory and miss customers’ needs. It is
important to know customers’ requirements
and set ourselves up accordingly,” Lynsey
says emphatically. At present, it is still the
customers in the oil and gas industry who
have the highest HSE standards. However,
she has also noticed companies in other segments scrutinizing their HSE policies and
looking for new solutions. She advises these
companies and is sometimes invited to give
talks or presentations on the subject. “Attitudes towards HSE have clearly changed in
the last few years. Companies are obviously
handling the issue proactively and not settling for half-measures. This certainly has
something to do with the fact that complex
supply chains involve more parties than >
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HSE
Mario Kropf, Managing Director of Panalpina
Central Asia.
Mike McCormack of British Petroleum.
Murad Housseinov, Business Unit Manager
at Panalpina Baku.
BP’s “Golden Rules of Safety” at Panalpina
Baku.
Lynsey MacIver, Head of Corporate HSE at
the Basel head office.
Afgan Mustafayev, HSE Manager for
Central Asia.
before. Any company guaranteeing high
standards to its customers demands the
same from its suppliers, these suppliers
demand it from their partners, and so on.”
Lynsey has many years of experience,
for she completed her HSE training in Scotland after graduating in Chemistry and
working for an oil & gas company in
Aberdeen. “I enjoy the positive attitude
towards HSE that I experience at Panalpina.
In other companies we often encounter
resistance, but not at Panalpina where there
is a lot of enthusiasm and cooperation.
Among other things, I would attribute this
to the company's customer-orientated
approach. The people can see the benefits
and greater customer satisfaction in their
own areas.”
BP’s requirements will not do business with
them at all or will lose the business. In terms
of security, health and environmental protection, BP pursues a clear zero-tolerance
policy and always integrates HSE as a fixed
part of its calls for tenders. The value placed
on it is correspondingly high: in the call for
tenders for the large Shah Deniz project in
Azerbaijan, for example, HSE had a weighting of almost 30 percent, considerably more
than the price of the transport services.
Shah Deniz is a massive gas condensate
field in the Caspian Sea, around 100 kilometres south of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In this multi-level project, BP is in charge
of developing the deposits and extracting
the raw material. On a large site near Baku,
the British company erected the offshore
platform with all the components required
for installation and anchoring, including
three bases each weighing 1,500 tonnes.
Right from the start, Panalpina was a reliable
partner in this project. It supported BP in all
logistical matters – including ensuring that
the individual parts were consistently deliv-
ered when required – and transported over
35,000 tonnes of goods by air and sea
freight, inland shipping, truck and train from
several countries to the site in Baku. A team
of four Panalpina employees also worked
onsite as “implants” at BP. Panalpina also
runs a reloading and storage yard which
has, among other things, a covered building
for interim storage.
This yard corresponds to the strictest
HSE standards. We are able to see this for
ourselves during a visit. Once we have identified ourselves, we march to the main building where we are supplied with helmets,
protective goggles, gloves and safety shoes.
Whenever goods are being transported on
the site or other procedures are taking place,
anyone outside the administration building
must wear this protective gear. The storage
building itself is, of course, equipped with
fire extinguishers, etc.
BP in Baku: HSE as a success factor
The pace is still defined by energy companies, as shown by the example of BP in Azerbaijan. For this company, a good HSE organization is not just a "nice to have" – quite the
contrary: any company that does not fulfil
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Zero tolerance
Regulations are even more strict on the
actual job site where the platform from
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which gas will be pumped from the Caspian
Sea in summer 2006 is being erected under
the direction of British Petroleum. We enter
the reception building through a sort of lock
gate. Of course we have an appointment
and present our identification papers at the
entrance. Our escort is already expecting us:
throughout our entire visit to the site we
cannot move anywhere without an escort –
that is an absolute rule. To ensure that we
know why, we are first shown a 15-minute
video informing us about the dangers, rules
and regulations and then sign a form confirming that we have understood the issues
at hand. We are relieved that we only have to
complete the short programme. This is
because we are permitted to visit the
site, but not the platform itself. If we wanted
to go there, we would require four hours of
training!
