Author: Archive

Deutsche Post may pay further three-digit mln dollar sum in U.S. revamp

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post AG. may pay an additional three-digit million dollar sum in the announced restructuring of the company’s U.S. DHL business, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing company sources.

The amount comes on top of the previously announced costs of USD 2 billion for the turnaround programme at the struggling unit, it added.

In May, the company said the loss-making U.S. operations of its DHL express unit will tie up in domestic and international airfreight shipments with United Parcel Service Inc. and will launch a cost-cutting programme.

The plans also involve the closure of a logistics hub at Wilmington, Ohio, while threatening up to 8,000 jobs at airline ABX.

Last week, Deutsche Post Chief Executive Frank Appel defended planned job cuts at the company’s U.S. DHL business, insisting in response to criticism voiced by U.S. politicians that the reductions are needed to turn the division around.

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Posten – Sales advance despite weakening economy

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Posten interim report January-June 2008

– Net sales totaled SEK 15,595m (15,062)
– Operating earnings totaled SEK 1,165m (1,388)
– A strong financial position put the equity-assets ratio at 39pct (36pct)
– On June 18, the Swedish parliament adopted the government’s proposal to merge Posten with Post Danmark, and on June 12 the Danish parliament approved the merger
– Lars G Nordström was appointed new President and CEO

Posten’s net sales increased 4pct, mainly as a result of the acquisition of Tollpost Globe. Posten Logistics experienced organic growth of 9pct, while net sales increased 24pct including Tollpost. Stralfors’ operations in information logistics and graphics reported growth of 11pct. However, net sales for Posten Messaging fell again in the second quarter, decreasing a total of SEK 192m, or 2pct, during the first half of 2008. It is uncertain how much of a slowdown the economy will undergo and how that will affect the volumes in Posten’s core operations. However, we predict the negative trend in volumes will continue, mainly in mail operations as substitution accelerates. We are also encountering intensifying competition from international players in all core operations and across all markets where we are active.

Operating earnings totaled SEK 1,165m, SEK 223m less than for the same period the preceding year. Weaker operating earnings were attributable to lower sales for Posten Messaging and to increased costs of transportation and personnel.

1 USD = 6.37877 SEK

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French unions aim to block La Poste privatisation

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

French unions are preparing to launch a campaign of protests to try to block changes in La Poste’s legal status which are widely seen as a first step towards potential privatisation of the postal and logistics group.

La Poste president Jean-Paul Bailly is due to present a plan to the government in September proposing a legal restructuring from an autonomous public sector organisation into a limited company (“société anonyme”). This would then enable the French government to float a minority stake in the company while remaining the major shareholder with ultimate control. French media reported in early July that La Poste is working on plans to float a 20 pct stake to raise EUR 2 – 3 billion to finance its expansion plans. This would give the company a valuation of about EUR 10 billion.

On July 22, La Poste signed a public service contract with the French government covering 2008-2012 confirming the company’s commitment towards four basic service areas and preparing it for total postal liberalisation in 2011. The contract included commitments to mail deliveries six days a week and mail delivery quality targets, the maintenance of 17,000 postal service points across France, and public access to banking services. The contract was seen as an effort to calm postal unions which have always strongly opposed opening up La Poste to private investors.

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Canada Post Survey says: Remind me to pay the bills

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Many Canadians, particularly younger ones, say they would value a friendly email reminder to get their monthly bills paid on time, according to a new national poll.
About 50 per cent of Canadians surveyed in the 18-to-35 age group agreed that a monthly email reminder to get bills paid on time would be helpful. That compares with just 24 per cent in the 55-plus age group and 35 per cent in the 35-to-54 group, according to a survey commissioned by Canada Post’s online bill delivery service epost™.
Considerably more Canadian men overall (43 per cent) said they could use a monthly email reminder to get bills paid on time, compared to 32 per cent of women polled.

Canada Post’s epost service – the secure, online, environmentally-friendly way to receive and pay bills – can provide that email reminder.

The survey also found that 69 per cent of Canadians are paying their bills online. epost extends that convenience by delivering bills to one secure location.

