Panorama - November 2005

The Magazine of the M+R Spedag Group
November 2005
Contents
Formula-1 Logistics
M R Forwarding in Asia
Editorial
3
Guest article: More courage for the future
China fascinates - an article by the Swiss Consul General in Shanghai
4
All good things come in “eights”
The CEO of the M R Spedag Group lectured at the BA Lörrach
5
M+R Asia - From the beginnings until today
The story of M R Asia - a review of 20 years of ongoing success
6
Logistics Center Bangkok
“Last mile” distribution services in Thailand
8
China Update
New developments at M R China
9
The Asian network of the M+R Spedag Group
A detailed overview of our organization in the Far East
10
e-dec
Swiss customs are introducing a new IT-Platform
12
A perfect fit
Footwear logistics in Muttenz
13
Textile know-how
STF students visiting our distribution terminal in Gunzgen
14
Migros relies on M+R Logistics Service
Contract signing with the largest retailer in Switzerland
15
On to the next assignment
Project forwarding in Africa
16
The fight against Noma
M R Spedag supports the WINDS OF HOPE foundation
17
Formula-1 Logistics
A not-so-common sight at our terminals
18
Anniversaries
19
Cover Performance of the traditional Lion Dance in front of the Centre Point Building, Head Office of M+R Hong Kong
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Imprint
Publisher M+R Spedag Group, Kriegackerstrasse 91, 4132 Muttenz/Switzerland Editor Bernadette Jourdan
Layout Stephan Schneider Grafics Florian Fiechter Contact panorama@mrspedag.com Copyright M+R Spedag Group
EDITORIAL
To the next 20 years
The focus topic of this issue takes us
to eastern Asia, into the economic territory which is to make its mark on the
21st century. Our group of companies
is celebrating 20 years of active presence in the Far East. Originating out
of 4 offices and 25 staff, an organisation has been established with 19 subsidiaries and 350 professional logistics experts, with a global network
that can match any competitor on the
world market.
A symbol of our success is the title
page illustration. It shows a performance of the “Lion Dance” in front of
the head office of our Asian group in
Hong Kong. This dance signifies a
good omen when something new is
started and is destined for success.
The noise drives out evil spirits and
the movements resemble those of a
Kung Fu fighter. The lion has been
dancing for us for 20 years already,
and the company has been moving
since its beginnings like a courageous, powerful fighter.
The milestones of our operations are
described on page 6. At this point I
would like to put the last 20 years into
a historical context and examine a few
important events. The standard of
living in Asia has continually improved
over the past 20 years, over a background of historically significant changes in power in many places. Longstanding heads of state as well as dictators were removed or have retired:
Philippines (Marcos, after 21 years in
office), Singapore (Lee Kuan Yee, after
31 years), North Korea (Kim Il-Sung,
after 46 years), Hong Kong (transfer to
China, 1997). Indonesia (Soeharto,
after 33 years), Taiwan (KMT, after 51
years), Malaysia (Dr. Mahatir, after 22
years). But other events also linger in
our memories, such as the unrest in
Tiananmen Square (1989), the financial crisis (1997), the tragedy of the Bali
bombings (2002), the SARS crisis
(2003), and, not to be forgotten, the
Tsunami catastrophe on 26 December
2004.
Positive milestones were major sport
events like the Olympic Games in
Seoul in 1988 and the football World
Cup in Korea and Japan in 2002.
Despite considerable reformations or perhaps as a consequence - the
Far East is in the process of approaching the dominant position of both of
the major economic blocks, USA and
Europe. If the forecasts of the experts
are true, China - ahead of all others will be the largest economy in the
world even before we can celebrate
another 20 years.
Congratulations to all colleagues who
have made that which we have achieved possible, and with whose enthusiasm the success story is carried on
daily. A big thanks to all partners and
carriers for their loyalty and support
and a very special thanks to all of our
customers. We are looking forward to
a further 20 years of success.
Yours
Daniel Richner
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GUEST ARTICLE
China fascinates
More courage for the future
Our guest article comes from the pen of Hans Jakob Roth, the Swiss Consul General in Shanghai.
He is Dr. Phil., has a licentiate in economics, and is active since 1982 in the Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA). He was stationed in London, Tokyo, and Beijing before he took up his current
post in Shanghai in 2001.
hold on and we don't see that the
defensive attitude is really the surest
guarantee of failure to keep pace. We
only stay fit when we attempt an
undertaking, when we move forwards
without thinking that we must always
know exactly what the way ahead
must look like. Together with the will to
accomplish, aspirations signify great
trust in the future as well as trust in
ourselves. The progress of reality will
show us the ways to realize our aspirations; and we know that we have the
abilitiy to rise to the needs which will
then be shown. We are in need of
both, in Switzerland and Basel: self
confidence and confidence in our
future.
