Briefs
Staff -- Purchasing, 11/3/2005
- DHL will invest $110 million to double the capacity of its Asian center in Hong Kong to meet the growth in shipments in the region. DHL expects its expanded sorting facility at Hong Kong International Airport to open in 2007, six years ahead of schedule. The upgraded center will also be an important gateway to the booming southern Chinese Pearl River Delta region, which accounts for 40% of China's exports, Price added.
- UPS executives said the company has no interest in taking over Dutch logistics firm TNT, as was previously reported in a German news outlet. "While press reports have sought to link UPS to a number of European companies, including Exel and TNT, UPS continues to follow its strict policy of never discussing rumors or speculation about specific merger or acquisition targets," company executives said.
- Manhattan Associates has updated its Carrier Management solution to include support for the new Hours of Service regulations by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that went into effect Oct. 1. With the enhancement, Manhattan Associates' solution lets carriers and drivers achieve optimal rest break schedules that are in accordance with the requirements.
- Neptune Bulk Terminals announced plans recently for a $79 million expansion of its potash handling facility at the Port of Vancouver, citing booming world demand for the fertilizer. The two-stage expansion will add 190,000 tons of potash storage capacity to the facility in North Vancouver, nearly double the current capacity. Construction would begin in early 2006 and take up to 18 months to complete.
- UTi Worldwide acquired privately-held supply chain services firm Concentrek in an effort to bolster its North American business. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Concentrek's current management team will continue to lead the company following the acquisition.
- Freight rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are unlikely to match the records seen in the fourth quarter last year given the expansion of the world fleet, says Mark Jenkins, a senior analyst at shipbroker Simpson, Spence & Young Ltd. in London. Rates for VLCCs surged in the fourth quarter of last year as demand for ships outstripped supply, peaking in mid-November at more than $250,000 a day on the Japan route. Since then, shipyards have turned out some 20 new VLCCs, boosting the global fleet by 4.4%, while OPEC output is level with last year's highs. Tanker demand was hurt by a slowdown in Chinese imports in the second and third quarters as refiners struggled with rising crude-oil costs and fixed gasoline prices, making it unprofitable to make fuels, Patrick Rodgers, the chief executive at Antwerp-based VLCC owner Euronav, said in an interview at the UBS Transport Conference in London on Sept. 20. The lack of Chinese demand is set to be reversed, Rodgers said.
- Pitney Bowes, for the third consecutive year, is ranked as the top supplier of transportation management systems according to a study by ARC Advisory Group. Pitney Bowes moved from its top-five ranking in 2002 to its top-ranked position in 2003, based on software license revenue, services, maintenance, and recurring fees.
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