DP World, a leading provider of global end-to-end supply chain solutions, will this month open the UK’s largest distribution warehouse for physical music and video.

Located in Bicester, Oxfordshire, the facility is being launched in partnership with Utopia Distribution Services, who entered into a £100 million deal with DP World to provide warehousing and logistics for physical music goods in the UK earlier this year.

The 25,000 sq. metre site will now become the de-facto centre for music and home entertainment distribution in the UK, handling 70% of physical music and 35% of home entertainment products sold in the UK annually – approximately 30 million units, including vinyl records, DVDs and CDs. It will service retailers across the UK, including Amazon, HMV, industry wholesalers and over 400 independent record stores.

The warehouse will have a daily handling capacity of over 100,000 units, increasing to over 250,000 during peak periods, driven by 80+ state of the art pick robots designed by US manufacturer Locus Robotics. The warehouse will employ 240 workers, and will significantly expand DP World’s unit handling capacity across its UK operations – facilitating new growth opportunities in the warehousing sector.

The warehouse opening follows ongoing demand for physical music and video in the UK, with 17.3m physical albums sold in 2022, with CDs comprising the majority of purchases (55.2%). Selling more than 5.5m units last year, vinyl also continues its rise and currently remains on track for a 16th consecutive year of growth. The video physical retail market also boasted a £209m value in 2022, with sales of formats like Blu-ray and 4k UHD rising by 7% to £91.7m YOY.

Jonathan Himsworth, Vice President Sales at DP World Logistics, said: “DP World brings together an unparalleled combination of assets and expertise to build creative solutions to the hardest problems in logistics, and this is why so many of the world’s largest and most recognisable brands trust us to deliver on their supply chain needs. To this end, we are very excited about working with Utopia Music to support the renaissance of physical music in the UK.”

Drew Hill, MD Utopia Distribution Services and VP Distribution Services, Utopia Music, added: “We’re pleased to be working closely with DP World on a smooth transition to our brand new state-of-the-art facility. With UDS distributing for over 50% of the UK’s combined music and video market, our investment in this infrastructure marks a bright and exciting future for physical entertainment.”

In addition to its UK hubs at London Gateway and Southampton, DP World’s offer includes the P&O Ferries and P&O Ferrymasters subsidiaries, and contract logistics businesses respectively, all of which are being integrated into the company’s global network. Operating in 78 countries, DP World now handles 10 per cent of world trade.

DHL Group once again demonstrated its resilience in a less dynamic market environment in the second quarter of 2023.

The Group achieved revenue of EUR 20.1 billion (Q2 2022: EUR 24.0 billion). Operating profit (EBIT) was level with the first quarter at EUR 1.7 billion. As expected, the second quarter, which continued to be characterized by lower volumes and declining freight rates, did not match the record earnings of the previous year (Q2 2022: EUR 2.3 billion). Despite the persistently weaker market dynamics, DHL Group achieved an attractive EBIT margin of 8.4 percent (Q2 2022: 9.7 percent). The Group raises the lower end of its 2023 EBIT guidance and confirms its earnings forecasts for 2025.

Chief Financial Officer Melanie Kreis presented and explained the Group results for the second quarter as well as the first half of 2023.

CFO Melanie Kreis provides insights into the current business development and an assessment for the second half of the year.

"We all share the responsibility of protecting our planet"

Katja Busch on the Group's and customers' outlook on sustainability, the global summit "Era of Sustainable Logistics", and a newly launched report.

DHL Group is once again benefiting from its broad logistics portfolio overall. While the DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding, Freight divisions are more strongly correlated with the global economy, long-term customer contracts at DHL Supply Chain ensured a continuously stable earnings situation and further growth in the second quarter. "Thanks to our balanced portfolio and global presence, we were once again able to demonstrate our resilience. This is particularly evident in times of a weak global economic momentum," said Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group. "We took the right measures at an early stage to deal with the current macro environment. This, along with the dedicated efforts of our employees, is reflected in the high earnings level, which is well above those of the pre-pandemic years."