A bit more than a year ago I paid a
quick visit to the zoological gardens in
Basel on a Sunday before my return to
Shanghai. Mr. Pagan showed me his
new termite facility and told me of his
idea of a panda couple in an Asiatic
setting on the Dorenbach. We discussed the project and the implementation problems in China.
A few days ago, on the occasion of a
short stay in my home city, I landed
directly into the middle of the panda
debate and realized - as is often the
case regarding my work as Consul
General in Shanghai - that the persuasion campaign at home could possibly be much more problematic than
the zoological-political discussion with
the Chinese side.
China fascinates. And our land needs
aspirations. What fascinates me so
with China is the dynamic setting and
the aspirations which are being achieved one after the other. Not everything
works out; structures which were
made yesterday are being ripped
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down today if they don't measure up
to the ideas on which they were
based. This dynamic is exactly the
reason why some things are working
out badly. But this failing has no news
value. One speaks of successes, not
of failed projects. And more than anything else, one doesn't allow oneself
to get so easily discouraged, but rather tries again and moves forward.
Nothing of the autogenic effects of failure which we in Switzerland celebrate
almost masochistically.
The advantage of aspirations perhaps, is that they are not bound to
planning. How they can be achieved
emerges as a rule from the progress
of reality. But in present-day China,
there is hardly a doubt that they will be
realized in the end. Achievement
means taking risks and being able to
live with them - it means attempting,
without always thinking of a possible
fall.
A big defensive attitude. Today, we in
Switzerland are desperately trying to
Therefore I wish the zoo director Mr.
Pagan luck, that his mid-term panda
project and the needed habitat will
materialize and I hope that Basel
encourages aspirations and does not
come to a standstill in an attitude of
defense.
This article was printed with the kind
permission of Mr. Hans Roth
(Swiss Consul General, Shanghai)
FEATURE
Experiences of a Forwarder in China
All good things come in “eights”...
In reply to an invitation from the study course on Forwarding, Transport and Logistics at the
University of Cooperative Education in Lörrach, our CEO gave a talk on the topic “Logistics
connecting continents and cultures - Experiences of a Forwarder in China”.
For years the Chinese economy has
been expanding. The economic boom
is simultaneously driving the demand
for logistics services and logistics
know-how. This was recently emphasized impressively by Mr. Daniel
Richner, Chief Executive Officer of the
M+R Spedag Group, which has its
head office in Muttenz near Basel.
With approximately 880 employees,
the M+R Spedag Group counts as
one of the leading logistics providers
in Switzerland.
The number eight appears repeatedly
in the accomplishments of the China
expert. Originally, eight in China
stands for the eight trigrams in the
book of changes (I Ching). There are
the eight immortals of Taoism, the
eight symbols of Confucius and the
eight holy symbols of Buddhism. Thus
the eight is generally seen as a lucky
number.
Eight misinterpretations …
Following eight impressive examples
regarding China's economic development, the speaker warned of eight
misinterpretations. The guest referred
to one of the most widely spread
views that China is one land and one
market, that China only manufactures
low-tech products, has the lowest production costs and that it only copies
western products and dumps them
cheaply onto the market. Additionally,
it is widely thought in the western
world that capital-intensive goods are
still manufactured in Europe. Some,
however, also see a danger in the
country's rapid economic development. In conclusion, Mr. Richner warned against hopes of making a quick
profit in the Chinese market. “Various
studies show that only a few foreign
companies are making attractive profits in China. Many companies have
had to learn this the hard way, especially those who went to China very
early on”, said Richner.
Eight risks …
Despite the overall positive assessment for the further development of
China, Mr. Richner of course also
dealt with the risks involved. He included the development of raw material
prices, questions of energy, water,
and environmental effects; the topics
of North Korea and Taiwan, the condition of the banking system, questions
regarding patent protection, the transformation from an agricultural to an
industrial state, and, last but not least,
the question of political stability.
Eight success factors …
Whoever wants to be successful in
China would be well advised to make
themselves familiar with some peculiarities. Patience is an important virtue.
The Chinese measure in significantly
longer periods of time; yet another
reason why it is so important to first
build up a network of influential connections. The partner expects onehundred percent attention. There are
no “quick wins”; the investment phase
involves years. Another thing of importance is respect towards superiors
and older people. To avoid disappointments one must be clear that there
is a different conception of law. “A
contract obligates, but it is not binding”, says Richner. This is also valid
in regard to payment conduct. An
exact observance of laws and regulations and good contact with authorities is indispensable. This was explicitly experienced by M+R in connection with the acquirement of the socalled A-License which authorizes the
performance of all forwarding services
in China.
Eight challenges for a
logistics provider in China
The M+R Spedag Group grew very
dynamically in China from 1992 to
2004. In this time period, the establishment of a relatively dense network in the eastern and central
regions was accomplished. The size
of the country is a challenge not only
for a mid-size logistics company. The
infrastructure of the country lags
behind the economic development.
The warehouse and transport infrastructures also are unsatisfactory.
