Envirotainer, the specialist in secure cold chain solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, has celebrated a decade of successful operations in Mexico.
Over the past 10 years, the company has worked closely with its partner, ULD Services MEX, to develop temperature-controlled air freight in the country. Together, they have spearheaded the safe transportation of pharmaceuticals to the benefit of patients locally and worldwide.
Prior to Envirotainer’s presence in the market, Mexico’s pharmaceutical cold chain had been reliant on passive systems. These comprise cardboard boxes, insulation and coolants, which can be wasteful and present the risk of a temperature deviation.
Since 2013, there has been substantial growth in the use of Envirotainer’s active Unit Load Devices (ULDs). These are giant battery-powered and insulated units that can contain pallets of pharmaceuticals in flight. The number of shipments to and from Mexico has also increased, reflecting the country’s flourishing pharmaceutical industry.
Throughout its time in Mexico, Envirotainer has championed partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, forwarders, and airlines. In doing so, it has consistently highlighted the benefits of its ULDs in protecting temperature-sensitive medicines during transport. Through training platforms such as the Envirotainer Academy, the company has educated ground-handling teams on cold chain solutions and the importance of quality in preserving pharma products.
“We are honoured that so many customers have continued to work with us after 10 years in the market,” said Brian Cooper, Head of Sales Americas at Envirotainer. “Looking back, we are proud of the progress Envirotainer, ULD Services MEX, and our customers have made. The partnership with ULD Services MEX has been instrumental in our success. The partner team has provided unwavering support, exceptional service, and effective representation in the market.”
“Mexico has a rapidly growing pharmaceutical sector, and we have witnessed significant changes in the market over the past decade,” noted Alberto Castrejón, Director General at ULD Services MEX. “The rise of complex and sensitive medicines and vaccines requires reliable packaging solutions supported by agile operational capabilities to ensure the safety and efficacy of the medicines shipped.”
Envirotainer is now looking ahead to the next 10 years, with a focus on training customers and partners on the latest offerings in the Mexican market, including the Releye® ULD family and CryoSure® solutions. The latter of these is designed specifically for a small load, -70°C shipments, such as cell and gene therapies, products in clinical development and other non-finished products.
Dronamics, the world's first cargo drone airline, announced today the successful completion of the first flight of its flagship aircraft, the Black Swan, at Balchik airport in Bulgaria; demonstrating the potential for the logistics industry to enhance efficiency in the transportation of products.
Born out of two brothers’ desire to find a quicker, greener and more affordable way to deliver goods, Dronamics is on a mission to enable same day delivery for everyone, everywhere. This significant milestone is the culmination of months of ground testing and subscale flights. The Black Swan aircraft was remotely piloted by two commercial airline pilots from the Dronamics ground control station.
The successful flight test validates the company's licensed cargo drone technology for commercial flights in Europe, set to begin later this year, serving industries such as e-commerce, pharma, spare parts, and perishables with a fast and cost-effective solution to meet evolving consumer needs.
“Since the day we first imagined what the Black Swan aircraft could look like, we’ve worked towards this flight. Today we’ve made history and are proud to have demonstrated the validity of our drone technology,” said Konstantin Rangelov, Co-Founder and CTO of Dronamics.
”It’s taken an enormous amount of hard work, belief and drive to prove that what we envisioned works. We can now focus on the next step, the roll-out of our commercial operations, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Svilen Rangelov, Co-Founder and CEO of Dronamics.
Every week APM Terminals’ CEO, Keith Svendsen, takes time to acknowledge outstanding work by colleagues in a company-wide message.
Here, we feature one colleague who was singled out for terrific work in a department that's happy to share its ‘trade secrets’ with the entire company. Meet Felecia, one of our Customer Service Heroes at APM Terminals Liberia.
"The ability of our colleagues to turn every interaction into a positive, low-effort experience is a testament to their dedication and skill, and I am proud of their work,” said Svendson recently, and you can tell he really means it.
The teams focus on reducing manual transactions through digitization and automation, resulted in a 97.19% automation rate for invoicing landside customers; ensured that 99% of import shipments were streamlined by the company’s global truck appointment system (TAS); and were the first to launch Care College – the pride of the company’s in-house customer care training - which took place in Monrovia.
In sending his thanks and recognition, as he does every week – and verbally every day - Svendson highlighted the results of Felecia Opoku whose customer feedback rates are nothing less than exceptional. Chalking up a 95% positive feedback rate would make anyone proud, but on hearing that number she furrows her brow. “I was just wondering how I can get to 100%,” she says.
Opoku joined APM Terminals in 2013 as an intern, and after graduating from the Marine Training Institute was offered a role in the operational department. From there she moved to the commercial department in 2017. “Back then, everything at APM Terminals Liberia was done manually,” she recalls. “Payments, receipts, printing invoices, everything was paper and filing. It's hard to imagine the changes we have seen in such a short time. Also, we were almost exclusively talking to customers face to face from the front office,” she says.
While she loves her job and working at the terminal, customer care wasn't what Felecia was trained for. “I trained as an engineer. I was one of the high achievers in my college, and that's one of the reasons I was accepted on the internship with APM Terminals. But I took the opportunities that came to me and that led me to customer care.
Her work ethic is something she attributes to her family. “As a child, when my father asked me or one of my siblings to do something, he expected it to be done. He would not let us shift blame onto someone else or try to get out of doing our chores. He instilled in us the importance of taking ownership and taking responsibility.
"Maybe that's one reason why working as a customer care agent suits me,” she says. “Though it is not the technical role I trained for, it is nonetheless about solving problems. I get to take ownership. When a customer comes to me with an issue, even if it is initially beyond my ability to help, I will find a solution.”
But as any customer care agent knows, daily work isn’t always about high-fives and positive interaction. “Sometimes we have unavoidably disappointed a customer. That's upsetting on both sides. The most important thing is to understand their situation. You need to listen. I give customers
my full and undivided attention. I don't rest until the issue is resolved. Where we can learn and do better, I share those learnings with my teammates, the entire terminal, and the entire company.”
Felecia has taken the APM Terminals Care College training to heart. So much so that she uses the techniques at home. "One of my sons is five and the youngest is just over a year old. They can be boisterous. Every parent knows that stress can be high. But I've found that giving them my full attention really helps. It's no different in work. People can tell if someone is not truly listening to them, and that can lead to frustration. In a busy environment or a noisy office, there can be a lot of distractions. It’s so important to be 100% focused on the conversation you’re having.”
Felecia attributes many of her achievements to her wider team, her training, her manager, and to the implementation of Salesforce which she says has made communication and oversight of customer interactions all the clearer.
As for the future? Felecia says: “I’m happy in my role, I love working with the team here in Monrovia. Being recognized by Keith Svendsen was special. But the most important thing is to maintain achievements and take all the opportunities that come our way.”
DP World and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority have celebrated two historic events – the completion of the Centerm Expansion Project at DP World Vancouver, and the 100th anniversary of the port’s marine terminal operations.
These two events highlight British Columbia’s (BC) ongoing leadership in sustainable trade, technological innovation and introducing Canadian goods to new markets supported by partners such as DP World in Canada.
The 100-year anniversary marks an opportunity to celebrate the ongoing commitment of DP World employees, the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) – with over 10,000 longshore and foremen employees having worked for DP World in BC over the past 20 years – handling over 20 million loaded twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Along with its partners, DP World is making the global supply chain more resilient, establishing Canada’s leadership in sustainable trade and exporting Canadian goods to global markets.
DP World continues to support and advance the long-term growth of Canada’s ports and terminals, including the Port of Vancouver, through new technologies and commitment to innovation and sustainable trade infrastructure. As the country’s gateway to over 170 trading economies around the world, Vancouver handles one in every $3 of Canada’s trade in goods outside of North America. This enables the trade of approximately $305 billion in goods, while the port’s activities sustain 115,300 jobs, $7 billion in wages, and $11.9 billion in GDP across Canada.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “The 100th anniversary of terminal operations on the west coast is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Canada’s rich maritime and port history and look ahead to a future that includes DP World’s industry-leading technology and innovation in supply chains. It’s also a chance for us, along with our employees and partners, to celebrate a responsible, sustainable, strategic approach to managing Canada’s network of ports and terminals.”
DP World and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority also marked the completion of the Centerm Expansion Project, an AED 954 million (CAD$350 million) award-winning project to increase throughput by 60% and position British Columbia as a leader in sustainable trade.
The newly expanded terminal can now handle 1.5 million TEUs a year, compared to 900,000 TEUs previously, while adding 15% to the terminal’s overall footprint.
