panorama - m+r spedag group

panorama
The Magazine of the M+R Spedag Group
May 2007
IN THE HEART OF AFRICA
Logistics in the Rainforest
Contents
Road survey in Africa
Logistics in Shanghai
Editorial
3
Logistics in the rainforest
Support for the endagered Mountain Gorillas
4
Road survey in the heart of africa
Feasibility study: 2000 KM Road survey across Africa
6
Marrakesh Express
30 Years overland services to Morocco
8
We cannot leave the people
Musician and activist Bono on the lack of progress in Africa
9
M+R Spedag in Africa
The M+R Spedag Network in Africa
10
Gateway to the south
The M+R Spedag branch in Chiasso, Switzerland
12
Extended reach
DVZ Article on M+R Logistik Service Ltd in Gunzgen, Switzerland
13
In-house training at M+R Shanghai
Training of future logisticians in China
14
The logistics capital of the world
Three important logistics events in Shanghai
15
50 years of container shipping
The container is celebrating a big anniversary
16
Swiss AIDS Care
Helping the most vulnerable - the M+R Spedag charity project 2006/07
18
Anniversaries
19
Cover Gorilla-Baby, Virunga Nationalpark, Uganda. Photograph: Eva Kiefer
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Imprint
Publisher M+R Spedag Group, Kriegackerstrasse 95, 4132 Muttenz/Switzerland
Editor Bernadette Jourdan
Layout Stephan Schneider Contact panorama@mrspedag.com Internet www.mrspedag.com Copyright M+R Spedag Group
EDITORIAL
Editorial
The focus of this issue of Panorama
is Africa and the 250 M+R Spedag
employees working in eight countries
across that continent. We can really be
proud of what has been built up since
Spedag sent its first delegate to Johannesburg in the fifties of the last century.
But we do not want to talk only business. The aim is also to bring you closer to Africa, sometimes derogatorily
referred to as the “black” or “forgotten”
continent. These names are a good indicator of many people’s perception of
this part of the world. Africa’s problems
are by no means trivial. Providing basic
needs such as access to clean water,
education, and appropriate medical
care seems almost impossible in many
African countries.
disease. The goal of the project is to
provide malaria drugs developed in
cooperation with universities in Beijing
and Singapore at cost to patients in
Africa.
Bono, lead singer of the rock group
U2, has something to say about that.
In an interview with the German “Spiegel” magazine, excerpts of which are
included in this issue, he explains what
he does for the people of Africa and
how he uses his celebrity to help in a
pragmatic way. His main concern is
fighting AIDS and malaria. There is
good news to report in the fight against
malaria. A special project combining
research and financing from Novartis
with traditional Chinese medicine has
made great progress in combating this
Africa is without compare as a wildlife
paradise. Anyone who has seen the
beautiful landscape and fascinating
animals of the Masai Mara or Serengeti would hate to see them disappear.
We are especially proud that our efforts
to save the gorillas in the heart of Africa have contributed to protecting humans’ closest animal relatives.
However, the greatest respect is due to
those people who give up their comfortable way of life to help the disadvantaged tackle their difficult everyday
tasks in the poorest countries. One
such person is Dr. Ruedi Luethy, who
was named “European of the Year” in
2006 for dedicating his life to the poorest of the poor. This year‘s Christmas
donation went to his project in Zimbabwe. On page 18 you can find a profile of this fine person and read more
about what he is doing.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue of
Panorama and that the articles help
spark a lively discussion.
Yours
Daniel Richner
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FOCUS
Mountain Gorillas
Logistics in the Rainforest
Around half of the worlds remaining mountain gorillas - a species threatened with extinction - live
in Eastern Africa’s Virunga National Park. The organization “Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe”
supports park rangers by providing equipment. M+R Spedag is responsible for the logistics from
Europe to the park.
Photographs: Angela Maeder (left), Cyril Gruetter (bottom, right)
Africa is rich in diverse landscapes
and cultures, and has a unique variety
of plant and animal life, including the
sadly dwindling rainforests, which are
home to the world’s last 700 mountain
gorillas. Around half of the gorillas live
in the Virunga Mountains region, a forested area covering parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda,
and Rwanda. Virunga National Park,
founded in 1925, is Africa’s oldest
national park and a UNESCO World
Heritage site. The gorilla population
has increased slightly in recent years
thanks to intense protective measures.
This would not have been possible
without the on-site rangers who perform remarkable feats on a daily basis.
Their working conditions are difficult
since the rainforests extend far up the
slopes of the over 4,500-meter high
mountains. The climate is humid, and
the terrain is slippery. Rangers subject
themselves to an enormous amount of
stress to track down groups of mountain gorillas and to make sure that all
animals are healthy. Occasionally they
discover a newborn gorilla - or even
twins, as was most recently the case
in 2004.