Distribution services only function on
a short-range level. The varying regulations from province to province and
the many restrictions for foreign companies are particularly difficult problems. The partially inefficient and
financially weak government owned
enterprises are major issues for future
development strategies. Generally,
the question is raised how growth
without loss of quality should be
accomplished.
Prof. Schwolgin, BA Lörrach
Founded in 1981, the University of
Cooperative Education in Lörrach is a
government sponsored institution of the
state of Baden-Württemberg. In co-operation with partners in commerce and
industry, courses in Economies, Information Technology and Engineering are
offered to students.
panorama 05
ASIA
History M+R Asia
M+R Asia - from the beginnings until today
It is exactly 20 years since M R Spedag ventured into Asia. Today, "M R Forwarding" is a
powerful and rapidly expanding organisation in Asia and one of the most important pillars
of the company group.
The M+R Spedag Group is recognized today both as leading firm in the
European transport sector as well as
overseas. This was not always the
case: at the end of the 70’s the company looked back over the first quarter-century of its history. It enjoyed a
distinguished reputation with a corresponding slice in the European overland transport sector. In regard to
intercontinental transport, though it
was still at the beginning. The first
steps concentrated on consolidation
services to the USA by sea and overland services to Morocco - both areas
in which M+R Spedag is still a market
leader today.
With the take-over of Spedag Spedition AG in the year 1979, the Group
attained further know-how and market
shares regarding overseas transport -
Centre Point - the Hong Kong-based Head Office of M R Asia
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especially in the areas of Africa and
Latin America. The turning point for
the overseas areas was in 1985 as the
firm expanded into Asia. At the beginning there were 4 offices in the so-called Tiger-states. They were small but
they were situated in strategically
important locations. In the 80’s, the
economic setting looked different in
Asia than it does today. Following the
giant Japan, the so-called “4 small
tigers” (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Korea) were the driving
power behind the Asiatic economic
upturn.
At the beginning of 1986, Daniel
Richner, the current CEO of the group,
moved to Asia to contribute to the
building of the Asian organization.
First he directed the skills of the firm in
Singapore, then from 1989 onwards in
Hong Kong. The goal was to build a
network of own offices and strategic
partners from Pakistan to Japan. In
1989 the organization expanded with
four new offices in Thailand (Bangkok)
and Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung,
Surabaya).
The basis for success in China was
laid already in 1987, as one of the official agents of Sinotrans, with a license
to issue own TBs/L there. In 1988 a
new firm with the name “M+R
Forwarding (China) Ltd.” was founded. The focus - at the beginning out
of the head office in Hong Kong - lay
exclusively with transport services out
of China. In 1994 the opening of the
representative office in Shanghai followed: the first office in China. The next
step was a presence in Tianjin. The
corridor Xingang - Tianjin - Beijing is
still one of the three big economic
regions in China. In 2001 the management for China moved from Hong
Kong to Shanghai. In the same year
new offices were opened in Beijing
and Ningbo and in the following year
further offices followed in Xiamen and
Qingdao.
Beginning in 2003 a new project was
started: the coveted and important ALicense for China. This goal was reached in the middle of 2004; as one of
the very first foreign companies overall, M+R China received this license.
Since then M+R China may - instead
of as before indirectly through a locally licensed firm - serve the customers
in China directly under their own
name.
The expansion of M+R Forwarding is
moving along with the rapid economic
development in China. In 2004 a delegation office was opened in Shenzhen, the young metropolis near the
gates of Hong Kong. As the new airport in Guangzhou (Canton) was put
into operation at the beginning of
2005, M+R opened an office there
too. With Hong Kong as the most
important gateway for the entire
region of the Pearl River delta, these
offices in Shenzhen and Guangzhou
are administered from Hong Kong,
not Shanghai. The most recent step in
the expansion in China was the opening of the M+R office in Nanjing in
the middle of this year.
The growth in Asia is moving unimpeded onwards under Ruediger Elste,
who took over the management of the
Asian Group from Daniel Richner in
1992. The constantly expanding company was given a strong management
structure. A dynamic team comprised
of local and international experts of
various nationalities - all proven professionals in transport and logistics form the foundation for a continuing
successful future.
Looking back, M+R Spedag can be
more than proud of what has been
achieved. After 20 years the Asian
ASIA
organization exceeds the boldest
expectations and with its 19 offices
and 350 employees, represents a significant part of M+R Spedag. In the
light of ongoing growth, especially in
China, M+R Asia has managed in its
anniversary year to close the gap to
the parent company in Switzerland in
both the number of employees as well
as in the financial results.
Stephan Schneider, Muttenz
Movie Recommendation
RUSH HOUR 2 (2001)
- Jacky Chan
- Chris Tucker
A member of the Hong Kong police (Jacky Chan) and his American “partner”
(Chris Tucker) are trying to get behind a plot between triads (Chinese mafia) and
drug dealers in the USA. A fight begins on a luxury yacht in the port of Hong
Kong. In the background one can see the office of M R on the 7th floor, with the
light still on; apparently colleagues of ours were busy until late into the night. The
film ends in Las Vegas. The crooks possess a banknote printing machine from
the world market leader in matters of banknote printing. They bring the counterfeits into circulation in a casino which is fitted out overall in Chinese style. As far
as we understand from a reliable source, the story is not so far-fetched because
at least one such print machine has really vanished without a trace over the last
four decades. Though not, of course, in transport with one of the most reliable
movers.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower
Shanghai
Amusing and entertaining - impressive pictures of the Hong Kong skyline.
panorama 07
LOGISTICS
Logistics Center Bangkok
Logistics Center Bangkok
Since the opening of the “Logistics and Distribution Center” in Bangkok at the beginning of 2004,
M R Forwarding Thailand is intensively engaged with the well-known Liechtenstein company HILTI.
This demonstrates that even in a difficult environment, with applied know-how and a functioning
and smart logistics concept, distribution down to the “last mile” can be done to international standards.
Following the intense export boom of
the 80’s and 90’s, there is an increasing demand in Thailand today for
specialized logistics services in the
area of national distribution as well.
For almost two years, M+R Thailand
has been vigorously engaged with
Hilti and is responsible in their outsourcing project for warehousing and
distribution in Thailand. The company,
based in Liechtenstein and active
around the world, is one of the leading
specialists in the area of mounting
and assembly technology.
In the partly air-conditioned logistics
center in Bangkok, M+R Forwarding
stores more than 600 different Hilti
products. Incoming orders are approved and packed for subsequent distribution. There are around 1300 shipments per month. The majority of the
shipments must be delivered in and
around Bangkok, but the number of
deliveries to more remote areas is growing. Hilti specialists at the M+R logistics center take care of the maintenance and repair of devices which
have been picked up and returned by
M+R Bangkok.
For several months now, Hilti has
been offering customers in Bangkok
M R Logistics-Center in Bangkok
the delivery of shipments on the same
day. For M+R Forwarding this means
that a maximum of five hours is available to distribute all shipments. In a
rapidly growing metropolis with its
notorious traffic problems, this is an
extraordinary achievement. And as if
that was not enough, besides the
“same day delivery” service, customers are furthermore offered an
express service which guarantees
delivery of supplies within Bangkok
city limits in under three hours.
In order to handle the constantly growing traffic, M+R Thailand is working
on a new distribution concept. Instead
of the previous “sequential” daily procedure, approval, packaging, and
delivery will be transformed into a unified, flowing process. These changes
signify a fundamental change in the
entire process concept and require
amongst other things a restructuring
of the warehouse facilities. Further
improvements in efficiency, as well in
the area of inventory management,
will be accomplished by the introduction of the newly developed software
“M+R Warehouse Management
System”.
Maarten Oonk, M+R Bangkok
M R Team at the Logistics-Center
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Maintenance work
ASIA
China Update
China Update
Northern China
Logistics in northern China is increasing in significance. This is not only in
regard to export to overseas but also
for local distribution services. The
local industry as well as the growing
requirements of China's population,
especially the booming industrial
regions, need to be supplied.
Consequently, early in 2005 Chad
Sprecher took up his new position as
Sales and Logistics Manager in the
M+R office in Qingdao. Chad previously worked for more than three
years at M+R Shanghai where he proved his know-how and professionalism, especially in the logistics sector.
Airport office Guangzhou
In March this year M+R Forwarding
opened an airfreight and sales office
at the new “Baiyun International
Airport” in Guangzhou. Since all activities in southern China are directed
Nanjing
and coordinated through the “China
desk” of M+R Hong Kong, the new
Guangzhou office is directly under the
jurisdiction of M+R Hong Kong.
Guangzhou (Canton) is the capital city
of the Guangdong province. With a
population of almost 100 million and
three so-called “special economic
zones” (Shenzhen, Shantou and
Zhuhai) the region Guangdong produces today the highest GDP in all of
China. The industrial activities of the
province are concentrated mainly
around the so-called “Pearl River
Delta”.
New office in Nanjing
As of April 2005, M+R China has opened an office in Nanjing. Nanjing is the
capital city of the Jiangsu province
and is situated roughly 380 km west of
Shanghai. In recent years Nanjing has
attracted a constant flow of foreign
investment money (FDI - Foreign
Direct Investment). A considerable
part of the goods which are loaded at
the docks of Shanghai come originally from the region around Nanjing.
Book Recommendation
“Know your enemy and yourself,
and you needn't be afraid of the
outcome of a hundred battles …
Know neither your enemy nor yourself, and you will be conquered in
every battle”
In 500 BC, the Chinese general Sun
Tsu wrote a scientific and philosophical paper for his king about the art of
war. Almost nothing is known about
his life. It is certain though, that the
man who wrote his knowledge onto
bamboo sticks, was no friend of war.
In the 20th century, the West also
discovered the wisdom of the general
from the Ghi province. Although, here
it is applied less to armed combat as
to everyday life.
Sun Tzu The Art of War
128 Pages
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ASIA
Asian Network
The Asian Network of the M+R Spedag Group
Founded in 1985 in Hong Kong, “M R Forwarding” - as the Asian subsidiaries of the M R Spedag
Group are called - forms a comprehensive network of 19 offices with a total of 350 employees. The
overall responsibility is held by the regional management in Hong Kong. The individual country
organizations are directed respectively by competent managers, each one of them a professional
in the field with many years of experience in Asia.
Besides the proprietary branches, which cover all major hubs of commerce and trade in South-East
Asia and the Far East, M R Forwarding is closely cooperating in all other countries in Asia with
strategic partners. Thus there is full network coverage from Pakistan to Japan.
THAILAND
Company:
M+R Forwarding (Thailand)
Co. Ltd.
Offices:
Bangkok
Employees: 34
founded:
1989
Giovanni Salce
Regional Director
S.E. Asia
SINGAPORE
Company:
M+R Forwarding Pte Ltd.
Offices:
Singapore
Employees: 12
founded:
1985
Gareth Evans
General Manager
INDONESIA
Company:
PT M+R Forwarding Indonesia
Offices:
Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya
Employees: 33
founded:
1989
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Frank Kleinteich
General Manager
CHINA
Company:
M+R Forwarding (China) Ltd.
Offices:
Shanghai, Beijing, Lianyungang
Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao
Suzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen
Employees: 149
founded:
Marco Duerr
Director
China
1990
TAIWAN
Company:
M+R Forwarding (Taiwan) Ltd.
Offices:
Taipei
Employees: 15
founded:
1985
Julien Pace
General Manager
HONG KONG
Company:
M+R Forwarding (Hong Kong)
Ltd.
Offices:
Hong Kong, Kowloon (Airfreight)
Shenzhen, Guangzhou
Employees: 105
founded:
1985
Rocky Chan
General Manager
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Pakistan:
DMK Logistics (Pvt) Limited
Indien:
PL Shipping & Logistics Ltd.
Sri Lanka:
MCS Logistics International (PVT) Ltd.
Bangladesh:
Bentrans (Pvt) Limited
Myanmar:
EFR Forwarding and General Services Co. Ltd.
Malaysia:
Multi Cargo Express Sdn. Bhd.
Cambodia:
Khmer Freight Lines Shipping Co.
Vietnam:
Altus Logistics (Vietnam) Ltd.
Philippines:
Eagle Express Lines, Inc.
Korea:
Hae Young Ocean-Air Co., Ltd.
Japan:
A.O.T. Japan Ltd.
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EUROPE
e-dec
e-dec
The Swiss Federal Customs Administration will supply services to its customers in the area of cargo processing
through an IT supported platform. The new comprehensive service package for electronic customs clearance is
being introduced under the name of e-dec.
The concept of the EZV (Federal
Customs Administration) describes
the nature of its core activity, the
customs clearance of goods. e-dec is
the name of the platform which is currently being created and that will gradually replace all current cargo processing systems as for example the
"Zollmodell 90" and the "customsinternal application" (ZIL). The e-dec
module Import is being developed in
the framework of the project RM90.
On one hand, the goal is to achieve
more transparency, on the other through a focus on one platform - all
processes, data, ITsystems, regulations etc.
can be standardized.
Considered in its entirety, this will lead to cost
savings and in the end
help both the company as
well as the customs administration
towards increased success.
The pilot project was started on 2
December 2004 in cooperation with
customs offices, processing centers
and some customers - including M+R
Spedag. The Switzerland-wide introduction of e-dec Import began on 1
September 2005
and is being carried out in phases in consultation with customers
and the responsible persons at the
customs stations and processing centers of the EVZ.
Thomas Liechti, Muttenz
New partner in Turkey
M+R Metzger+Richner Transport AG
and Türksped - both the strongest
family owned forwarding companies
in Switzerland and Turkey - have entered into a new partnership as of 1 July
2005.
The traditional company Türksped
was founded in Istanbul in 1969 and
specialises in land, sea, and air transport around the world. Türksped has a
fleet of 300 vehicles at its disposal
which is constantly in operation between Turkey and all centres of Europe
and ensures the flow of goods with
Turkey. The partnership refers both to
the relation Turkey-Switzerland-Turkey
as well as Asia-Turkey.
Türksped Head Office in Istanbul
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LOGISTICS
Logistics Park Muttenz
A perfect fit
At “Logistics Park” 44 in Muttenz, thousands of shoes are stored on two floors. They originate
predominantly from Italy, Spain, and especially the Far East. Our customer - Pasito-Fricker AG compiles the daily deliveries with his own personnel, for the approx. 60 sales outlets throughout
Switzerland.
For generations, the name Fricker has
been synonymous for good shoes.
