Author: Archive

Experian in talks to sell transaction processing unit

Posted by | Sep 10, 2008 | |

Experian Group Ltd.said it’s in “advanced” talks about a sale of its transaction processing activities in France.
Discussions are taking place with Doc@Post, a unit of French postal service operator La Poste, and private-equity firm Advent International.
Experian said in January it would conduct a strategic review of the French division and its fit with other activities as part of efforts to cut its costs and streamline operations. The unit processes cheques and credit card payments for banks and financial institutions. Revenue from the division for the year ended March 31, 2007, was USD 308 million compared with USD 3.49 billion for the entire company.
Experian fell 12.75 pence, or 2.9 percent, to 430.25 pence in London, valuing the company at 4.41 billion pounds (USD 7.74 billion).
The company in May boosted its target for annual savings to USD 110 million, from the USD 80 million announced in January. The plan should deliver savings of USD 50 million in fiscal 2009, the company said.

Read More

DHL Express Global CEO testifies before House Committee on the judiciary

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

DHL Express Global CEO John Mullen testified before the House Committee on the Judiciary regarding the company’s potential contract with UPS for domestic air lift and related services. The proposed agreement with UPS is part of DHL Express’ U.S. restructuring aimed at enabling the company to remain a viable competitor in the U.S. market.

During the Hearing, Mullen stated that the pending deal with UPS does not violate antitrust laws and does not decrease competition in any way. He added that the contract is a pro-competitive vendor-services agreement for air and related services only. “DHL would retain complete control over every customer-facing aspect of the business and remain an independent and viable competitor in the U.S. air express delivery sector retaining full control over our ground operations, as we do today,” Mullen stated.

The potential execution of this pending agreement will affect DHL employees, as well as those of DHL’s current air service vendors, ABX Air and ASTAR Air Cargo at the Wilmington Air Park. DHL is sensitive to this situation and therefore has agreed to provide a generous USD 260 million severance, retention and other benefits, USD 225 million of this voluntarily, to impacted DHL, ABX and ASTAR employees.

Read More

trans-o-flex to re-brand as trans-o-flex Logistics Group

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

trans-o-flex has unveiled its new group brand name as trans-o-flex Logistics Group to deliver on its strategy of international expansion in Europe.

The re-branding of trans-o-flex will be carried out step by step. The new logo and company name of trans-o-flex Logistics Group will be introduced to Germany as well as to the foreign subsidiaries like Belgium and the Netherlands. German-language logos such as “Schnell-Lieferdienst,” “Logistik-Service,” “Transport-Logistik” or “Linienverkehr” will no longer be used.

The express company will change all slogans and service descriptions into the English language in order to represent its internationality. The branding will be changed on letterheads, business cards, buildings, vehicles and driver uniforms as new supplies or modernisation become due.

Read More

DPD expanding in Estonia

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

DPD is expanding capacity for its fast-growing business in the Baltic region with a new parcel sorting depot in Tartu, southern Estonia.

The new 1,500 sqm facility is four times bigger than the company’s previous depot and has increased its capacities to handle more than 3,000 parcels per hour. The new sorting terminal has 31 gates for couriers’ vehicles to handle loading and unloading of parcels.
According to DPD, the need for the new southern Estonian depot has come from the company’s fast growth. In the Baltic’s biggest and well-developed depot and delivery network DPD has more than 600 couriers and 30 depots. Investing in the expansion of parcel sorting depots supports the company’s strategy of aiming at the market leadership for next day deliveries and additional services in the Baltic region.

In 2007, DPD increased its import volume to the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by 40 pct to around ten million parcels. In domestic shipping within the Baltic states, the three country organisations DPD Eesti, DPD Latvija and DPD Lietuva have a market share of as much as 46 pct.

Read More

DHL seeking Asia expansion

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

DHL is keen to acquire local rivals or form joint ventures in an effort to double its domestic express business in Asia to tap growing demand for intra-country services.

