Since 1 January 2008, Swiss Post draws its energy from hydraulics. In December 2007, it signed an agreement with “Swisspower” and committed to using 100% of renewable electricity. As a result La Poste is already reducing its CO2 emissions by 8%. This effort places the company in a good position to achieve the objective of PostEurop’s Green House Gas reduction programme which Swiss Post joined last year.
Read MoreRetailers looking to improve their pan-European logistics networks should consider countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland, according to new research from supply chain consultancy Total Logistics www.total-logistics.eu.com and logistics property business King Sturge www.kingsturge.co.uk. The study shows that several eastern European countries have overtaken Germany in the race to be the location of choice for European businesses.
The study assessed the relative attractiveness of each country, taking into account such issues as warehousing costs, labour rates and road transport costs.
Kenneth Porter, partner at Total Logistics, said: “Working through a number of different scenarios was a fascinating exercise as it demonstrated the relatively poor performance of Germany from a warehousing perspective, given its central location and otherwise excellent reputation. Even when we factored out the comparatively high cost of labour in the country, Berlin, Bonn and Dusseldorf came out relatively poorly against other cities such as Prague, Warsaw, Katowice and Vilnius.”
“Only when you model a more complex scenario, for instance a UK plus two other warehouse network, do countries such as France and Benelux re-appear.”
The research also highlighted the importance of warehouse design and the differences in understanding between logistics experts and developers when it comes to speculative developments. For example, the report highlights the fact that many developers are taking terms such as ‘cross docking’ too literally by assuming that occupiers with a requirement to cross dock must necessarily have a warehouse with loading docks on two elevations. In reality, most cross docking operations actually involve a U-shaped product flow using a single elevation.
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Read MoreCanada Post and PostNet announce their channel partnership to provide better service to the Canadian small business market. Effective January 21, 2008 authorized business centers will be established in PostNet stores offering a complete selection of Canada Post’s shipping services.
“Resources that were previously available only to large corporations are now available to small businesses through their local PostNet,” said Rob Anderson, President of PostNet Canada. “This relationship enables PostNet to offer its complete selection of printing services, complemented by Canada Post’s shipping services.”
In a CAD 5.6 billion (USD 5.5 billion) market for shipping and courier services, increased through the rise of online shopping, PostNet provides a complete printing and shipping service to the small- and medium-sized business owner. PostNet’s end-to-end services include: in-house graphic design, digital printing, copying, packaging, and courier service, and with the addition of the Canada Post relationship now has vast mailing and shipping methods at its disposal. PostNet Canada plans to expand to more than 300 franchises across the country.
“Canada Post’s selection of PostNet to create this relationship signifies the confidence Canada Post has in PostNet’s small business value proposition. It confirms Canada Post’s commitment to work together with PostNet, leveraging our strengths, for the purpose of better serving our mutual and new small business customers,” said Louis O’Brien, Senior Vice-President, Canada Post Parcels. “Canada Post believes the result will be significant new revenue growth for both companies, a stronger presence in the small business market and most importantly, better served Canadian small business customers.”
Read MoreThe successful sale to the public of government shares in Maltapost is the latest salient episode in Malta’s postal history which, some researchers say, is unrivalled by any other country of an equivalent size.
Despite the lack of precise knowledge on the origins of mail in Malta, the work of a number of dedicated postal historians has contributed towards piecing together information that can enlighten postal enthusiasts on the happenings throughout the centuries, going back to the Order of St John.
October 1, 1995: Posta Ltd is set up to run the General Post Office.
October 1997: The Parcel Post Office, the Central Mail Room, the Philatelic Bureau and the Postal Administration were transferred to 305, Qormi Road, Marsa. The Valletta counter services start to operate from Dar Annona in Castille Place.
May 1, 1998: Postal services, run by Posta Ltd, a private limited company, are taken over by a new public limited company Maltapost plc.
January 31, 2002: Maltapost plc is partially privatised with the Maltese government selling 35 per cent to Transend Worldwide Ltd, a subsidiary company of New Zealand Post Ltd with a view to prepare the company to meet the EU postal directives and further liberalisation of the postal market.
September 6, 2007: The government sells 25 per cent of its shareholding to Lombard Bank plc where Lombard Bank effectively became the majority shareholder in Maltapost plc with 60 per cent shareholding. The government undertakes to sell to the public the remaining 40 per cent of shares it owns by floating them on the Malta Stock Exchange.
January 8, 2008: The government announces the sale of 40 per cent of its shareholding in Maltapost in an initial public offering.
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