Following the acquisition of the company by the firm Salamander in the
year 2001, its appearance on the market did not initially change. Only after
the amalgamation of Fricker, Pasito,
Pedrino and Get It, the company
appeared on the market since June
2005 under the name of Pasito-Fricker
AG.
Parallel to the legal alterations, the reorganization of the delivery chain was
also due. The four original companies
had to merge their operations. This
required a central warehouse with a
unified distribution system. Various
logistics companies were invited to
develop corresponding concepts. Of
all of the submitted concepts, the one
from M+R was selected as the best
solution.
So much was certain: the new central
warehouse was to be established in
the M+R Logistics Park in Muttenz.
The moving date was set for the 1
January 2005. Although comprehensive upgrade work was due in the
Logistics Park, the ambitious plan
went ahead, even though at the
beginning workmen and the new
tenant bumped into one another daily.
M+R developed a concept in close
cooperation with the customer for
delivering to their branches. The carefully contrived distribution system
functions without any friction and
ensures that each branch is supplied
exactly according to plan. And so,
every customer can find the right shoe
in the right size.
Walter Hugentobler, Muttenz
www.logistikpark.ch
Pick and pack operations in the Pasito-Fricker distribution facility at M R Logistics Park, Muttenz
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LOGISTICS
Textile knowledge
Textile knowledge
Walter Hugentobler, member of the Executive Board of M R Spedag Switzerland, has been
Chairman of the Expert Group for Trade and Marketing for over ten years and in the supervising
commission of the Swiss Textile Technical School (Schweizerische Textilfachschule - STF) since
2001. On his initiative, a visit to the M R textile logistics and distribution center in Gunzgen was
organized. Three classes and their teachers had a look at the work done there in March this year.
The Schweizerische Textilfachschule
(STF) is a higher technical school.
Sponsors include the Swiss Federation, cantons, and local communities
on the one hand and various associations and companies on the other.
Graduates have already completed
career training when they are accepted for the school and subsequently
acquire specialized textile knowledge
at STF.
The training at STF is thematically divided into three groups:
1. Textile creation
The graduates acquire technical
knowledge on various techniques,
including spinning, twining, weaving,
hosiery, knitting, and embroidery.
2. Clothing and Fashion
In this area, students are trained to
become fashion designers and textile
cutters.
3. Commerce and Marketing
Business people may acquire specific
textile knowledge here. In an additional course, students may train to be
product managers.
Schweizerische Textilfachschule
(Headquarters)
Ebnaterstrasse 5
9630 Wattwil
Schweizerische Textilfachschule
Vadianstrasse 2
9000 St. Gallen
Schweizerische Textilfachschule
Wasserwerkstr. 119
8037 Zürich
www.textilfachschule.ch
panorama 14
In the past, the teaching activities of
STF were concentrated mainly in the
first area (textile creation). The fact
that the Swiss textile industry is
moving its manufacture more and
more into foreign countries, has also
had its effect on STF. Today, the focus
is clearly in the areas 2 (clothing and
fashion) and 3 (commerce and marketing). STF is located in Wattwil where the technical training predominantly takes place, and Zürich - for the
areas of clothing and fashion as well
as commerce and marketing.
On the occasion of the visit in
Gunzgen we made a presentation to
the students about the entire supply
chain. This runs - beginning at textile
fibers, through the semi-finished product, tailoring, and finally wholesale
and retail commerce - over the entire
globe. Totally unknown to the majority
of the students was the comprehensive service which a modern and accor-
dingly specialized logistics company
contributes inside of this chain.
The young visitors were impressed
with the competent explanations of
Rosmarie Wiedmer, Operations Manager of the M+R Logistics Terminal in
Gunzgen. After all, general and specialized textile knowledge in such a concentrated form is not commonplace.
Not surprisingly, the subsequent
round of questions and answers was
very lively.
Bernadette Jourdan, Muttenz
LOGISTICS
Textile Logistics
Migros relies on M+R logistics service
The largest retailer in Switzerland, the Migros Cooperative, has put its new textile distribution center
for hanging garments in Volketswil into operation.
The Migros-Verteilbetrieb AG Neuendorf has expanded the existing textile
center in Volketswil near Zürich with an
area for hanging garments. The facility, comprising 6 floors and a total of
18,900 m2, went into operation on 26
September 2005. The majority of the
incoming goods is comprised of
women's outer garments, bodywear
and sportswear, as well as men's
outer garments, mainly originating
from Europe and the Asian regions.
The textiles are sorted to the point of
sales according to quantity, size, and
color. A modern semi-automatic hanger-conveyer as well as a sorter assist
the processes. Of all of the 650
Migros branches in Switzerland,
around 230 are already being supplied with garments on hangers.
Migros has made the decision not to
direct the daily distribution and supply
of its branch stores on its own, but rather to delegate this work to a specialist on the market. Despite the stiff
competition, M+R Logisitk Service
AG - the recognized market leader in
the Swiss textile logistics sector - was
assigned this contract from Migros.