Dan McHugh, Chief Executive of DHL Express Asia Pacific, said the group plans to lift the revenue contribution from its domestic arm to as much as 16 per cent of the overall total from 8 per cent now, within three to four years.

Demand for rapid delivery of documents and package services in Asia has long been about exporting goods to other countries, it has changed in recent years after a rise in domestic spending prompted a greater need for local services.

The market, however, is crowded and dominated by small local players, who often offer much cheaper services than their international rivals. Still, DHL and other global carriers including FedEx and UPS are eager to take part in the fast-expanding industry, which is ex­pected to grow more than 20 per cent in the next five years.

Read More

Money orders are major income source: PhilPost

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

The electronic mail may have practically killed the “snail mail,” once the main preoccupation of the country’s postal service, but life goes on for the Philippine Postal Corporation.

Postmaster General Hector Villanueva said PhilPost is thriving in money orders, which is now its major source of income.

Contrary to perception that PhilPost services would be become irrelevant because Filipinos has largely embraced the e-mail, he said that postal service is actually a flourishing business.

He said PhilPost has entered the remittance business, wherein it credits international money order to the PostalBank ATM accounts of the recipients.

The service now covers 12 countries Brunei, Hongkong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite this new service, PhilPost still caters to the basic postal delivery needs such as express mail and registered as well parcel services for big businesses.

“Our advantage is that we’re the only one that penetrates the countryside. Most of our competitors concentrate on the cities, that’s where we get clobbered,” Villanueva said.

He said, however, that PhilPost can eventually catch up with major couriers because the countryside belongs to them.

Read More

French Postal Workers Issue Strike Call for September 23

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

The six trade union federations are organizing a joint day of action against the planned privatization of the postal service.

Last week, Jean-Paul Bailly, the president of the public sector company, confirmed his plan to convert the postal service into a private corporation on January 1, 2010, with the sale of shares a year later. “This official announcement has confirmed the government’s intention to privatize the postal service and to ride roughshod over all opposition,” the joint declaration of the six union federations says.

For the unions, “this year’s” mobilization of postal workers, customers and local elected officials has demonstrated attachment to the public postal service and to guarantees for postal personnel. The union federations “are reiterating their demand for a public debate.” They intend to circulate a petition among customers to back up the postal strike, and to address themselves “to all the elected officials and political parties” in view of obtaining their backing. The union federations have opted for decentralized demonstrations on September 23 so as to bring out as many protesters as possible.

Jean-Paul Bailly rejected the expression “privatization” during his announcement, arguing that the law guarantees the postal service’s public service mission, and that the government will maintain a stake of over 50 percent.

Read More

Posten Logistik expands in Finland

Posted by | Sep 9, 2008 | |

Posten Logistik is now taking one more step towards realizing its Nordic strategy. Through the partnership with the Finnish travel and transport company Matkahuolto, a distribution network for parcels is established in Finland. Thereby Posten Logistik is strengthening its ability to harness the increasing international flows of goods both to and within the Nordic countries.

The logistics flows to, from and within the Nordic region are growing heavily, largely due to the fact that private individuals are increasingly ordering goods via the Internet and post order. At the same time, companies’ home markets are expanding. Companies with customers in several Nordic countries want to run their businesses without having to consider the country borders, and they are requesting cross-border, cost-efficient, and complete solutions to an ever-greater degree.

The expansion of the MyPack concept to Finland is an important step in Posten Logistik’s strategy to become a strong Nordic logistics company. In September 2007 it acquired the Finnish company Suomen Logistiikkatalo Oy, operative in the third-party logistics and inventory management areas. In 2007, Posten Logistik also established a network of over 600 pick-up points in Norway. In 2008, it acquired the entire Norwegian company Tollpost Globe, which had its own infrastructure and nationwide distribution in Norway.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

How ready do you feel for the de minimis changes coming in July?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!




View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest