by logisticsplus | Mar 6, 2017 | Uncategorized
The Logistics Plus (LP) Middle East and Africa offices continue to enjoy fast growth and success within the region. Here are some updates from the LP team operating within this important area of the world.
Logistics Plus Dubai (UAE)
- LP Dubai primary team members: Suchit Sehgal, Siew Hua, Anjali Malik, Dhanraj Naidu, Ramesh Reddy, Reuben Alphonse, and Ronan Yuchitcho.
- Handling 100% of refurbished engine shipments for major power company. Additional shipments for Rwanda plant to begin Q3 2017.
- Moving shipments from UK, China and Germany to the Middle East for worldwide office furniture manufacturer. Quoting additional warehousing operations in Jebel and Dubai.
- Moved first shipment for a major painting and coatings manufacturer. Multiple more shipments are in the pipeline with support from LP Turkey.
- Moving shipments for cement company with plant located in Ras al-Khaimah.
- Bidding on multiple power transmission projects in Malawi and Ethiopia for major global power company.
- Moving agricultural company shipments from Ethiopia to Middle East with opportunity for 30-50 containers per month.
Logistics Plus Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- LP Jeddah primary team members: Raza Rizvi, Bakar Jafar, Omar Khalid, and Imran Ramzan.
- Handling over 1,000 40′ HC containers per month for major electric company.
- Secured small contract to support logistics for a marine cargo company.
- Hotel project in Saudi Arabia for a prominent leader in the agribusiness.
- Working with an association partner to move regular shipments from Saudi Arabia to UAE.
- Bidding on multiple projects in Dammam and Rabigh in support of local freight forwarder.
Logistics Plus East Africa (EA)
- LP Uganda primary team member: Julius Nyaika
- Bidding and handling various tenders for the United Nations (UN).
- Making in-roads with various companies in the oil and gas industry.
- Moving animal feed to and within Sudan in conjunction with a regional airport operator.
- Bidding on multiple projects in Kenya and Uganda in support of a major transport and logistics operator.
- Working with a Chinese petroleum company on multiple projects in East Africa.
Do you have supply chain or logistics needs in the Middle East or Africa? If yes, contact us and let our global experts go to work for you. Click the button below to complete our online inquiry form, or email suchit.sehgal@logisticsplus.com – our general manager for the Middle East and Africa
by logisticsplus | Nov 10, 2016 | News
What’s your most pressing logistics challenge? How much time and money are you spending on logistics? Are you measuring the total cost of your freight management activities? Through a “prepaid-and-add” approach, are your vendors charging you more for shipping than you realize for your purchased (inbound) goods? In addition to outbound and inbound freight charges, are you considering order preparation time, time-to-quote, personnel costs, owned-assets versus outsourced assets, inventory carrying costs, loss and damage claims, and insurance costs?
While these questions are not always easily answered, asking them is fundamental to successful P&L management. Outsourcing some or all of your transportation to a logistics company – one like Logistics Plus, which provides the required expertise, people, capacity, warehousing and IT systems – may help convert some of those high fixed costs into reduced variable costs.
Logistics Plus Inc. is a leading worldwide provider of transportation and logistics solutions. We have 20 years of experience helping companies, both large and small, reduce transportation expenses and improve their supply chains. General Electric (GE), one of the largest and most successful companies in the world, was our very first customer. Today they top a list of diverse companies that span manufacturing, retail, solar, energy, aviation, food and beverage, and many other industries.
We’ve been named one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country by Inc. magazine; we’ve been recognized as a top employer based in northwestern Pennsylvania; Transport Topics magazine named us a top 50 freight brokerage firm; SupplyChainBrain magazine named us a 2015 Great Supply Chain Partner; and this year Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine recognized us on their SDCE 100 list for completing a top supply chain project.
If our services are good for companies like GE, we think there’s a good chance they’ll be good for your company too; which is why we we invite you to learn more about our solutions. But what really sets us apart is our people. We’ve developed a reputation as being the “can-do” company. Our people put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure your satisfaction and success.