The concept is based on the optimization, utilization, and supplementation
of already available structures and
processes. The product, a tailor-made
logistics solution, combines high flexibility with the unloading of the goods
in Volketswil as well as delivery to the
points of sales, and embodies according to Migros Verteilbetrieb AG
- the “optimum in economy and ecology”. The transfer of return-goods as
well as the preparation of flat-packed
goods is also part of the contract.
The cooperation contract between
MVN, responsible for the supply chain
management in Switzerland, and
M+R was signed in Volketswil on 11
August 2005. Some numbers: The
yearly volume of around 3.6 million
pieces of hanging garments for
Smiling faces during the signing of the contract in Volketswil. From left fo right: D. Richner (M R),
W. Arnold, H. Kuhn (MVN), C. Speccher (M R), B. Metzger (MGB), HR. Richner (M R)
Migros alone is distributed daily to
over 200 stores. As they do for other
customers in the textile sector, including Manor, Charles Vögele, PKZ and
others, M+R delivers the sales-ready
hanging garments to each and every
store individually, inside of 24 hours. A
fleet of 25 special vehicles, with environmental-friendly engine technology,
the majority of them customized for
city deliveries, manages the enormous cumulative overall volume
which M+R processes and optimizes
for the majority of the Swiss clothing
market. No small feat from a logistics
point of view!
Most of the hanging garments pass
through the M+R Logistik center in
Gunzgen, the heart of the M+R textile
infrastructure, regardless of who the
contractor is. Optimal utilization and
route planning are the result. In this
facility, all fashion work such as the
preparation in steam tunnels, putting
on hangers, processing on steammannequins and form-finishers, packing, labeling etc. is done in an area of
over 16,000 m2. The service palette is
rounded out with the internal customs
infrastructure and an NOS storage. It
goes without saying that all processes
are IT-assisted.
China, where M+R Forwarding operates with an A-Class license, down to
South East Asia, the Group marks a
strong presence in the Far East and
has been more than successfully active there for 20 years. The same
applies for Europe, where M+R
Logistik Service AG is member of the
Fashionet group, a pan-European
association of specialists for the transport of hanging garments. Fashionet
offers to the market logistics services
from A to Z for garments on hangers,
chiefly in acquisition. Supply chain for
the textile industry, from raw material
to POS. Retail and specialized dealers
know and appreciate this and express
it through their loyalty and many years
of collaboration.
Claudio Speccher, Muttenz
Textile logistics is a core expertise of
the M+R Spedag Group. Beginning in
panorama 15
AFRICA
Project Forwarding
On to the next assignment
on the individual requirements for
ongoing projects. In order to achieve
the highest efficiency, whenever possible the machines are shipped directly from one point of use to the next. It
is clear that here, the transport logistics play a decisive role. Precise, ontime loading and short transit times
are critical requirements since any
delay in delivery to a new destination
can set off a chain-reaction of complications and additional costs.
Mombasa, 3 June 2005. The freighter
“Global Prince” puts out to sea.
Construction machines and vehicles
are to be found on board, which have
been loaded by the project specialists
of Spedag East Africa under contract
for the internationally renowned construction company STRABAG. The
freight is headed for Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate Oman, where the
Global Prince will arrive seven days
later.
STRABAG depends on the experts.
Because the machines, which are
now on course to the Gulf of Oman,
originate from a previous street-building project in Rwanda for which
Spedag East Africa had already shipped the equipment out of Europe. The
next task for Spedag is already fixed,
because another part of the equipment must be shipped later to Bata in
Equatorial Guinea..
Within the corporate structure of
STRABAG, the equipment is administered by a separate company which
makes it available for use by the
various corporate divisions depending
Joseph Lenherr, Muttenz
Loading at the port of Mombasa
Spedag South Africa under new management
Since 1st of July 2005, Spedag South Africa Ptv Ltd. with offices in Johannesburg and Durban, is operating under the
direction of Iain McCallum.
Iain McCallum was born in 1967 in Dundee, Scotland. He
has lived in South Africa since 1982 when his father took on
a new engineering-position there.
His career in the logistics industry took him from household
moving specialist to courier services, and ultimately into
freight forwarding. He has been with Spedag since 1996
and has last been in charge of the Durban branch office.
panorama 16
Iain McCallum
INTERNAL
Charity
The fight against NOMA
Traditionally, every year M R Spedag supports a non-profit cause. Last winter the choice fell
to an organization whose goal is the fight against a children's sickness: a disease which only
occurs in the poorest countries of the world and of which the tragedy for the affected child is
almost unsurpassable.
Balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, initiating the campaign against Noma in Niger
When in 1999 Bertrand Piccard and
Brian Jones were the first to circumnavigate the earth non-stop by balloon,
the Breitling Orbiter 3 began a new
chapter in the history of aviation.
poverty is the ideal breeding ground
for the spread of Noma. Without treatment, 80% of all cases lead to death.