Once our baggage has been checked – a
small video camera, photographic equipment and our bags containing the protective
gear provided by Panalpina Baku, we enter
the office complex to put on the overalls,
security shoes, protective goggles, helmet
and gloves. We are greeted by Mike McCormack, Project Procurement Logistics Manager, and once more informed of the most
important rules of conduct. Mike who, as
manager of the entire logistics operation for
this Panalpina project, is the most important
contact on site, speaks with a quiet but firm
voice. “Health, safety and environment are
very, very important to us and that is why
we are continuously pushing forward in this
area. Naturally, we require the same from
our logistics suppliers, which is why we
define the requirements right from the
time of calling for tenders and thereby
clearly communicate that anyone wanting
to do business with BP must meet high
standards.”
Understanding the meaning of HSE
We therefore assume that Panalpina, as the
leading logistics supplier at the Shah Deniz
project, has met these requirements. Mike
McCormack confirms this and adds that
strict adherence to the requirements is
checked. "We expect a company like
Panalpina to understand how important
HSE is to BP, and to be able to relate to this.
In this instance, tolerance would be completely misplaced." We can see that BP
leads by setting a good example: on the
entire building site, full protective clothing
must be worn at all times, except within a
Seite 4
clearly defined, fenced-off corridor in which
the sanitary facilities are also located. We
spot a letterbox in which employees can
post suggestions for improvement and also
report incorrect conduct. “The intention is
never to tattle on colleagues but solely to
avoid accidents. And this is what we have
in fact achieved: for over 500 days nobody
has had an accident serious enough to take
a day off work. We can be proud of that,”
stresses Mike McCormack. His helmet has
five stars on it. Each star stands for exceptional achievements in the area of HSE.
Anyone who has earned the five stars, however, cannot rest on their laurels or be negligent, because misconduct is punished by
removal of one or more of these badges.
HSE at Panalpina
HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) is taken very seriously by Panalpina, largely because of Panalpina’s
leading role as a transportation and
logistics provider to the oil and gas
industry. The global and strategic
responsibility is centrally controlled
by Corporate HSE, a staff unit reporting to the Chief Operating Officer.
The Head of Corporate HSE is Lynsey
MacIver from Scotland. After graduating in Chemistry, she completed a
variety of HSE courses and worked in
this segment in oil and gas companies in Aberdeen. She moved to Panalpina in 2004. Corporate HSE produces all the handbooks, develops the
training programmes and provides the
necessary tools to local organizations.
It also defines the obligatory HSE programmes, determines the standards
and organizes internal and external
audits. Panalpina concentrates on a
variety of programmes, each of which
come under the scope of either health,
safety or environment:
– Health Control
– Safe Transport
– Personal Protective equipment
– Training for work with dangerous
goods or in a potentially dangerous
environment
– Emergency Response scenarios
– Sustainable transport solutions
(Eco-Transport)
– Sustainable use of resources and
materials (eco-consumption)
One of the pillars of Panalpina’s HSE
strategy is the certification of local
organizations according to ISO 14001
(environment) and OHSAS 18001
(health and safety). These certificates are often already required by
customers at the time of tendering
for business. In the course of the certification process, all employees at all
levels of the units checked are tested
individually. In 2005, organizations in
Central West Africa, the CIS, Scandinavia and Central Asia were certified
and in 2006, branches in northern
and southern parts of West Africa,
the United Kingdom and Ireland, and
the Middle East and South East Asia
will be certified. Furthermore, Panalpina is involved in the HSE initiatives
as part of the Freight Forward International (FFI) interest grouping in
Brussels.
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Worldwide
Gerhard Fischer, Chairman of Panalpina, and Raj Siriram celebrate the opening of the new facility.
