Author: Archive

Free parcel service for frontline troops

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

Royal Mail is proud to announce today that it will be making special arrangements for a free parcel service to British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Royal Mail’s Chairman, Allan Leighton, said: “Royal Mail wants to see our frontline troops get as much support as possible.

“We’re now urgently working with the British Forces Post Office to set up special arrangements to start as soon as possible for a free parcel service until Christmas so that friends and family can send free parcels to Afghanistan and Iraq. We’ll be making an announcement with further details within days.”

Royal Mail added that it would be pleased to review with the Ministry of Defense how the free parcel service might be maintained after Christmas.

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Indian courier AFL wants to take to the skies

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

Indian air express operator AFL plans to launch its own flights in the latest move by specialist companies to cash in on the booming Indian express market, according to reports from India. The express airline would compete with DHL-owned Blue Dart Express, First Flight Couriers and passenger airlines offering freight capacity on domestic routes.
Managing director Cyrus Guzder told online news site Mint that he planned to take a minority share in a new cargo airline that would operate with jet freighters. Capacity would be used by AFL but also rival operators.

“We have received in-principle approval from the government for the venture and will start with two narrow-bodied jets,” Guzder said. “We plan to operate a cargo service that would service the domestic market for time-sensitive cargo in India, doing a round robin of all the six major cities between 10.30pm and dawn, and then fly regional routes to the Gulf and South-East Asia during the day.”

AFL, owned by the Guzder family, had revenues of some eight billion rupees (EUR 145 million) in 2006/07. The company, founded in 1945 and now with some 1,800 employees, is active in air express under the AFL WIZ Express brand and has a freight logistics joint venture with Germany’s Dachser.

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UPS updates sustainability report

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

UPS today released its fourth annual Corporate Sustainability Report tracking progress on the company’s economic, social and environmental objectives.

The report is based on 2006 data. UPS reports annually on its progress meeting five-year goals for employment, safety, environmental and philanthropic initiatives. UPS was the first company in its industry to issue a sustainability report.

Achievements cited in the new report include:

– Employees contributed nearly 1 million volunteer hours to community projects around the globe.
– UPS achieved one of its safety goals a year ahead of schedule, cutting lost-time injuries by 28 pct last year.
– The company maintains the largest alternative-fuel fleet in the industry and shaved more than 28.5 million miles by using technology to streamline delivery routes.
– UPS recycled more than 2.7 million pounds of electronic equipment from its operations.

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Operational Investment at Pallet-Track

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

Pallet-Track the UK’s fastest growing overnight pallet network is pleased to announce major investment of over GBP 300,000 into its operation.
The company has just taken delivery of six H20 Linde trucks with the latest specification available in the market today. Powered by a VW Audi engine the new IC trucks are the quietest yet producing only 72 decibels. The truck is 30 pct more fuel efficient than its predecessor with enlarged fuel cells providing greater operating hours in the demanding sort operation.
Additionally Pallet Track has also purchased new scales and an automatic shrink wrapping machine in line with introducing a quality controller to oversee the entire night operation. The role of this person will be to check weigh consignments at random, identifying inadequately wrapped goods along with any manifest discrepancy, reporting and setting corrective actions through the head of operations.
The company will also take delivery of 7 new Jungheinrich trucks in two months time.

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Raja may dust off postal bill in bid to revive India Posts

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

After putting the issue on the backburner for a couple of months on account of strong protests from private courier players, the ministry of communications under telecom minister A Raja has now revived work on amendments to the controversial postal bill.

Private courier companies are opposed to the proposed bill as it intends to prevent them from carrying any letter or parcel below 150 grams and also seeks to limit the foreign direct investment in the sector to 49 pct. The bill also envisages that private courier companies who want to deliver letters below this slab (150 grams) do so at a price which is five times more than the rates charged by India Post or 2.5 times Speed Post rates.

At the same time, the communications ministry is yet to take a call as to whether the bill would be introduced in the current session of the Parliament.

The source also said that despite opposition from private courier industry, the government was unlikely to renegotiate on key issues like creation of a regulator for the postal sector — Mail Regulatory Development Authority, the 150 grams weight slab reservation for India Post and mandating that large courier companies pay 10 pct of their total revenues as an universal social obligation fee as in the telecom sector.

The ministry official also added that the government was yet to take a final call on limiting the FDI cap to 49 pct. If this FDI cap is imposed, then multinational players like DHL, TNT and Federal Express will soon have to go scouting for Indian partners.

Besides, the draft bill also recommends that foreign players be subject to an entry fee of Rs 1 million and a renewal fee of Rs 0.5 million per annum, as against Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively for Indian courier companies.

The Express Industry Council of India (EICI), the umbrella organization representing both domestic and international courier companies in India, has said that the proposed amendments, if approved, could maim the Rs 35 billion, domestic industry, especially the small players while also limiting the choice for consumers.

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Christian Salvesen: Sales of vegetable processing business and interim management statement

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

Christian Salvesen today announces that it has signed a definitive
agreement for the sale of its frozen vegetable business, Christian
Salvesen Foods (“the business”), comprising stock, plant, machinery,
people and contracts to Pinguin Foods UK Limited, a subsidiary of
Pinguin NV (“Pinguin”) for estimated total cash consideration payable
at completion of GBP 17.2m. The consideration is subject to adjustment
for the actual amount of stock at the date of closing. In addition,

Christian Salvesen will continue to provide storage and distribution
services to the business on normal commercial terms for a minimum
term of sixteen months. The transaction is expected to close in
mid-September following employee consultation.

The business consists of vegetable processing, packing and storage
activities at three sites in Lincolnshire, located in Bourne, North
Thoresby and Easton. In the year ended 31st March 2007 the business
reported revenues of GBP 44.6m and operating profit of GBP 0.7m; operating
profit included exceptional net income of GBP 0.4m and an allocation of
GBP 0.8m of Group overheads. The gross assets of the business were
GBP 29.5m at 31st March 2007.

The impact of the transaction on earnings is expected to be broadly
neutral. The proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes.

Christian Salvesen is also releasing its first Interim Management
Statement.

Overall, for the financial year to date, the Group’s continuing business
has traded broadly in-line with our expectations, which are weighted
to the second half of the year.

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Haypost” and “Postbank” to be integrated structures

Posted by | Aug 20, 2007 | |

Interview with the HayPost Trust Manager and newly appointed General Manager, Mr. Hans Boon with Mediamax Agency and the Banks.am web-portal (Yerevan, 20.08.2007)

Q: The transfer of HayPost management – a large local company – to a trust management is a relatively new concept for the Armenian economy. Please describe the details related to this new management instrument and explain the advantages and potential risks related to this.

A: The government of Armenia made a courageous decision when deciding to transfer HayPost management to a trust. The HayPost Trust Management program will be implemented within 5 years with the purpose to establish favorable conditions for a highly commercialized HayPost.

Regardless of this, we expect certain risks related to this program. First and foremost, we can anticipate that both the government and the company request a quick financial surplus and turnaround. But in reality, our objective is not to quickly gain financial profit, but to ensure that we secure a well grounded and sustainable growth and commercialization. We are largely guided by a long-term vision and define success as a sustainable result and not a quick-win.

In fact, our goal is to strengthen and commercialize an entire postal sector, and not just a company. As such, we are aiming to set up a fair and favorable environment for healthy commercial competition.

We have to ensure that HayPost will, in a relatively short period, be able to provide the public with world class postal services – something which is our basic commitment.

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