The greatest threat to the gorillas is
destruction of their habitat, followed by
poaching. The presence of rangers on
site is the best way to keep poachers
away. Nevertheless, gorillas continue
to be hunted and end up on plates as
bushmeat. Poachers kill older animals
to get to the young, which are then
sold as pets at premium prices. The
small, fragile gorillas generally do not
survive long in captivity. Snares set out
The organization Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe (B&RD) has dedicated
itself to protecting mountain gorillas and their habitats since 1984 through
targeted project promotion, research, and information. Together with other
organizations it supports research projects, which are conducted primarily by
local scientists.
The first count of the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains since 1989
took place in 2003. Counts help scientists determine which protective
measures are effective and where to use their limited funding.
The entire B&RD board of directors works on a volunteer basis, and all donations are used for projects. Bureaucracy is kept to a minimum.
www.berggorilla.org
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by poachers for smaller animals such
as antelopes pose an additional threat.
Gorillas often catch a hand or foot in
the trap, suffering severe injuries that
can become infected or lead to death.
Locals know little about the problem.
Education on site is important since
many people do not have access to international or even national media. The
Swiss environmental protection activist
Carlos Schuler regularly contributes to
the editorial of the magazine “Le Gorille”, which is read enthusiastically - often aloud since not all of the locals are
able to read. Schuler is working to save
the last gorillas in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from extinction. Over half of the gorillas in the
Kahuzi-Biega National Park have been
killed in the past four years. Among
those killed were such famous gorillas
as Mushamuka, one of the stars of the
film “Gorillas in the Mist”. The organization Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe (B&RD) has already helped finance
a few issues of Le Gorille to contribute
to education and gorilla protection.
Training and equipping park rangers
is an important aspect of animal protection and conservation. Few of the
rangers can afford the right clothing
such as raincoats, good shoes, and
backpacks. B&RD is also active in ensuring that rangers get this equipment,
much of which is bought abroad and
then shipped to Africa. To accomplish
this, the organization requires the support of a logistics company such as
the M+R Spedag Group. Thanks to its
strong presence in Africa, M+R Spedag is able to deliver goods even in remote and high-risk areas. B&RD and
the park rangers are happy to be able
to work with such a reliable partner.
Denise Nierentz
B&RD e.V.
Movie Recommendation
Gorillas in the mist
In conjunction with this article,
we recommend seeing this 1988
Oscar-nominated film (Sigourney
Weaver – best actress).
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AFRICA
Road survey
Road Survey in the Heart of Africa
M+R Spedag conducted a road survey from Dar-es-Salaam to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on behalf of a client in the construction industry. The aim was to create a feasibility
study for a new transportation route.
Today is Friday, September 22, 2006.
I am sitting in an airplane en route to
Dar-es-Salaam. I am heading there to
take part in a road survey from Tanzania to Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that Spedag East
Africa Ltd. will conduct on behalf of
one of their clients.
As we approach the border with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo on
the third day, an armed man stops us
about 30 km from the border. I immediately have to rethink our original notion
that the south of the country would be
less dangerous than the route around
the capital Kinshasa.
The next morning I set out for Kolwezi
along with the project manager Lorenz
Pimpfinger, our guide Abu Seif, and
our driver Msee. We will visit three different countries and cover over 2,000
kilometers over the next three days.
“Congo is no country,” our guide Abu
Seif keeps telling us. Different laws
apply in this, the world’s third-poorest
country. At the border we see a young
boy of about seven leading a goat behind him. He sends us a quick glance.
He shouts, “bienvenue au Congo,” as
he slowly draws his finger across his
throat. A border official insists that we
Our first stop comes soon after we set
out. An elephant is blocking the road
that crosses the National Park. We
come across giraffes, gazelles, zebras, and especially baboons on our
long journey, though we still manage
to cover 800 km on the first day. We
spend the night in Mbeya, south of
the Zambian border. We are the only
guests in our hotel, whose rooms are
named after celebrities who stayed
here in the hotel’s better days. It’s a
strange feeling.
We are met with bustling activity at the
Zambian border crossing the second
day. We make it across the border
without any problems and reach Kapiri
Mposhi in the evening, thanks to the
good roads and our driver’s fast pace
and confident driving. We refuel from
the canisters we brought along with us
in the car.
panorama 06
foreigners must be immunized. We
pay USD 25 for the necessary passport stamp - no need for the actual immunization. A doctor explained to me a
few months later that the immunization
stamped in my passport doesn’t even
exist. We wait for our passports for five
hours, uncertain whether we will ever
see them again. And then we are finally
allowed to enter the country.
As we continue our journey, we are
repeatedly stopped by police officers
in yellow shirts and old hand-painted
military helmets. They demand money,
which we pay without hesitation, even
though we are not convinced they are
real police officers.
The survey team measuring roads
The farther we go into the country, the
greater the suspicion surrounding our
visit. While in Zambia we were greeted
by people on the side of the roads
waving and giving us a thumbs-up,
here people’s faces take a hostile expression as soon as they realize that
our vehicle contains foreigners.