Partnership with Siemens in southern Africa
South Africa September 2005 marked the opening of a new logistics centre at Johannesburg International Airport by Panalpina’s
South African agent Safcor Panalpina. Developed in collaboration
with Safcor Panalpina’s client Siemens Southern Africa, the facility
provides 10,000 sq m logistics space and 1,700 sq m office
accommodation. Siemens will occupy 60% of the floor area in the
new logistics hall, while the remaining 40% will be used by
Hewlett-Packard and some of Safcor Panalpina's other high-tech
clients.
For Safcor Panalpina, the new logistics centre represents a gigantic leap forward. “Despite the rampant growth in airfreight volumes here over the past 20 years, time had stood still at Johannesburg International Airport in terms of freight handling methods
and facilities,” Safcor Panalpina Chairman Philip Womersley
remembers. “The fact that we can now shift uncleared cargo
directly to our logistics centre shortens movement distances, while
significantly tightening up our handling operations," he adds.
"Consignments can now be seamlessly processed and immediate
preparations made for delivery.”
Safcor Panalpina’s new facility has thus paved the way for an
unbeatably professional, efficient and reliable management of the
entire logistics operation in southern Africa. The current trend
among multinational clients is to outsource their complex supply
chain systems to logistics companies in order to focus on their
core business. With its new hub at Johannesburg International
Airport, Safcor Panalpina has provided the perfect enhancement to
the Panalpina Group's comprehensive logistics offerings.
Safcor Panalpina has for many years partnered the southern
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African subsidiary of Siemens AG, the electronics giant based in
Berlin and Munich (Germany). Founded over 150 years ago and
active in 190 countries, Siemens ranks among the world's largest,
most time-honoured electronics and electrotechnology companies.
The Siemens Group operates in the fields of information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical solutions and lighting. Siemens’s presence in southern Africa
stretches back more than 105 years.
As Womersley emphasizes: “This joint venture is a prime illustration of the kind of methods we adopt in dovetailing our services to
the specific needs of key accounts such as Siemens.” Safcor
Panalpina provides Siemens Southern Africa with an all-round
logistics package that includes goods receipt, quality control,
warehousing, order picking at the warehouse for consignments
to Siemens clients, dispatch preparation, delivery to Siemens
customers, stocktaking and returned goods processing. At the
centre’s inauguration, Divisional Managing Director of Siemens
L&A Raj Siriram pointed out that Siemens was breaking new
ground in southern Africa by outsourcing its logistics to Safcor
Panalpina. He regarded the collaboration between Siemens and
Safcor Panalpina as a genuine partnership entailing enormous
investments on both sides. Siemens had also supplied the technology for the logistics centre.
The development scheme for the logistics centre plus office
accommodation was initiated by Safcor Panalpina’s parent company, Bidvest, in association with its business partner Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), and implemented by Safcor
Panalpina and Siemens Southern Africa.
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From left to right: Philip Womersley, Raj Siriram and Gerhard Fischer.
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Worldwide
www.panalpina.com/heliship
Canada Panalpina has added a new section to its website:
www.panalpina.com/heliship. It will be run by Panalpina Helicopter Shipping Division in Vancouver (Canada), which is responsible for all services connected with the transport of helicopters.
Panalpina’s helicopter transport specialists have over 30 years of
experience in this sector. They are therefore fully conversant with
the requirements of their customers in the helicopter industry. In
partnership with the global Panalpina network, the Panalpina Helicopter Shipping Division transports helicopters, spare parts and
components to any destination by sea or air. The division covers
the whole range of Panalpina services: meticulous route planning,
transit insurance, moving the consignment by road to the airport
or port, supervising loading, seeing to the necessary customs formalities, unloading and final delivery to the customer.
Palletized helicopters
Brazil/Luxembourg/Canada During a freak windstorm in
Macae (Brazil), several helicopters supporting the Brazilian oil and
gas industry were blown over and damaged. AcroHelipro Global
Services, a customer of Panalpina Vancouver's Helicopter Shipping Division, obtained the contract to repair two of the Sikorsky
S76 helicopters, which were loaded onto airline pallets in Rio, then
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trucked by Panalpina Rio to Viracopos. Next, a Boeing 747-400
freighter operated by Cargolux flew the helicopters via Luxembourg to Seattle, where Panalpina Vancouver had a truck waiting
to deliver them safely to the repair facility. As usual, the key to
success was meticulous planning, backed up by excellent teamwork from all the Panalpina offices involved.