With half-year earnings of EUR 3.3 billion, the Group performed well in a challenging environment. Therefore, DHL Group raises the lower end of its EBIT guidance for 2023 to EUR 6.2 billion (previously EUR 6.0 billion). The Group continues to plan with the three scenarios presented at the 2022 Annual Results Press Conference in March:

In the favorable event of a recovery of the global economy early in the second half of the year ("V-shaped" development), the Group expects EBIT of around EUR 7.0 billion (unchanged).

In the event of a recovery at the end of the year ("U-shaped" development), the Group expects EBIT of around EUR 6.6 billion (previously EUR 6.5 billion).

In the unfavorable event of no significant recovery in the global economy in the remainder of the year ("L-shaped" development), the Group expects EBIT of at least EUR 6.2 billion (previously EUR 6.0 billion).

For the DHL divisions, DHL Group is expecting an EBIT between EUR 5.7 and EUR 6.5 billion (previously EUR 5.5 to EUR 6.5 billion). For Post & Parcel Germany the company plans for an EBIT between EUR 800 million and EUR 1.0 billion (previously EUR 1.0 billion).

For 2025, the Group confirms its medium-term earnings forecast of more than EUR 8 billion.

The Group's financial strength remains at a high level: in the second quarter of 2023, operating cash flow was at EUR 1.8 billion (Q2 2022: EUR 2.0 billion). Free cash flow was EUR 450 million (Q2 2022: EUR 665 million).

"Even though we are keeping a close eye on our costs in the current challenging environment, our strengthened earnings power puts us in a position to continue investing significantly in future growth. It is precisely because supply chains are becoming increasingly complex that our customers trust us as experts in sustainable transport and logistics solutions," said CFO Melanie Kreis.

Gross capital expenditure (capex) amounted to EUR 708 million in the second quarter (Q2 2022: EUR 798 million). The focus was on investment in sustainable business activities such as the construction of new, climate-neutral hubs, gateways and service centers in the Express division and the expansion of low-emission transport structures. In order to sustainably improve productivity, additional funds were invested in automation and digitalization initiatives. For 2023, the Group continues to plan a total investment volume of between EUR 3.4 and EUR 3.9 billion (2022: EUR 4.1 billion).

DHL Group generated total consolidated net profit after non-controlling interests of EUR 978 million in the second quarter of 2023 (Q2 2022: EUR 1.5 billion). Basic earnings per share accordingly amounted to EUR 0.82, compared with EUR 1.19 in the previous year.

Revenue in the Express division fell by 12.5 percent to EUR 6.1 billion in the second quarter of 2023, partly as a result of negative currency effects of EUR 298 million and lower fuel surcharges. Excluding currency effects and fuel surcharges, revenue in the second quarter decreased by 6.9 percent. As a result of the weak overall economic situation, daily volumes of international time-definite shipments (TDI) declined as expected.

To address this, the focus was on effective cost management and optimizing network capacity. The division countered the continuing effects of inflation by general price increases which are systematically implemented. EBIT for the division decreased by 18.2 percent to EUR 901 million in the second quarter of 2023. The return on sales was 14.7 percent.

As expected, revenue in the Global Forwarding, Freight division fell by 40.7 percent to EUR 4.8 billion due to lower volumes and normalizing freight rates. Excluding negative currency effects of EUR 221 million, revenue was 38.0 percent lower than in the same period of the previous year. In both air and ocean freight, the decline in volumes was particularly noticeable on trade routes from China. EBIT for the division decreased by 47.2 percent to EUR 388 million in the second quarter of 2023 in view of the drop in revenue. The EBIT margin remained at a good level of 8.0 percent (Q2 2022: 9.0 percent).

Revenue in the Supply Chain division grew by 4.0 percent to EUR 4.2 billion in the second quarter. Excluding negative currency effects of EUR 126 million, growth was 7.1 percent. All regions and sectors continued to register revenue increases, supported by new business, contract renewals and growing e-commerce business. Most of the new business was generated in the retail and technology sectors and was mainly attributable to e-commerce-based solutions. EBIT for the division rose to EUR 272 million in the second quarter (Q2 2022: EUR 244 million). In addition to positive revenue development, productivity increases supported earnings growth through digitalization and standardization. The EBIT margin was a very strong 6.4 percent (Q2 2022: 6.0 percent).