The project reduces the terminal’s environmental impact by adding capacity for container ships to connect to electrical shore power and converting its diesel yard cranes to electric. It further reduces greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating wait times for vehicles at train crossings and building to LEED and Envision certification sustainability standards.
“This expansion represents a significant investment in the future of international trade, and we are honoured to continue to play a vital role in connecting Canadian businesses to markets around the world, while contributing to sustainable economic growth and prosperity for all," Bin Sulayem said. The expansion was completed by Centennial Expansion Partners (CXP).
DP World has committed to investing US$500 million globally over the next five years to help cut its carbon emissions by 700,000 tonnes to become a net-zero carbon enterprise by 2050.
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority also completed the South Shore Access Project earlier this month in partnership with the Government of Canada and with funding from the National Trade Corridors Fund. The final part of the South Shore Access Project, including upgrades to Waterfront Road and the removal of road and rail conflicts in the area to connect terminals directly to the Trans-Canada Highway are now complete.
Robin Silvester, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said: “Expanding the footprint of the Centerm container terminal and improving road and rail links in the area will increase container trade capacity and resiliency at the Port of Vancouver in the near term”.
He added: “As recent years have shown, a robust container sector is critical for Canadian exports and for reliable access to the goods Canadians depend on every day from markets around the world—and these projects represent an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to enabling Canadian trade. We'd like to thank our project partners including DP World and the federal government for their support and collaboration, as well the local community and south shore tenants for their patience and understanding during construction.”
Emirates SkyCargo customers can now easily find and book interline cargo shipments into prime Canadian destinations, of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary on Air Canada flights, via key Emirates European gateways.
The enhanced online booking capabilities now live, enable Emirates SkyCargo customers to book shipments that will travel on Air Canada Cargo flights on an interline basis via e-SkyCargo, WebCargo, and Cargowise. In the coming weeks, Air Canada Cargo is working to implement similar direct booking capabilities for its customers to more easily access and book interline shipments that will travel on Emirates’ flights across its global network.
Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo said: "We’re delighted to team up with Air Canada Cargo to offer expanded access to more destinations in Canada via our European gateways, all bookable online creating a seamless digital experience. We’ll continue to work closely with Air Canada to ensure smooth transfers and connections, so that cargo arrives promptly and in excellent condition."
He added: "This arrangement with Air Canada will benefit many of our customers, particularly those in West Asia, Middle East and Africa seeking to transport agricultural equipment, machinery, aircraft parts, as well as perishables and general cargo into Canada and other points in North America."
This latest development follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in February between the two major airlines to provide more benefits to their air freight customers worldwide. It also builds on the broader strategic commercial partnership between Emirates and Air Canada, which was announced last year.
The partnership expands Emirates SkyCargo’s reach to over 60 cities in Canada and more than 150 cities across five continents through Air Canada Cargo’s fleet of Boeing 767 freighters and the belly-hold capacity of Air Canada’s scheduled passenger flights. In return, Air Canada Cargo has access to Emirates SkyCargo’s high frequency distribution network through the belly-hold of Emirates scheduled passenger flights to over 150 global destinations, as well as the additional capacity offered by 11 freighters currently in the Emirates fleet.
Emirates and Air Canada first announced their global partnership in 2022. In addition to this latest cargo development, the airlines recently implemented a passenger codeshare agreement which covers 46 destinations across North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Emirates and Air Canada have also launched joint loyalty programme benefits for members of Skywards and Aeroplan to earn and redeem miles and points on flights operated by Emirates and Air Canada respectively.
A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) and Barry Callebaut Group, the world leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, have entered into a long-term partnership to build and operate a new Built-To-Suit cocoa bean warehousing and dispatching facility in Malaysia.
A ground-breaking ceremony of this dedicated facility was held in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia on May 18, 2023.
This warehouse supports Barry Callebaut’s strategic growth to continuously provide high quality cocoa and chocolate products and services to their customers in Malaysia and Asia Pacific region. It is also a testament of Maersk’s ambition to expand current ocean and landside logistics services into an integrated end-to-end logistics solution for its customer.
Located in the Johor Bahru district, the main industrial zone in the city of Pasir Gudang close to the Johor port, this new multi-storey facility is one of the largest cocoa bean warehouses in Southeast Asia. It spans across more than half a million square feet and has a fit-for-purpose design with operational efficiency as a priority. It is also at a 1-kilometre distance from Barry Callebaut’s cocoa processing factory in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia.