We speak with the Italian consul, who
urgently advises us to abandon our
journey to Kolwezi. The route is especially dangerous on Mondays, he tells
us. It runs along the north-south diamond trade route, and diamonds are
often transported on Monday. Holdups
are by no means rare. Even our guide,
Abu Seif, who knows the area and is
experienced, thinks the situation is ominous. After careful consideration and
consultation with Spedag East Africa
headquarters, we decide to end our
trip in Lubumbashi.
The mood is tense. The place is teeming with soldiers and police. Elections
were held just a few days ago, and further elections will be held soon. Beggars approach us aggressively; given
that we have made it so far into the
interior of the country, we must be well The fact that we conducted this exoff.
hausting and at times dangerous road
survey was a key factor in the client’s
We again have to go through additional decision to award us the project.
administrative hurdles in Lubumbashi
Yvo Richner, Johannesburg
and meet with the immigration authorities. Their office is in the kitchen of an
old colonial house.
New project manager at Spedag South Africa
Lorenz Pimpfinger is the new
project manager for operations
in Africa based in Johannesburg.
Born in Switzerland in 1964,
Pimpfinger is a professinal forwarder and has been with
Spedag East Africa Ltd. since its founding. He has over 15
years of experience in Africa.
Dangers and obstacles along the road
panorama 07
AFRICA
Overland services to Morocco
Marrakesh Express
No European home in the 1970s was complete without a Berber rug from Morocco. Morocco’s rug
industry was booming. At the same time, the flow of goods from Europe to Morocco was on the rise
as a result of various construction projects. There was an ambitious project to transform the then
fishing port of Safi into a modern industrial port - a logistical challenge.
Clearance and delivery in one hand: in terms of delivery times, the overland service to Morocco can rival airfreight
How were high-value goods shipped
safely and easily to Morocco in the
1970s? Container shipping was still in
its infancy. Marseilles and Genoa offered conventional shipping options,
but the process of packing goods was
laborious and costly. Moreover, the risk
of damage increased each time goods
were handled. Less frequent ship departures than today led to long delays. More problems arose once ships
docked in Casablanca. Legal regulations permitted only one shipment per
container to be delivered directly. All
other shipments had to be unloaded
at port.
M+R Spedag became aware of the
new market potential early on. In January 1977, the first trucks traveled from
Switzerland through France and Spain
to Algeciras and Cadiz where goods
were loaded directly onto roll-on/rolloff (RO/RO) ferries to Tangier and
Casablanca. Unlike in Casablanca,
combined shipments could clear customs in Tangier while still on the truck
and then be delivered directly to the
recipient, saving an enormous amount
of time.
The same process is used today. Clearing customs is laborious and cannot
be compared to European standards.
Importers can only clear customs at
panorama 08
the Casablanca or Tangier ports. M+R
Tangier is involved in the flow of information when shipments are planned at
the Basel head office. It then contacts
the recipients in Morocco and prepares
for smooth customs clearance and the
subsequent delivery.
Vehicles set out from Switzerland twice
a week, cross the Straits of Gibraltar,
and deliver their goods after just 5 to
7 days. Fast delivery times and reliable service are in greater demand
than ever. The global trend of keeping inventories as low as possible has
long since reached Morocco. This is
only possible if steady replenishment
and short delivery times are ensured.
Shippers are increasingly moving
from traditional sea freight services to
a ground service, which is even more
popular than shipping by air. Ground
shipping is competitive thanks to its
much lower costs and direct delivery
with comparable or only slightly longer
delivery times.
As in other regions, transporting temperature-controlled goods is one of
M+R Spedag‘s specialties in Morocco. Today chemicals, pharmaceuticals
and semi-finished goods in particular
are shipped to Morocco, while textiles,
rugs and agricultural products are exported. Basel has established itself as
the ideal strategic hub for coordinating
shipments to and from Europe. Shipments between Morocco and Germany, France, Belgium, the UK, Scandinavia, and Eastern EU countries are
coordinated from Basel.
Andreas Roesch, Muttenz
AFRICA
Spiegel Online-Interview
We cannot leave the people
In an interview with “Spiegel Online”, U2 lead singer and frontman Bono, 45, talks about, the lack
of progress in sub-Saharan Africa and the appropriate standards for development aid. In isolating
corrupt politicians, he argues, we must not forget the people. Read the following extracts from the
interview.
Bono: I do not believe that we can only
give development assistance to unblemished democracies.
SPIEGEL: Why not? A President just
decided to change the constitution
only to stay in power. As long as we
cancel the debts of such a country we
will never motivate them to change
their undemocratic behaviour.
Bono: The actual monies freed up
from debt cancellation have paid for
very clearly accounted things. In one
example, they have paid for universal
primary education. So do you think
their debts shouldn‘t have been cancelled and those people shouldn‘t be
in school? Do you think it would be
better to leave children out of school?