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Seite 4
A helicopter in the hold
Singapore/Canada Panalpina Vancouver’s Helicopter Shipping
Division collaborated with Panalpina Singapore to transport an S61N civilian helicopter by ship from Singapore to Vancouver
(Canada) for delivery to Heli-One, a subsidiary of CHC Helicopters
International. The helicopter, which measures 16.0 m x 3.0 m x 4.5
m, flew from Thailand to the Seletar military air base in Singapore. Panalpina was responsible for coordinating this challenging
assignment: for instance, it brought in a 20-ton crane to dismantle
the rotor blade. As well as selecting a suitable carrier for this
unconventional cargo, Panalpina saw to the customs formalities.
The actual transportation process presented the Panalpina team
with a number of challenges: they had to work out the safest and
most efficient way of moving the helicopter from the air base to
the port on a low-bed truck, bearing in mind the height and width
constraints. A police escort helped to ensure that the transfer
went smoothly. The helicopter was finally winched up and loaded
onto the ship. A 200 m cable allowed the helicopter to be lifted in
a controlled manner. Thanks to a special agreement with the Singapore port authorities, CHC engineers were permitted to attend
the loading of the ship to check that the helicopter was safely
stowed and secured. The team of representatives from Panalpina
Vancouver's Helicopter Shipping Division and Panalpina Singapore carried out the assignment to the complete satisfaction of
CHC Helicopters International.
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Worldwide
Heavy parts sent by Danube
Austria/Belgium/Iran Schoeller Bleckmann Nooter Apparatetechnik GmbH – SBN for short – is a globally active manufacturer of machinery for the fertilizer industry. In December 2005,
SBN contracted Panalpina Linz to load four heavy parts destined
for a fertilizer plant onto two Danube ships bound for Antwerp: a
reactor weighing 370 tonnes and measuring 30,200 mm x 4,500
mm x 5,300 mm, a condensor weighing 310 tonnes and measuring 18,500 mm x 4,100 mm x 6,400 mm, a stripper weighing 218
tonnes and measuring 13,500 mm x 4,300 mm x 4,300 mm, and a
scrubber weighing 82 tonnes and measuring 8,500 mm x 3,600
mm x 4,100 mm. In Antwerp the goods were transferred to a
heavy transport vessel. The components were bound for Iran,
where they would form the core of a fertilizer plant
(ammonia/urea) built by Japanese engineering company Chiyoda
Corp. of Yokohama. “Since there were low water levels in the
Danube in December of last year, we had to divide the load
between two ships to reduce the draught,” explains Peter Gahleitner of the Project Department at Panalpina Linz. Thanks to excellent coordination between all the partners involved in this job –
including the heavy load specialist Felbermayr, the Danube shipping company Panta Rhei and the transshipment company in
Antwerp – the parts arrived in the Belgian port on schedule,
ready for the onward journey to their destination in Iran.
All’s well that ends well
Austria/Italy/Albania Following a successful tender submission, Panalpina Vienna was appointed by Viennese-based VA
TECH T&D as forwarding agent for a series of shipments required
for a major project in Albania. The contract involved the handling
of over 100 truckloads of freight supplied from Austria, Germany
and Italy plus delivery by canvas-top truck to building sites in
Selita, Traktori, Shkozet, Kavaja, Shkodra, Fiber and Tirana or,
alternatively, to a stockpile set up in Tirana. The contract specified routing via Trieste/Durres. The lack of suitable infrastructure
in Albania made access to many locations extremely difficult. The
consignments routed via the stockpile were delivered to the relevant sites at the appointed time by Panalpina’s Tirana-based partner A&A. The cargo included eleven transformers weighing 50-55
tonnes per unit, delivered by low-loader from Italy via TriesteDurres. The poor highway conditions necessitated detours and,
in some cases, the provision of new access roads. Apart from forwarding, Panalpina was also responsible for mounting the transformers on their bases. Depending on the spatial constraints on
site, unloading was by crane or hydraulic device. Given the lack
of hydraulic unloading specialists in Albania, experts had to
be flown in from abroad as needed. To avoid waiting times, the
arrival of the trailers was meticulously coordinated with the
deployment of the site assembly teams. Consignee Kesh Tirana
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entrusted Panalpina’s Tirana-based agent A&A with the handling
of customs formalities. All three partners VA TECH T&D, A&A
Tirana and Panalpina Vienna were present to witness the successful mounting of the heavy plant.