With epost, documents are securely stored for up to seven years, simplifying record keeping for Canadians – good news for the 30 per cent of Canadians who say they currently save bills in a box or envelope, according to the survey. A further one per cent of British Columbians and one per cent of Atlantic Canadians admitted to keeping their bills “in a pile”. Just 11 per cent of Canadians store their bills online, a number that jumps to 18 per cent in the Maritimes.

The survey was conducted online on July 30, 2008 by Angus Reid Strategies and involved a sampling of 1,010 Canadians.

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Postcomm welcomes appointment of Lucy Scott-Moncrieff as Commissioner

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, John Hutton, has confirmed the appointment of Lucy Scott-Moncrieff as a Postcomm Commissioner for a three year term commencing on 1st September 2008.

Lucy Scott-Moncrieff qualified as a solicitor 30 years ago and is now managing partner at Scott-Moncrieff, Harbour and Sinclair, an innovative legal aid practice that specialises in acting for detained patients, prisoners, and children and young people with complex needs. The firm’s fee-earners work from their homes, which are all over the country, enabling them to offer services to their local communities whilst being part of an organisation with a national reputation which offers them full professional support.

Lucy is a member of both the Law Society’s Mental Health and Disability Committee, and its Regulatory Affairs Board. She has recently stepped down after four years as Chair of the Society’s Access to Justice Committee, which advises on legal aid matters.

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Royal Mail puts its stamp on Olympic handover

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Royal Mail and China Post are going for gold in an historic joint issue of a special set of stamps to mark the handover of the Olympic Flag from Beijing to London.

From 22 August the stamps are available at Post Offices across the UK, two days before the Games’ closing ceremony when the Olympic Flag will pass from Beijing to London. The special stamps mark the first event in the handover celebrations and everyone across the UK can participate.

Stamps with identical images will be issued across China by China Post from 24 August 2008. This stamp issue is the first partnership of its kind between Royal Mail and China Post.

The four 1st Class stamps feature landmarks of the two cities. The astonishing mesh of steel of the National Stadium in Beijing sits next to the London Eye which recently welcomed its 30 millionth visitor.

Representing the past tradition of each country, further stamps show Beijing’s Corner Tower of the Forbidden City – home to China’s Emperors for five centuries – beside another former Royal residence, The Tower of London.

Each stamp on the Sheet- entitled ‘Olympic Games – Handover of the Olympic Flag from Beijing to London’- features the famous Olympic rings, representing the five continents of the world.

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DPD expands network to Romania

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

DPD is further expanding its business in Eastern Europe: the Romanian courier and express parcel service company Pegasus is now part of the DPD network. At a press conference Arnold Schroven, CEO of DPD Dynamic Parcel Distribution GmbH & Co. KG and Pegasus CEO James Gray-Cheape announced details of the collaboration. Pegasus is one of the most successive Romanian CEP service providers.

GeoPost has been established for several years in the core European countries with its international brand DPD and is continuing to expand its network in the direction of Eastern Europe. Today DPD has the strongest road network throughout Europe. Arnold Schroven stresses, “Due to our clear growth strategy, more and more franchisees are deciding to operate under the DPD brand and benefit from our international size.”

Pegasus has 74 depots and a workforce of 200 in Romania. The company works together with around 250 service providers. Every day more than 6000 parcels are delivered throughout Romania. Pegasus was the first company to offer a door-to-door delivery service in Romanian towns and cities.

As a result of the introduction of the DPD standard, DPD CLASSIC services are also now available in Romania. These are a reliable and efficient solution for the simple dispatch of items within Europe. The services comprise defined delivery times, rapid transport handling and offer an excellent price-performance ratio.

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CEVA selects Birch Coppice for flagship freight forwarding facility

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Leading global logistics and freight management company CEVA has established a flagship freight forwarding facility at Birch Coppice Business Park one of the Midlands most successful rail served distribution locations. The purpose built 55,000 sq ft (5,110m2) warehousing facility developed by IM Properties to incorporating bespoke requirements for CEVA Freight (UK) underwent a fit out investment of GBP 200,000 to embrace the latest technology in global freight management systems.

The relocation to Birch Coppice sited alongside junction 10 of the M42 motorway north east of central Birmingham brings together two original Midlands facilities to provide a portfolio of blue-chip customers with competitive operational solutions in road transportation and international air and sea freight.

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