Do you think it would be better that we
say: “You‘d better bring some democratic elections, and until you bring
democratic elections we‘re not going
to help you fight this AIDS epidemic?”
Knowing that if you don‘t fix this AIDS
epidemic. All its neighboring countries
will be affected. Is it not a cliché to suggest that all aid should be denied to
anything but the most perfect players
in democracy? If that were so, where
would Europe have been a hundred
years ago?
SPIEGEL: There are more and more
African intellectuals saying that aid
causes more problems than Africa is
able to solve. As long as the rich countries push so much money into the
continent, Africa would never stand on
its own feet. This money from donors
mostly ends up in the pockets of corrupt leaders.
cannot leave the people in their hour of
need, let the government fall, let there
be chaos. It‘s very, very heavy. This position is understandable, but it is completely immoral.
Interview by:
Christoph Dallach / Thilo Thielke
Full text of the interview at:
www.spiegel.de/international/
spiegel/0,1518,398076,00.html
Bono: There was abuse of aid for 25
years, even longer. I absolutely accept that. It can be argued that aid
has propped up dodgy regimes, even
recently. But that is getting less and
less true, and more people are getting smart as to how aid is spent and
distributed. I don‘t believe that a laissez-faire approach to the problems
of Africa will finally sort itself out. We
“We are not looking for charitiy, we are looking for justice. We can‘t fix
every problem. But the ones we can, we must”
(Quote by Bono during the “Live 8” concert in London, 2 July 2005)
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known as Bono, is the lead singer
and principal lyricist of the Irish rock band U2. Bono is also widely known for his
engagement concerning Africa.
Bono uses his fame to address political and social issues. He is campaigning
for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of the plight of Africa including
the AIDS pandemic.
In collaboration with Bob Geldof, Bono organized in 2005 the “Live 8” project, a
series of concurrent benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8
states and in South Africa.
panorama 09
Tangier (Morocco)
AFRICA
M+R Spedag Network in Africa
Nouakchott (Mauretania)
M+R Spedag in Africa
Logistics in Africa is one of the specialties of the M+R Spedag
Group. Established in 1955, the Spedag delegation in South
Africa has represented the group there for over half a century.
In East Africa, Spedag is one of the few organizations to offer a
comprehensive service for the entire region despite the difficult
environment. For over 30 years M+R Spedag has been one of
the few companies to have a wide range of experience in ground
transportation to North Africa. It relies on an extensive network of
partner companies.
Morocco
Branches:
Tangier
M+R Spedag has been transporting goods overland between Switzerland/
Europe and Morocco for over 30 years. Since opening a branch in Tangier in
the early 1990s, it has been able to handle Morocco’s complex import/export
formalities, which has considerably improved services and shortened transit
times.
East Africa
Branches:
Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe, Malaba, Kasese,
Mombasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Kigali
Founded in 1998, Spedag East Africa Ltd. covers the entire East Africa region from its branches in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. To operate
successfully in this difficult environment, Spedag has its own infrastructure
in East Africa with processing terminals, container yards, customs yards and
warehouses. A fleet of over 40 trucks travels continuously between the port
cities of Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam and inland destinations within East
Africa. As the sole logistics service provider, Spedag East Africa provides
direct and regular LCL services from Europe directly to the East African
interior and combined shipments from South Africa. Much of the company
is involved in project logistics, both in East Africa and the entire region. The
group has offices in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to
oversee projects.
South Africa
Branches:
Johannesburg / Durban
Spedag Speditions AG, sent its first delegation to South Africa over 50 years
ago. It developed into a strong organization and is now one of the top logistics companies in South Africa. Spedag South Africa provides inter-African
transportation solutions in addition to traditional sea and air transportation
between South African and Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
A group of specialists is dedicated to project logistics for South Africa and
neighboring countries.
panorama 10
Casablanca (Morocco)
Tunis (Tunesia)
Cairo (Egypt)
M+R Spedag Group
Network Partner
Addis Ababa
(Ethiopia)
Djibouti
Juba (Sudan)
Kinshasa (Dem. Rep. Congo)
Kampala / Entebbe / Jinja (Uganda)
Nairobi (Kenya)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Kigali (Rwanda)
Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)
Bujumbura (Burundi)
Matadi (Dem. Rep. Congo)
Kolwezi (Dem. Rep. Congo)
Lusaka (Sambia)
Johannesburg (S. Africa)
Walvis Bay (Namibia)
Durban (S. Africa)
Port Elizabeth (S. Africa)
Cape Town (S. Africa)
panorama 11
INTERNAL
Chiasso branch
Benvenuti a Chiasso!
Up to 5,000 trucks a day cross the border between Italy and Switzerland at Chiasso, making it in
terms of cargo volumes the second busiest border crossing point in Switzerland just behind the
Basel/Weil highway crossing, the main gateway between Switzerland and Germany.