Survivors of this disease are stricken
with abominable mutilations.
At their home-coming they resolved to
dedicate their adventure to the children of this world and the fruits of their
success to the fight against almostforgotten infirmities and disease.
Unfortunately, funds are insufficient.
Deformed children are usually first
brought into hospital when it is already too late for an effective treatment.
Then, only extensive and painful operations can help. But even with that, it
is only possible to repair a part of the
face. Only very few of the affected
children, however, can be helped at
all.
Both pilots used the CHF 1 million with
which the prize for the first balloon
journey around the world was endowed, as well as a donation of their
sponsor Breitling and created the
Swiss foundation “Winds of Hope”.
The foundation's board of directors
decided to dedicate their first campaign to the support of the fight
against Noma, a sickness which is a
symbol of extreme poverty and especially affects children in an appalling
way.
Noma - the face of poverty
Noma (Greek nomein = to devour) is
a devastating sickness which begins
in the mouth and from there, spreads
out over the entire face. Poor hygiene
and malnutrition are causes. Extreme
The work of the foundation
After they had helped to begin the
national campaign in Nigeria in 2000,
Winds of Hope decided to finance
comparable projects in Burkina Faso,
Mali and Benin. In each case 5-year
programs were planned which were
initiated with cooperation of the national health ministries and the WHO in
Africa. The goal is to train the native
representatives on the village level in
prevention and early diagnosis of the
sickness. Through their regular visits
on location, Bertrand Piccard and
Brian Jones have built up a trusting
cooperation on all levels with the
responsible persons in these lands
and with numerous international organizations.
A further important goal is to achieve a
synergy-effect in which the activities of
all non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) who are engaged in the fight
against Noma are supported. For this
purpose the Winds of Hope organizes
regular podium dialogues and press
conferences. On the 20th of March
2003, the International NoNoma
Federation (www.nonoma.org) was
created which is comprised of 17
NGOs. The chairmanship of the federation is incumbent on the Winds of
Hope foundation.
Winds of Hope Foundation
20, avenue Florimont
1006 Lausanne / Switzerland
www.windsofhope.org
info@windsofhope.org
panorama 17
INTERNAL
Formula-1
Formula-1 Logistics
After M+R China organized the local
logistics of an exhibition car of the
Sauber-Petronas team in Shanghai,
M+R Hong Kong carried through the
return transport of this “show car” to
Switzerland. The high-powered car
was taken into a specially customized
transporter belonging to the contractor following its arrival in the Logistics
Park in Muttenz.
The transfer in LWT Muttenz took
somewhat longer; first of all extreme
caution was naturally taken and the
unusual sight drew interested onlookers out onto the ramp. Even the
Panorama team didn’t miss the
opportunity to get a photo!
Loading up at Logistics Park, Muttenz
Pretty Smart!
While they might not be as fast as
a Formula-1 racing car, our new
courier vehicles are just as dashing to look at.
Studies show that the Smart car
still draws a lot of attention. The
wave-design as a symbol for our
slogan “Logistics connecting
continents”, is a further attentioncatcher. Moreover, the car is
unbeatable in regard to fuel consumption, in city traffic and the
search for parking spaces. And
that is more than enough to compensate for the difference in horsepower!
panorama 18
INTERNAL
Anniversaries
Again there have been several anniversaries over the past months of colleagues that have been
with us for 10 or more years. To all of them we would like to express our sincere thanks for their loyalty and their ongoing contribution to the success of our company!
40 Years
Robert Brechbühler
M+R Muttenz - TD Camion
35 Years
Eberhard Drews
Spedag Muttenz - Rail / Warehousing
15 Years
Sandra Schlegel
Dora Yeung
M+R Muttenz - Export France
M+R Hong Kong - China Desk
10 Years
Fritz Danner
André Messerli
Renate Rombach
Andreas Voirol
M+R Muttenz - Customs services
M+R Gunzgen - Forwarding
Spedag Muttenz - Overseas / Projects
M+R Muttenz - Customs services
Sue Tahirovic
Maria Nussbaumer
Spedag Zürich
M+R Muttenz - Accounting
Breaking News
Effective immediately, Mr. Christian Ryser will assume responsibility for
the direction of our delegation team in the USA as well as all the activities of the M+R Spedag Group in North and South America.
Christian Ryser has over 30 years of experience in the forwarding and
logistics industries. Prior to joining M+R Spedag, he was working for
many years in top management positions for a global forwarding company, stationed in various countries around the globe.
Christian Ryser is no stranger to us: He began his career at Spedag
Speditions AG in Basel. A special welcome to our old and new colleague! A detailed report about Christian Ryser and our activities in North
and South America is scheduled to appear in the next issue of
Panorama.
Christian Ryser
panorama 19
History & Logistics
(interpreted by Hong Kong Mail)