"Barry Callebaut has operated in Asia Pacific since 1997 and we continue to invest in this region. We are excited to evolve our long-term partnership with Maersk to enhance the resilience of our supply chain. The new warehouse allows us to have better control over our cocoa bean qualities and this ultimately supports our ambitious growth plans in the region." Elie Fouché, Vice-President Cocoa for Region Asia Pacific at Barry Callebaut.
Since January 2022, Maersk has connected Barry Callebaut’s supply chain from cocoa growing origins in Africa to the factories in Asia Pacific through ocean and landside logistics services.
"We are pleased that Barry Callebaut has chosen us as their long-term logistics partner, and the enhanced warehousing and dispatching facility is essential to help them rapidly respond to the changing market conditions. As Maersk is becoming a global integrator of container logistics, our strength of integrated service offerings will continue to help Barry Callebaut achieve greater efficiency within their supply chain." Elaine Low, Area Managing Director, Maersk Southeast Asia.
The Built-To-Suit warehousing and dispatching facility is expected to be completed by the end of second quarter in 2024. It will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions like solar panel roofs, LED lights and natural ventilation, which improve the environmental footprint.
A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) announces the completion of its divestment of Maersk Supply Service (MSS), a leading provider of global offshore marine services and project solutions for the energy sector.
At closing, A.P. Moller Holding, the parent company of the A.P. Moller Group, will assume full ownership of MSS. Maersk Supply Service will continue trading under its current name and will be using the Maersk seven-pointed star logo as part of its brand.
"The divestment of Maersk Supply Service marks the completion of our previous decision to divest all energy related activities and focus on truly integrated logistics. At the same time, we are very pleased to see that Maersk Supply Service will be able to continue to further develop new solutions for the green energy transition under a new long-term ownership." Peter Wikstrom, Head of M&A and Strategic Brands at A.P. Moller – Maersk.
In 2016, Maersk adopted its new strategy around integrated logistics, and a separation of the existing energy related activities was initiated. Maersk Tankers, Maersk Oil & Gas and Maersk Drilling were divested in the period 2017-2019. Today with the divestment of Maersk Supply Service the final divestment of the energy related activities will be completed.
SPIE Netherlands and C-Green are collaborating on the first Dutch modular plant to convert sewage sludge into biofuel.
The innovative system – developed by C-Green – converts wet biomass (sludge) into the dry product hydrochar in an energy-efficient manner.
During the production process, five kilos of sludge are converted into one kilo of hydrochar. This organic and environmentally friendly end product is suitable for use as a biofuel and soil conditioner.
During Maintenance NEXT, SPIE and C-Green signed a cooperation agreement to build such a plant. SPIE is using its engineering expertise to build the system of C-Green in the Netherlands.
The decomposition process of the by-product sludge normally produces methane gas, which is 30 to 40 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. Moreover, collecting and transporting – wet – sludge involves high costs. The plant offers a good solution to this environmentally damaging processing. Converting sludge to dry matter ensures no methane gas is produced. In addition, it significantly reduces the volume, making transports more efficient, cheaper and environmentally friendly.
The compact plant, consisting of ready-to-use modules, can be located at a wastewater treatment plant or pulp mill, for instance, and can convert 25,000 tonnes of sludge per year. Storage of the product and processing of the waste stream can take place on site.
In the coming months, REYM Rotterdam, one of the largest waste management companies in the Netherlands, will test a pilot installation. iTanks, the knowledge and innovation platform for the port-related industry, brought REYM, C-Green, SPIE and InnoEnergy (InnoEnergy is an investor and shareholder of C-Green) together.
Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program students Jessica Jiang and Ari Quasney were awarded Crowley scholarships for their academic achievements, demonstration of the company’s core values of drive, integrity and sustainability and interest in the maritime industry.
Jiang, of Brooklyn, New York, is a sophomore at Williams College where she studies English. Her marine education spans multiple areas including marine ecology, marine policy, and American maritime history. During her studies with Williams-Mystic, she is researching the effects of rising climate temperatures on the feeding rate of an invasive species of crab , as well as the impact of plastic bans on low-income communities.