Located on the border to Italy, Chiasso
is Switzerland’s southernmost town.
Although it is relatively small with a
population just under 10,000, as the
southern crossing between Switzerland
and Italy, it is a strategic transportation
location. Its tranquil small-town feel is
deceiving. The majority of all trucks
coming from Italy and heading north
have to pass through the St. Gotthardtunnel, the main passageway across
the Swiss Alps along the north-south
axis. Due to safety constrains, the flow
of trucks through the 16 kilometer long
tunnel is strictly regulated. During traffic peaks, long lines of trucks form at
the entrance to the tunnel. As soon
as the designated waiting areas are
full, the authorities evoke the „Fase
Rossa“, and trucks are not allowed further than Bellinzona. As a result, trucks
begin to pile up as far away as Como
on the Italian side ahead of the border
crossing to Chiasso.
The company needs to be able to contact authorities and truck drivers directly, despite modern technology and an
EDI connection.
Like all Swiss M+R Spedag branches,
the Chiasso branch is connected with
the group’s network, and works directly with the IT headquarters’ systems in
Muttenz/Basel. This enables access to
eDec, NCTS (New Computerized Transit System) and automated system
customs clearance.
branches. Although the company ser­
ves clients in Ticino, goods traffic between Italy and countries to the north is
many times greater. The M+R Spedag
Chiasso office therefore also works as
a customs clearance and transit agent
in cooperation with other M+R Spedag
offices north of the Alps.
Stephan Schneider, Muttenz
The Chiasso branch cooperates clo­
sely with the Basel and Schaffhausen
The M+R Spedag office is located on
the Corso San Gottardo, right next to
the Chiasso-Strada customs office.
Opened in Spring 2003, the branch
manages incoming and outgoing traffics, customs clearance and transit
clearance. Its location right next to the
customs office is a great advantage.
The daily routines in Chiasso are shaped by the activities around the border crossing post with Italy
panorama 12
LOGISTICS
New trends in the textile industry
Extended reach, through to the point of sale
Textile manufacturers – and particularly from the Southern China region – have high ambitions. Their
aim is to exert greater control, right through to the point of sale. M+R Spedag Group CEO Daniel
Richner explains the challenges for the logistics sector.
The Swiss logistics business in textiles
from China is changing fast. “Wholesalers and middlemen, once our main
clients, are a dying breed. They are
gradually being edged out by Chinese
manufacturers – a trend that is now affecting their European counterparts,
too. The resulting verticalization of the
supply chain increases added value”,
says Daniel Richner.
M+R Spedag textile terminal in Gunzgen covers some 16,000 m² at the
geographical heart of Switzerland.
Here, between Lake Constance and
Lake Geneva, 80 percent of the country’s consumers and businesses can
be found. The Härkingen freeway intersection, where the N1 from Geneva to
St. Gallen meets the N2 from Basel to
Chiasso, is just five minutes away.
49-year-old Richner has been CEO of
the M+R Spedag Group for the last
five years and proprietor since 10 April
2006, when his father Hansruedi (74)
handed over his stake in the family
business. Its subsidiary M+R Logistik
Service – based in Gunzgen, Solothurn
– is one of the leading Swiss providers of logistics services for the textile
industry.
Things are at their busiest from January to March and July to September,
when the spring/summer and autumn/
winter collections come rolling in by
truck. Four-fifths arrive via Basel, hanging in special freight containers known
as “swap bodies”, with the rest coming
mainly from Italy and Turkey. 75 percent
of the consignments that come in to
the Gunzgen depot are delivered within
24 hours. Local distribution is handled
by a fleet of 25 vehicles ranging from
3.5 to 12.5 tonnes in size. Recipients
include some 230 Migros outlets and
80 Manor stores. “The list also includes
virtually every Swiss retailer you care to
think of”, points out Daniel Richner. The
items in question range from simple tshirts through to designer coats from
up-market brands such as Hugo Boss.
M+R Logistik Service also manages
the initial and main haulage of the textiles. Trucks collect the items from the
production site, where they are packed
in 40- or 45-foot containers and transported to the ports of Southern China
or Hong Kong for shipping to Rotterdam or Hamburg. Arrangements for
onward transportation by rail or inland
waterway to Basel are handled from
M+R Spedag’s base in the city.
According to Daniel Richner, the ambitions of the manufacturers – in particular, those who are turning their backs on
the textiles strongholds of South-East
China, centered around Hong Kong,
due to growing cost pressure and are
moving production to cheaper outlying
areas – go much further. “Of late, they
have even been trying to control the
point of sale in order to push their own
fashions by keeping them apart from
other mass-produced goods.”
This has led to a curious situation,
with separate islands within retail outlets – so-called shops within a shop
– “staffed by only the most attractive
sales assistants”, in line with the manufacturers’ instructions. At the same
time, the ephemeral world of fashion is
speeding up the supply chain. In the
past, production technology was such
that the turnaround time for new designs was 18 months. Today, they can
be on the rails in a third of the time.