As a possible first step, tell the experts here at Logistics Plus your most pressing logistics challenge, and we’ll use our passion for excellence to go to work and design a solution that’s customized for you and your business.
by logisticsplus | Sep 9, 2016 | News
Many recent articles and white papers have been discussing the emerging trend of nearshoring in Mexico. Thanks to rising costs in China, delays and disruptions to transpacific shipping routes, and logjams at United States western seaports, many manufacturers are looking closer to home for their sourcing needs. For many of these companies, Mexico – the third largest U.S. trade partner – has become a cost-effective alternative.
According to a recent manufacturing study published by a reputable global research firm, some 46 percent of respondents have already engaged in a plan to nearshore within the next five years. Of those companies, 63 percent say Mexico is the leading candidate, citing lower transportation costs and improved speed-to-market. As a result of increasing demand, truck and rail traffic between the U.S. and Mexico set record highs for volume and freight value, in 2014 according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Being closer to the U.S. market by nearshoring in Mexico provides companies with a number of benefits, including:
- Proximity. A shipper can move freight from Mexico to the U.S. by ocean in 48 hours, and by truck within a few days or less. By contrast, shipping a container from Asia to the U.S. could take up to six weeks to deliver. Another consideration is that operating in similar time zones creates opportunities to strengthen collaboration between U.S. companies and their Mexico counterparts.
- Trucks and Rails. More than 1.37 million trucks crossed the U.S./Mexico border in the first quarter of 2015, up almost 3 percent from the prior year. Also, shippers now have more reliable and seamless intermodal service options between the U.S. and Mexico, which can offer a 15- to 20-percent cost advantage over trucks alone.
- Labor. Unlike a decade ago when Mexican labor costs were reportedly 60 percent higher than those in China, today they’re on par or lower. Mexican companies have also transitioned from simple assemblers of products to exceedingly sophisticated manufacturers.
With an abundant labor pool, lower wages, low energy costs, and simplified truck and rail transport, including intermodal operations, Mexico has emerged as a nearshore alternative to overseas manufacturing. Companies unfamiliar how best to optimize their U.S./Mexico supply chains through the use of effective cross-border transportation and warehousing can contact the experts at Logistics Plus for help. We have been managing logistics between the U.S. and Mexico for nearly 20 years, and we recently celebrated our 10th anniversary for operations in Mexico.
The benefits of working with the Logistics Plus cross-border logistics team include:
- Bilingual staff members on both sides of the border
- Proven experience and success on both sides of the border
- Competitive rates and contracts for cross-border transportation
- Full shipment visibility across the entire supply chain
- Customs clearance, global trade compliance, and NAFTA expertise
- Warehousing availability with Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) activation
Please visit www.logisticsplus.com/Mexico to learn more or contact us using the button shown below.
by logisticsplus | Aug 8, 2016 | News
Centrally located in the fourth largest metro area in the United States, the Logistics Plus Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) warehouse provides 180,000 square feet of prime storage space. Additionally, the facility is located on the 18,000-acre AllianceTexas development which is anchored by the Alliance Global Logistics Hub – one of the world’s premier inland ports. The Logistics Plus Southwest location offers shippers a strategic multi-modal transportation hub, including:
- Access to two Class 1 rail lines (BNSF and UP)
- Proximity to Fort Worth Alliance Airport – the world’s first industrial airport
- Connections to Highway 35W from Mexico to Canada; Texas Highways 114 and 170; and regional sorting hubs for both FedEx and UPS
- Fully activated general-purpose Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) space and services
- Triple Freeport Inventory Tax Exemption on goods that move in and out of Texas within a 175 day period
- Comprehensive inventory management and fulfillment solutions
- Pneumatic tire forklift with 62,000 lb. lifting capacity – the BIGGEST in N. Texas!