Quasney, from Munster, Indiana, is also a sophomore at Williams College, and is pursuing a degree in geoscience in addition to a combined degree in art history and studio art. They are a member of the deaf community and serve as the accessibility coordinator for the Williams College of Accessibility. As part of their studies at Williams-Mystic, Quasney is researching the effects of variable tides and wave energy on coastlines and examining how port cities adapt construction in response to natural disaster events.
The Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program is a collaboration between Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. The program offers undergraduates from across the U.S. a semester-long experience at sea with opportunities to conduct original research and travel while studying literature, history, policy and science of the oceans and coasts.
Since 1984, Crowley has funded more than 1,000 students studying at maritime academies and other select schools in the U.S. mainland, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Central America, totaling more than $3 million dollars.
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), center of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions and joint venture by ST Engineering and Airbus, has received the validation of its Supplement Type Certification (V-STC) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) aircraft conversion program comprising two variants - the A330-200 and the A330-300.
This major milestone was achieved alongside with the first-ever A330 freighter converted in China which has been re-delivered by EFW to its customer CDB Aviation for leasing to Sichuan Airlines.
With this conversion program milestone, EFW will be able to work even more closely with Chinese partners. The validation by the Chinese authorities enables customers with Airbus A330 aircraft registered in China to easily undergo conversions under the EFW program, whether in MRO sites in China or in other countries.
“Offering conversions in China to serve the high demand in this growing market was an important strategic decision for EFW,” commented Jordi Boto, CEO of Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH. “We are very pleased to have successfully started this journey together with CDB Aviation, our first customer with A330P2F conversions on three continents, and we are very grateful for the trust they have placed in us.”
The A330P2F aircraft for CDB Aviation was converted at ST Engineering´s airframe facility in Shanghai, Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company, concluding EFW’s first-ever A330P2F conversion in China. There is a strong market demand for Airbus freighter conversions, with the A330P2F program being increasingly considered as the preferred next-generation platform in the medium to widebody category.
To meet the demand for Airbus freighter conversions, EFW and ST Engineering set up in total nine conversion sites worldwide in recent years to ramp up total conversion capacity for all their Airbus P2F programs comprising the A330P2F, A320P2F and A321P2F. In China, besides Shanghai, there are also conversion sites, namely for the A330P2F in Chengdu as well as for A321P2F in Guangzhou and Tianjin, which is a third-party conversion site by Haite.
EFW’s A330P2F program is developed in collaboration with ST Engineering and Airbus, with EFW holding the Supplemental Type Certificate and leading in the overall program as well as marketing & sales efforts. The A330P2F program comes with two variants – the A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F – which are both equipped with advanced technology that offers airlines additional operational and economic benefits. The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 60 tons of weight to over 7.700 km, while the larger A330-300P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 62 tons and a containerized volume of up to ~18.581ft3 (~526m3).
CFL cargo, sister company of CFL multimodal, and Bertani Trasporti are proud to announce the launch of a new rail connection between Gliwice Port in Poland and Marckolsheim in France.
During this year’s transport logistic fair in Munich, CFL cargo and Bertani Trasporti have successfully concluded a partnership for a new train running with two roundtrips per week and transporting vans from the Gliwice Port to Marckolsheim over a distance of more than 1300 km.
This new, cross-border train with a transport capacity of 19 wagons efficiently connects the Polish and French rail corridors via Germany and will also foster modal shift, by transferring the equivalent of more than 2,300 trucks from road to rail and saving about 10,200 tCO2 per year. The rail traction is provided by CFL cargo in Germany and France, in cooperation with DB Cargo Polska who is taking over in Poland.
Sven Löffler, Chief Commercial Officer CFL multimodal: “We are pleased to work with Bertani Trasporti and are committed to provide them sustainable rail solutions that ease the modal shift of their transport flows to rail. This new connection between Gliwice Port and Marckolsheim is an extension of our network in Europe and will give us the opportunity to strengthen our service offering for Eastern, Central and West Europe. We thank all business partners and especially Bertani for the successful implementation of this project.”
Frank Lehner, Head of International Business Development and Rail Bertani Trasporti: “We are proud of this new project with CFL cargo, so we are constantly offering sustainable rail solutions as Bertani Automotive Rail aligned with market demands. Sustainability today increasingly takes a central role in communicating our medium- to long-term performance and ability to create value.
The new connection between Gliwice (PL) and Marckolsheim (F) presents an opportunity for Bertani Trasporti to strengthen its presence and services for Eastern, Central, and Western Europe.”