With a workforce of 60 permanent
employees and 35 seasonal staff, the
According to Daniel Richner, “the
revolution in the supply chain is being
played out not so much at the logistical
level as in the fashion-driven, increasingly frenetic pace of decision-making
in terms of color, style, materials and
production”. As a result, a number
of his clients have opted to procure
their textiles in Eastern Europe which,
though relatively expensive, has the
benefit of proximity. It’s a matter of
individual choice, Richner comments
philosophically.
On occasion, Chinese manufactur-
Daniel Richner, CEO M+R Spedag Group,
at the textile logistics terminal Gunzgen
ers fall behind schedule, or the market requires additional stocks at short
notice. In such cases, M+R Logistik
Service is able to transport the goods
by a combination of sea and air via
Dubai, which costs more but saves
time. “The additional costs compared
with straightforward shipping are, of
course, borne by the supplier”, Daniel
Richner emphasizes.
Recently, he has noticed a megatrend
which does not bode well for China:
its textile centers are losing ground in
the market as alternative locations in
Southern Asia are increasingly snapping at their heels. The main reasons
behind this move away from China are
its rising production costs and the desire on the part of the international textile industry to be less dependent on its
economic policy.
Wilf Seifert, independent journalist
DVZ Nr. 108, 9.9.2006
panorama 13
ASIA
Internal training in Shanghai
In-house training at M+R Shanghai
The Chinese labor market – in Shanghai in particular – is extremely dynamic right now. There is a lot
of work out there and a lot of people looking for jobs. Employers are facing an enormous challenge
because – despite the abundance of applicants – the country is experiencing a skills shortage. As a
result, M+R China has launched a new in-house training program.
In response to the worsening situation
in the labor market, the management
of M+R China has set up an in-house
training program in Shanghai. After
two months of preparation, eleven
students have been recruited from a
nearby logistics college. The young
people in question come from different
areas and backgrounds, but all have
completed an academic course in logistics. Now they will undertake a oneyear internship at M+R Shanghai, at
the end of which they will be awarded
an official diploma.
The practical training will be overseen
by the various department heads at
M+R Shanghai. Once a week, the prospective logisticians will get together
for joint in-house training, covering all
aspects of international transporta­tion
and logistics. In the course of their
on-the-job training, the students will
become familiar with the particularities
of each of the operational and administrative departments.
This should also help the young people to become fully integrated into the
M+R Shanghai team. Every Tuesday
evening, the male interns also train
with the M+R Shanghai football team,
where they have already proved themselves to be a valuable addition to the
squad.
Interne Schulung: Know-how Transfer an die jungen Praktikanten
The aim of M+R China is to give the
young people in question an introduction to the corporate culture and a
sound training with a view to attracting
highly qualified employees in the future. In this way, the company hopes to
be able to tackle the current shortage
of skilled labor.
the interns very welcome and are giving them every possible support. It is
also clear that the students are proud
to have been given the opportunity to
take part in the project. Their energy
has rubbed off on those around them
and has had a positive effect on the
entire team in Shanghai.
Three months into the program, the
signs are looking extremely good.
The existing employees have made
Kirsty O‘Brien, Shanghai
China Update
On 20 November 2006, the former M+R Spedag Group representative office in Shenzhen became a fully operational office.
Shenzhen, a modern metropolis and gateway to Hong Kong, has
grown enormously over the last 20 years. Shenzhen City as we
know it today only came into existence in 1979. Following the creation of the Special Economic Zone in 1980, the city has undergone
unprecedented development. Shenzhen and the surrounding conurbation are home to a population of more than 20 million people.
Together, the city‘s three ports (Yantian, Shekou and Chiwan) form
the world’s fourth largest port, set to eventually take over the top
spot from the current leader, Hong Kong.
panorama 14
ASIA
Logistics events in Shanghai
The logistics capital of the world
Three major events took place in Shanghai in the space of a single week last September: the FIATA
World Congress, the Transport Logistic China trade fair and the annual Asia Conference of the M+R
Spedag Group. For that one week at least, the Chinese metropolis on the Yangtze Delta was undoubtedly the logistics capital of the world.
FIATA World Congress
The International Federation of Freight
Forwarders Associations (FIATA for
short) is the global umbrella organization of the freight forwarding industry.
It represents an industry comprising
more than 40,000 firms, employing
between eight and ten million people
in 150 countries worldwide. It is recognized as the official representative of
the freight forwarding industry by major
international bodies such as the World
Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Chamber of Commerce
(ICC). Each year, a large number of
its member firms meet for the annual
FIATA World Congress, to exchange
information and monitor trends.