- Open space, high ceilings, and tall doors perfect for heavy-lift and big cargo
- Retail warehousing expertise with Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) and direct-to-customer solutions
- Secured facility with monitored cameras and alarms
- Bulk storage and racked storage
- Inventory control and warehouse management system (WMS) technology
- Recessed loading docks and grade level docks with inside and outside load/unload capabilities
- Comprehensive ground (LTL and truckload), rail, air, and ocean transportation services
If you’re interested in learning more about the Logistics Plus DFW warehouse, our comprehensive logistics solutions, and how to take full advantage of our Southwest hub, please email us at dallas@logisticsplus.com. You can also click the image below to view/download a copy of our Logistics Plus/AllianceTexas brochure.
by logisticsplus | Jul 12, 2016 | News
According to the 2016 State of Third-Party Logistics Study by Capgemini, the chart shown here presents some of the top logistics challenges facing shippers today. Not surprisingly, a majority of the study’s respondents indicated “cutting transportation cost” as a top challenge. Beyond that, many respondents identified less obvious pain-points, but important considerations nonetheless. As the study indicates, shippers are demanding greater innovation and technology advances while simultaneously remaining cost-conscious.
Outsourcing all or a portion of your transportation to a third-party logistics (3PL) company – like Logistics Plus – is one way shippers are addressing many of these challenges. 3PLs can often provide the required expertise, people, capacity, warehousing and IT systems needed to help shippers reduce transportation expenses, improve supply chain visibility, manage inventory more effectively, and achieve regulatory compliance.
If your business is facing any of these challenges, Logistics Plus can help.
Cutting Transportation Cost
With 20 years of expertise, and a $135 million client-portfolio, Logistics Plus is able to leverage its size, strength and experience to secure highly discounted rates for ground, air, ocean, and rail transportation services. Since we are viewed as a reliable, large-sized shipper ourselves, the rates we secure are often better than what small or medium shippers would be able to secure on their own; and with a letter of authorization, we can even help large shippers negotiate the best rates on their behalf.
Business Process Improvement
With our 4PL or managed transportation solutions, we work as an extension of your team to identify the weakest links in your supply chain, and then we help you repair them. From planning and strategy to services and options – we’ll help you streamline your supply chain so that you can focus on what you do best – manufacture and sell great products.
Improved Customer Service and Supply Chain Visibility
Our technology solutions, like eShipPlus and eWorldPlus, provide visibility to your products both domestically and internationally. Greater visibility leads to a more predicable experience and improved customer service. Our caring professionals will also ‘go-to-bat’ for you when problems occur to ensure the best possible outcomes for you and your customers.
Managing Inventory
We manage and operate dozens of warehousing facilities around the world. In the United States, we have West Coast, Southwest, Midwest and Northeast facilities with the capacity and expertise to manage both industrial and retail inventories (including Fulfillment By Amazon). Our WMS technology provides complete visibility throughout the entire process. You only source the space you need, the time you need it, and where you need it – nothing more.
Retaining and Training Labor and Reducing Labor Costs
As an extension to your team, we provide the skilled and trained logistics specialists you need – and we scale them according to your demand. That keeps your labor costs low and your headcount variable for when you need it most.
Expanding/Selling to New Markets and Expanding/Sourcing from New Markets
With 400+ employees working in 20 different countries around the world (and additional agents in virtually every country), we have the local knowledge and expertise you need to import, export, and transact globally. On the sourcing side, we can help you with services such as purchasing, expediting and inventory management. We can identify the product, negotiate the price, purchase it, ship it and deliver it to your door: truly one-stop shopping!
Regulations, Security, Other Compliance
Our full-service compliance department can quickly identify your needs, contain costs, and minimize your risk. Our customs specialists help you comply with existing government regulations and stay ahead of changing customs compliance laws to reduce your risk, eliminate errors, and lower your costs.
Vendor Management
Reducing inbound shipping costs is one of the easiest, yet most overlooked ways to reduce your overall transportation spend. Vendors applying a “prepaid-and-add” approach to your purchase orders may be costing you more money than you realize for inbound transportation. Logistics Plus can help you take control of your inbound orders by creating updated routing requests and shipping instructions, monitoring carrier compliance, and then consolidating and auditing all of your freight invoices.
Technology Strategy and Implementation
Our transportation and cargo management platforms are easy-to-use and can be fully integrated with your back office systems. EDI, API, or web services – our technology professionals will be able to recommend the right strategy and implementation plan for your situation.
So what’s YOUR logistics challenge? We want to know. Just click the button below and tell us your most pressing transportation or logistics challenge. Our talented and caring professionals will work with you to provide a customized solution that addresses the logistics challenges that YOU are facing today.