At EUR 1.5 billion, revenue in the eCommerce division in the second quarter was 0.3 percent below the prior-year level. Excluding negative currency effects of EUR 31 million, growth was 1.8 percent. EBIT for the division decreased from EUR 109 million to EUR 78 million, mainly due to higher costs and ongoing investments in network expansion. The EBIT margin was 5.2 percent (Q2 2022: 7.2 percent). With the recently announced acquisition of MNG Kargo, one of Turkey's leading parcel service providers, the network both in Turkey and for cross-border e-commerce business will be strengthened.

Revenue in the Post & Parcel Germany division in the second quarter of the year was up 0.8 percent against the prior-year figure at EUR 4.0 billion. Revenue growth at Parcel Germany and in the international segment offset the ongoing, structurally induced declines in the German postal business. EBIT for the division was 49.2 percent below the prior-year period at EUR 123 million due to higher costs caused by inflation and the special payment of the inflation compensation. The cost increases in the mail business could not be offset by higher prices due to the current rate regulation for basic mail products. This also led to a 40.6 percent decrease in capital expenditure in the division compared with the prior-year period. The EBIT margin was 3.1 percent.

CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) announced today that Jamie Boychuk, executive vice president of Operations, is leaving the company.

President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Hinrichs thanked Boychuk for his role in the implementation of scheduled railroading and cited the company’s depth of operational experience that will ensure continuity while CSX searches for a successor.

“On behalf of CSX and all our stakeholders, I would like to thank Jamie for his six years of service and contributions to our company, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Hinrichs said.

Hinrichs added, “CSX has an experienced operations leadership team that helped guide our operational transformation into a top-performing transportation company, and who will continue to implement and strengthen the scheduled railroading guiding principles that have been the foundation of our success.”

Ricky Johnson, senior vice president of Transportation, and Casey Albright, senior vice president of Network Operations and Service Design, will report directly to Hinrichs as the company conducts an internal and external search prior to naming a new head of all operations functions. Johnson, who oversees all field operations, has over 30 years of experience in the railroad industry, including 22 years of service at CSX. Similarly, Albright has 25 years of service at CSX in various leadership roles. In his current position, he oversees fluid traffic flow across the CSX network, leading the design of service plans that support performance improvement and meet customer needs.

“Our seasoned operations leadership team and talented field leaders will remain focused on executing our proven operational plan and drive growth by providing an ever-improving service product to customers. I have the highest confidence in our entire ONE CSX team, which has embraced our culture of working collaboratively to deliver strong safety and service results, positioning us to continue providing enhanced value for our shareholders and other key stakeholders,” Hinrichs said.

Crowley has entered into its fourth long-term charter for its newest Tier IV ship assist tug, Artemis, with Brusco Tug & Barge.

The powerful, state-of-the-art vessel reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability while providing high performance.

The 77-foot tug will deliver 7,000 horsepower with a bollard pull of 96 tons using two Caterpillar Marine 3516 Tier IV-compliant engines, meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emission standards. Artemis will also feature advanced technology to enhance maneuverability and provide operators with remote monitoring of its performance, making it more efficient and highly versatile for various operations.

“Artemis will not only offer the most power for its size like its sister vessel Athena; it showcases our dedication to providing environmentally efficient services while maintaining the highest standards of performance and reliability,” said Paul Manzi, vice president, Crowley Shipping. “We are grateful to continue collaborating with Brusco Tug & Barge and Diversified Marine to bring new vessels that advance the industry’s capabilities.”

Following its Tier IV sister vessels built by Diversified Marine – Athena, Apollo and Hercules – Artemis will join Crowley’s established ship assist and escort fleet later this year and is expected to serve the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“We are proud of our Hercules Class tugs and pleased to continue our partnership with Crowley and Brusco Tug & Barge,” said Frank Manning, president, Diversified Marine “This will be the sixth DMI-built tug in Crowley’s fleet and the 11th we have built for Brusco. Our company is based on relationships, and we are very thankful for the relationship we have with these forward-thinking operators.”