Transport Logistics China
Shanghai was host to the second Trans­
port Logistic China event – the international trade fair for transport, logistics
and telematics in Asia. Over 300 exhibitors from 33 different countries presented their products and services. The
aim of the event is to provide a forum
for exhibitors – mainly from Europe – to
network with partner firms, clients and
other interested parties in China. Organized by the Munich Trade Fairs International Group (MMI), Transport Logistic China is modeled on the prestigious
Transport Logistic trade fair in Munich,
the largest of its kind in Europe.
M+R Spedag Asia Conference
The annual Asia Conference of the
M+R Spedag Group took place under
the slogan “The first 20 years in Asia”.
Hosted by M+R Forwarding China
Ltd., the event was attended by members of management from M+R Asia,
Group representatives from Switzerland, the USA, Africa and Mexico, and
strategic partners of the M+R Asia network. The conference provided a useful review of the last 12 months, set out
the strategic objectives for the coming
year and gave participants an opportunity to exchange views in a spirit of
collaboration.
One of the highlights of the proceedings was the teambuilding event entitled “I believe I can fly” – an allusion
to the increasingly important air freight
sector. The participants were divided
up into groups and given the task of
making a kite out of wooden batons,
tissue paper and glue. First, the group
began by identifying the two most experienced kite-builders, whose task it
was to then help the others construct
their kites. The result: “I can fly indeed”.
Stephan Schneider, Muttenz
The Bund - one of Shanghai‘s most popular landmarks
panorama 15
INTERNAL
Container Shipping
50 years of container shipping
The standard means of transporting freight by sea, the container, celebrated its 50th anniversary last
year. These big, brightly-colored metal boxes may long since have become commonplace, but half
a century ago they completely transformed world trade.
ordered in bulk, so are ideally suited
for filling one or more whole containers. Containers are perfect for general
cargo, too. Machinery and equipment
manufacturers, for example, will ensure that the individual components
they produce will fit into a container as
a matter of course.
Round the clock service at modern container terminals
The date is April 1956. In the US port
of Newark, New Jersey, the M/V Ideal
X, a converted tanker vessel, is loading
58 purpose-built containers – known
as “truck-trailer- bodies”. When the
vessel, which was referred to as “trailership” set sail for Houston, Texas, on
that spring day in 1956, the modern
era of container shipping was born.
The idea of using a standardized container for the transportation of goods
has revolutionized world trade over
the last 50 years. Where once the relatively small cargo vessels would sit in
a port for days on end, now thousands
of containers can be unloaded in the
space of a few short hours. Thanks
to the solid steel construction of containers, goods no longer need to be
packed in sturdy, highly expensive
wooden crates. Instead, they can be
loaded directly into the containers in
cardboard boxes or on pallets.
panorama 16
What’s more, with containers, the unloading and reloading of goods is kept
to a minimum – an important factor,
because unloading and reloading cargo in this way is a time-consuming and
expensive business and increases the
risk of damage. And, of course, modern mass-produced goods are mostly
An ISO standard container is 8 feet
(2.44 meters) wide and 8 feet,6 inches (2.59 meters) high. Standard units
measure 20 or 40 feet in length (6.1
or 12.2 meters). Over the years, there
have been more and more variations
on the theme. Today, you can find containers that are extra high or extra long,
“Open Top” container for top loading
by crane and even those that are effectively just a container base. But what
they all have in common is that they
all share the same fixtures that allow
them to be carried by a loading crane
or forklift and secured to a truck or railway carriage.
As containers have become more and
more popular, global infrastructure has
developed to handle them. Throughout
the world, trucks and railway carriages
are now equipped to carry containers
as standard. Wherever you go, there
are container depots, in which empty
containers can be cleaned, repaired
Containers und Containerships
With around 3,000 worldwide, container ships now account for 10 percent of
the world fleet, compared with just 5 percent less than ten years ago. 70 percent of all general cargo is currently transported in containers, and that figure
looks set to rise to 90 percent over the next 20 years.
The combined capacity of the world‘s fleet of containerships is about 8 million
TEUs (“Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit” - 1 TEU equals to 1 x 20‘ Container und 1
x 40‘ Container equals to 2 TEUs). The total number or containers currently in
services is about 20 Millionen TEUs.
The biggest containerships today can hold up to 11‘000 TEUs, and there are
already plans for ships holding up to 13‘000 TEUs. These giants are up to
400 meters long and 55 meters wide, which roughly corresponds to the total
length of 4 football fields.
More and bigger container vessels go into service to handle the growing cargo volumes of world trade.
and stored until they are needed again.
In the early days, containers were loaded onto normal freighters, but these
were soon replaced by specialist container ships.
But with ever bigger ships come problems, too – infrastructure alterations to
the big container ports, for example.
And, of course, there is the maximum
depth of dock or reach of a container
crane to consider. Likewise, there are
the so-called Panamax and Suezmax
limits to be taken into account, which
determine the maximum size of the
vessels that can pass through the lock
chambers of the two canals. Many
ships already exceed the Panamax
standard. In order to cope with bigger
ships in the future, the Panama Canal
is due to be widened by 2014.