Representatives of VA TECH, A&A and Panalpina on site
in Albania.
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Motorsport: A1GP Cup of Nations
South Africa/Indonesia/Mexico/USA/China The A1 Grand
Prix is the “World Cup of Motorsport”. Driver is pitted against
driver, and country against country. The A1 Grand Prix brings
together 25 nations, covering about 80 percent of the globe.
While technology and innovation have an important part to play
in this racing series, success is very much down to the individual
driver, whose courage, driving skills and flair are what ultimately
decide victory or defeat.
The organizers of the A1 Grand Prix asked Panalpina Airfreight
Management Ltd., Luxembourg, to transport the racing cars of all
participating teams to and from five races on the tour, which
began in September 2005.
After the race in Durban (South Africa) at the end of January, 250
tonnes of freight – racing cars, spare parts and equipment – were
shipped to Sentul (Indonesia) for the next meeting. Three MK
Airlines charter flights were booked for this assignment.
Panalpina Airfreight collaborated with the Panalpina agent in
South Africa – Safcor Panalpina – in arranging the transport of
this valuable cargo.
The race held in Durban on 29 January 2006 – the seventh in the
A1GP – was won by the 33-year-old Dutch driver Jos Verstappen.
Some 100,000 spectators watched the main race through the
streets of Durban, as Verstappen, a former Formula 1 driver,
chalked up the first victory for the Dutch A1 team.
The race in Sentul on 12 February 2006 – the eighth in the A1
Grand Prix series – was won by Nicolas Lapierre of the French
A1 team, who beat the UK and Mexico in the sprint race. This
was the French driver’s eleventh win of the season. This time
Lapierre, who was second off the grid, made short work of the
race: he overtook Britain’s Robbie Kerr, who started in pole position, at the end of the first lap and maintained his lead right to
the finish.
The next race weekend (the ninth in the A1GP series) was held
on 26 February 2006 in Monterrey (Mexico). Again, Panalpina
Airfreight transported the cargo for this race, chartering two aircraft, one from Evergreen International Airlines and the other
from Kalitta Air.
The goods were moved from Monterrey to Laguna Seca (USA),
where the penultimate race was staged on 12 March 2006. The
final destination is Shanghai (China), where the last race in the
A1GP series will take place on 2 April 2006. Panalpina is responsible for shipping the cargo from Laguna Seca to Shanghai. Mike
Zimmerman, Head of Event Logistics at Panalpina Airfreight in
Luxembourg, calculated that 25 vehicles would be needed to
transport the racing cars of all the teams participating in the A1
tour to Los Angeles Airport. The valuable freight will then fly
from Los Angeles to Shanghai in two China Eastern aircraft. At
the end of the season, Panalpina will ship the racing cars back to
Europe.
.
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Worldwide
Basel landmark moves to Kunming
Switzerland/Belgium/China Daniel Oppliger worked for the
Natural History Museum in Basel (Switzerland) for 30 years preparing specimens. After taking voluntary early retirement so that he
would have time for other projects, he helped the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to set up a zoological
museum in Kunming. This city (population approx. 4.5 million, altitude 1800 metres) is the capital of the province of Yunnan in the
People’s Republic of China. The province has very diverse flora
and fauna, making it an ideal location for the zoological museum.