A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) reports a second quarter of 2023 ahead of expectations, while the ongoing market normalisation continued through the quarter leading to lower volumes and lower rates.

Revenue stood at USD 13.0bn compared to USD 21.7bn in Q2 2022 while profitability was strong at 12.4% although significantly lower compared to the extraordinarily strong Q2 2022. Reflecting the strong first half performance, Maersk raises its financial outlook and now expects underlying EBITDA of USD 9.5 - 11.0bn (previously USD 8.0 – 11.0bn), underlying EBIT of USD 3.5 - 5.0bn (previously USD 2.0 - 5.0bn) despite a weakened second half market outlook.

"The Q2 result contributed to a strong first half of the year, where we responded to sharp changes in market conditions prompted by destocking and subdued growth environment following the pandemic fuelled years. Our decisive actions on cost containment together with our contract portfolio cushioned some of the effects of this market normalisation. Cost focus will continue to play a central role in dealing with a subdued market outlook that we expect to continue until end year. While we step this agenda further up, we are unwavering in our transformation and continue to invest in and deliver truly integrated logistics solutions to our customers and amplify their supply chain resilience for the uncertain times ahead." Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk.

Ocean revenue decreased to USD 8.7bn from USD 17.4bn driven by a decrease in freight rates and loaded volumes. While the volume and rate environment stabilized at a lower level during Q2, Ocean continued to be impacted by lower demand, driven by a significant inventory correction in particular in North America and Europe. A strong cost management allowed to partially offset the top line impact on financial performance in Ocean.

Revenue in Logistics & Services was USD 3.4bn compared to USD 3.5bn. The segment was also impacted by lower volumes due to the continued destocking and weaker consumer demand, as well as low rates. As in Ocean, market demand is expected to continue to be subdued as long as the inventory correction is ongoing.

Revenue in Terminals decreased to USD 950m from USD 1.1bn and was influenced by the normalisation of storage revenue and lower volumes amid lower consumer demand and less congestion in North America. Strong cost control contributed to a continued solid financial performance.

The inventory correction observed since Q4 2022 appears to be prolonged and is now expected to last through year end. Based on the continued destocking, A.P. Moller – Maersk now sees global container volume growth in the range of -4% to -1% compared to -2.5% to +0.5% previously. Ocean expects to grow in-line with the market.

A.P. Moller – Maersk now expects CAPEX to be at the lower end of the previously communicated ranges of USD 9.0 - 10bn for 2022-2023 and USD 10.0 - 11.0bn for 2023-2024.
A total distribution of cash to shareholders of USD 2.4bn took place during Q2 2023 through dividend withholding taxes paid of USD 1.5bn and share buy-backs of USD 868m.

Financial performance for A.P. Moller - Maersk for 2023 depends on several factors subject to uncertainties related to the given uncertain macroeconomic conditions, bunker fuel prices and freight rates. 

Logistics UK is delighted to announce it will continue its sponsorship of Generation Logistics - the industry led skills awareness campaign – over the coming year and urges the whole sector to get on board for year two.

There are opportunities for organisations of all sizes to get involved, and Generation Logistics has announced a heavily discounted sponsorship package for smaller companies. In year two, organisations with turnovers of less than £20m will be able to join as Silver sponsors for £2,000 pa – more details can be found here: Become a Sponsor.

The first year of the initiative, that is jointly managed by CILT (UK) and Logistics UK, has generated almost 600,000 visits to the Generation Logistics web Hub and over three million engagements on social media. Year two will build on these results and focus on raising awareness among educators in schools and colleges. Sponsors will be able to tap into the Generation Logistics network, promote entry-level schemes, amplify social media posts using the campaign’s channels and participate in Generation Logistics Week.

Logistics UK President and Executive Sponsor of Generation Logistics, Phil Roe said, “For the industry to thrive and attract the next generation of talent, it is vital that the whole sector comes together behind Generation Logistics. We are passionate about representing the whole sector which is why we have introduced a substantially discounted opportunity for smaller companies. Over the last year, the industry has delivered a high-profile, national awareness campaign – the first time this has happened – and we are definitely shifting perceptions. Year two is going to be even better and I would urge companies of all sizes to come forward and support the campaign in its second year.”