Stephan Schneider, Muttenz
Book Recommendation
A colorful and beautifully illustrated history of
containers from 1956 to today.
Arthur Donovan
and Joseph Bonney
The Box That Changed The World
262 pages
panorama 17
INTERNAL
Charity
Swiss AIDS Care: Helping the most vulnerable
In 2003, the Swiss AIDS pioneer Ruedi Luethy traveled to Zimbabwe, where more than a quarter of
the population is living with the HIV virus. In Harare, under incredibly difficult circumstances, he embarked on a mission to set up an outpatient clinic and reference laboratory. This project is funded by
the Swiss AIDS Care foundation, proudly supported by M+R Spedag.
Founded in spring 2003, Swiss AIDS
Care International is an NGO dedicated to providing direct help for people
with HIV in the poorest countries of
the world. Sufferers are offered comprehensive medical care and support,
specifically tailored to local needs. Professor Ruedi Luethy, the organization’s
founder and a renowned expert in the
field of HIV and Aids, has been living in
the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, since
August 2003. There, he has been overseeing the building of the first clinic,
which includes a dedicated laboratory
and its own training facility for local
medical staff.
Unfortunately, access to treatment
for AIDS in the Third World is mainly
confined to adults, though of course
a large number of children are also affected. In the industrialized world, less
than 500 children a year contract AIDS
from their mother at birth, whereas in
the Third World that figure is more than
1,000 a day.
Taking effective action to tackle this
tragedy is one of the main objectives
of Swiss AIDS Care International. For
panorama 18
children are a country’s future, after all.
There are large numbers of adults and
children living with HIV in and around
Harare, many of whom urgently need
antiretroviral treatment. The cost of
treating adults has fallen significantly
in recent years because developing
nations are now producing fixed-dose
combination drugs for themselves.
However, there is no such easy and affordable treatment for children as yet.
For now, children are simply treated
with half or quarter of the adult dose.
However, there is a serious drawback
to this approach: it means that at least
one of the three active pharmaceutical
ingredients cannot be tailored to the
patient’s body weight. Too little of the
relevant treatment results in the virus
becoming drug resistant. After a few
months, the treatment is compromised
and if it stops working altogether then
there is nothing more that can be done
for the child because there are no alter-
natives. Children need specific forms
of treatment that are easy to administer and can be continually adjusted to
their body weight.
With the help of a team of pediatric
doctors and nurses from Switzerland,
Ruedi Luethy has come up with a solution that ensures the proper, effective
treatment of children, even in the developing world. At his clinic in Harare,
original tablets – each containing a single substance – are crushed and then
used to fill capsules, providing the correct dosage based on the weight of the
child being treated. The capsules can
be swallowed whole or their contents
can be mixed in with the child’s food.
This method is extremely laborious
and therefore far more expensive than
a comparable treatment for adults.
However, there is no effective alternative for treating children in the Third
World right now.
Bernadette Jourdan, Muttenz
European of the year
On 18 January, Professor Ruedi Luethy was presented with the Reader’s Digest “European of the Year
2007” award, as voted for by the Editors-in-Chief of
the magazine’s 20 European editions each year since
1996. At a packed awards ceremony at the University
of Zurich, the tributes were led by Swiss President
Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Foundation Swiss AIDS Care International
Verena Conzett-Strasse 7, Postfach 9419,
CH-8036 Zürich
www.swissaidscare.ch, info@swissaidscare.ch
INTERNAL
Anniversaries
We would like to congratulate the following employees on reaching a major anniversary with the
company and thank them for their valued and loyal service!
30 Years
Erwin Bachmann
Ivano Ceresa
Daniel Richner
George Schneider
10 Years
Muttenz
Muttenz
Muttenz
Muttenz
25 Years
Elisabeth Müller
Rosemarie Wiedmer
Muttenz
Gunzgen
20 Years
Nicole Meyer
Muttenz
15 Years
Ruediger Elste
Gabriele Meissner
Udo Sauer
Hong Kong
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Ibrahim Abdullah
Marco Dürr
Christina Germain
Thomas Heidrich
Jane Huang
Ivy Kwok
Gavin Lau
Werner Mollenkopf
Nusara Phumikong
Filomena Pizzolante
Gary Pope
Hansjörg Stroh
Saman
Sudjarwo
Anthony Tam
Anthony Tsang
Alice Yen
Herdhata Yudiantoro
Jakarta
Shanghai
Basel
Schaffhausen
Taipei
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Gunzgen
Bangkok
Muttenz
Hong Kong
Muttenz
Jakarta
Jakarta
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Taipei
Surabaya
By the way...
Look out for the next edition of Panorama, featuring the corporate celebrations
in Switzerland to mark the launch of the M+R Spedag Group single brand,
along with the new telephone number for the whole of Switzerland, effective
as of 1 June 2007:
058 677 77 77
panorama 19
Art & Logistics
(interpreted by Spedag Kenya)