It was proposed that a well-known Basel landmark, one of the dark
green fountains featuring Basel’s mythical emblem, the dragon-like
basilisk, should be erected in front of the new museum. Oppliger
conceived this plan together with Daniel Meier, a member of the
board of the Friends of the Basel Natural History Museum, and
suggested it to the Basel city council. Without further ado, the
council decided to present the fountain as a gift. As the official
statement of the Basel city council puts it: “The fountain is in the
form of a dragon, which is a characteristic symbol of both China
and Basel.” It goes on to say: “The dragon represents the friendly
relations between the people of Kunming and Basel, and also the
harmonious cooperation between the Zoological Museum in Kun-
Karl Tschui from Panalpina Basel supervises the loading of
the fountain.
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ming and the Natural History Museum in Basel.” The basilisk thus
serves as a link between the two cities and the two museums, and
will in future act as a kind of ambassador for Basel in Kunming.
The fountain had to be transported to China in time for the opening of the new museum. The initiators of the project contacted the
logistics company Panalpina, which has a number of branches in
China. As Panalpina's head office is in Basel, the company felt a
special affinity with the basilisk fountain, so it decided to undertake the job for free as part of its commitment to sponsoring
worthwhile activities. Under the supervision of Karl Tschui of
Panalpina Basel, the special cargo was shipped in cooperation
with Panalpina China. First, the fountain was packed at the Basel
end in a crate measuring 220 cm x 120 cm x 138 cm, which ended
up weighing 585 kilos. The crate was then loaded into a container.
This was taken by rail from Basel to the Port of Antwerp (Belgium),
where it was transferred to a Cosco Container Lines ship for the
voyage to Yantian (China). From there it travelled by train to Kunming, arriving in mid-January 2006. It was immediately handed
over to the Zoological Museum.
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In memory of Otto Schmid
and Bernhard Handschin
Within a short time we have had to mourn the deaths of two
personalities whose work is closely linked to the fortunes of
Panalpina. They gave a large part of their lives to the service of
the company and contributed significantly to the success of
Panalpina.
Otto Schmid, the former President of the Ernst Göhner Foundation, which was the sole shareholder for many years and is now
the main shareholder, died shortly before his 75th birthday. He was
on the Board of Directors of Panalpina for 23 years. Until his retirement for age-related reasons at the last Annual General Meeting,
he acted as Vice-Chairman, a function that he carried out with
great expertise and entrepreneurial vision.
Bernhard Handschin died at the age of 77 years while hiking in
the mountains. For over 33 years, up to his retirement in 1993, he
held various managerial positions in the Finance Department, one
of which was as Chief Controller of the Group Head Office. He was
also Finance Director of Panalpina Nigeria for several years.
We miss them both and will always honour their memory.
Publishing details: Editor, owner and publisher: Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd, Viaduktstrasse 42, P.O.Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. Internet: www.panalpina.com. Tel. ++41 61 226 11 11.
Responsible for contents: Martin Spohn, Corporate Communications. Editor: Martin Spohn, e-mail: martin.spohn@panalpina.com, Michèle Thüring by büro:z GmbH, Bern/Basel. Distribution: Monika
Dups, e-mail: monika.dups@panalpina.com. Publication intervals/languages: “connect” is published several times a year in German, English, French, Spanish and Chinese in over 100 countries. Total
circulation: 60 000 copies. Photos: cover: büro:z GmbH; p. 2: Getty Images; p. 3: Julian Salinas, Basel; p. 4–9: Getty Images; p. 7 top: Keystone; p. 10–13: Rolf Sulser;
p. 14: Bühler; p. 15: büro:z GmbH; p. 16 and 17: Bühler and Getty Images; p. 18 and 19: Bühler; p. 20–23: Peter Maurer, Weisslingen Design and production: büro:z GmbH, Bern/Basel. Printed by:
bdv, Basel. Printed on 100% chlorine-free bleached paper
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HSE at Panalpina
Global and strategic responsibility is centrally controlled by Corporate HSE,
a staff unit reporting to the Chief Operating Officer.
The Head of Corporate HSE is Lynsey MacIver from Scotland.
> Article on page 20