Intelligent logistics platform Raft has appointed industry veteran Kurt Corman as Regional Vice President of Sales, Americas, and Claudio Fiaoni as Regional Vice President of Sales, EMEA, to support Raft’s accelerating global growth.

“Raft is expanding rapidly, and the appointments of Kurt and Claudio ensure we have the best expertise at the helm of our sales team to support our growth objectives,” said Mark Ketcham, Senior Vice President, Sales, Raft.

“They have a clear understanding of the industry and our users’ pain points, enabling our team to deliver high-value outcomes for our clients.”

Corman, an established business leader with over 25 years’ experience in logistics and technology, was previously in sales and leadership roles with technology platforms and companies such as Fourkites, Chain.io, and BDP International.

“Combining new technology, data and machine learning is completely transforming the freight forwarding industry, improving forwarders’ workflows across areas such as finance, customs, visibility, and emissions,” said Corman.

“In my new role, I look forward to using my experience within the industry to help forwarders and customs agents across the Americas drive efficiency and deliver more value to customers by using innovative digital solutions.”

Fiaoni started with Raft as Global Sales Director in 2022 and has over 25 years of software and commercial experience in senior roles across the logistics industry, at companies such as Oracle, 3Gtms, and E2open.

“The future success of the logistics industry is highly dependent on its ability to adapt and innovate, so it must therefore accept digitalization as the new norm, and embrace greater collaboration and integration across the supply chain,” said Fiaoni.

“The Raft platform is designed to offer an unparalleled user experience and leverage the latest technology our industry has to offer, and my existing experience within Raft puts me in good stead to support our clients and continue our expansion into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.”

Raft currently has offices across the UK, Europe, India, and the US, and is in the process of expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Envirotainer is a specialist in secure cold chain solutions for the shipment of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals.

va-Q-tec is a pioneer in the area of thermal insulations and thermal energy efficiency and offers a wide range of temperature-controlled packaging solutions, that are based on an award-winning vacuum insulation panel technology, as well as different types of phase change materials. The combination of the two businesses will revolutionise the industry and will lead to a comprehensive and unparalleled temperature-controlled offering.

Envirotainer is majority-owned by EQT Private Equity, supported by co-investors Mubadala and Cinven. EQT Private Equity had its majority takeover offer of va-Q-tec approved by the Austrian Federal Competition Authority (Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde) on the 30th of June and the German Federal Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt) on the 12th of June. This authorization gives the clearance to combine two industry-leading brands: Envirotainer for the active part and va-Q-tec for the advanced passive temperature-controlled supply chain solutions.

va-Q-tec’s offering of advanced passive boxes and containers that maintain temperatures from -180°C to +20°C without external energy input is a perfect match to Envirotainer’s solutions, which includes active Unit Load Device (ULD) Containers, (using battery powered compressor cooling and electric heating technology) and CryoSure®, a minus 70oc dry ice shipping solution.

By combining the two entities the operational network of service stations will further expand, which will cater to the global growing demand of temperature controlled pharmaceutical shipping.

The preparations for the integration have already started, and the full combination is expected to be in place during the second half of 2024. During the integration, high levels of service and support will be maintained, guided by a jointly agreed ‘customer first’ principle.

Commenting on the news, Envirotainer CEO Peter Gisel-Ekdahl, said, “Today starts a new era for our businesses and clients. Together, we will enable even greater global access to life-saving temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. The combination marks the start of a new accelerated period of growth for Envirotainer, fuelled by a comprehensive portfolio of temperature-controlled solutions tailored for customers across the whole spectra of the pharmaceutical industry”.

va-Q-tec CEO, Dr Joachim Kuhn, added, “Both businesses have a long history of success and complementary strengths. As one, we will supercharge our ability to develop ever better, innovative and sustainable cold chain solutions. Ultimately, this will improve patient's health while reducing environmental impact.”

The non-pharmaceutical operations of va-Q-tec, providing cold chain for food, and vacuum insulation panels for appliances, construction, technics & industry and mobility, will continue to operate separately.