WAREHOUSE TECHNOLOGY [29] RRRREEEEEPPPPPOOOOORRRRRTTTTTT:: An ITP Media Group Publication FE BRUARY 2020 / ISSUE 185 UPDATE [06] FEATURE [16] INTERVIEW [20] COMMENT [24] AnAnn ITPITP Media Group Publication FE BFFE BFRRUARY 2020 / ISSUE 185 FACING PORT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES [20] CCCCOOOVVVEERR SSSTTTOOORRRRRYYYYY Saudi-based supply chain solutions provider Starlinks has plans to quadruple revenues, increase its network, and bring true supply chain quality to the KSA marketplace. We talk to Gary Blythe, managing director, Starlinks FEATURE: CLEARING THE SANDS FOR PROGRESS Download the free Logistics app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. news and analysis for supply chain management professionalswwwsssss aaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyysssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn mmm3LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | FEBRUARY 2020www.logisticsmiddleeast.com FEBRUARY 2020 | CONTENTS Saudi-based end-to-end logistics experts, Starlinks discuss the market, its expansion pans, its ground-breaking ‘Connect’ app, and more in our in-depth cover story interview with Gary Blythe, managing director of Starlinks. The vast, open plains of the Arabian De- sert provide some of the most opportune landscapes for a major railway develop- ment, and this was a key consideration behind the ground-breaking railway project, which is introducing an entirely new industry – and transport infrastruc- ture – to the UAE. Technology is the next industrial revolu- tion. This month’s special report looks at how warehouse technology is completely changing the way the industry operates from end-to-end. The question you have to ask is: What is right for my business? CO V E R Reaching for the stars FE A T U R E Clearing the sands for progress SPE C IAL REP O R T Warehousing Technology p10p16p29 CONTENTS FEBRUARY 20204FEBRUARY 2020 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com CONTENTS | FEBRUARY 2020 Most popular news stories on logistics- middleeast.com [1] FedEx earns No. 14 Spot on the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies List Only company in the Delivery category ranked in the Top 20 . [2] Dubai launches World Logistics Passport at Davos to boost South- South Trade Initiative by Customs World brings together DP World and Emirates Group to connect markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa Pilot roll-out increased trade by participants by 10% [3] Middle East businesses ‘must adopt new technologies in response to supply chain risks’ Businesses in the Middle East can become among the most competitive in the world by taking a bold approach to their procurement and supply chain strategies [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] FdEN14 St RE GU L A R S [6] UPDATE Stay informed with the latest logistics and supply chain news. [2 0 ] INTERVIEW Port management: Rene Wernli regional CEO, Middle East & Africa, ECU Worldwide looks at the ever-changing port man- agement landscape. [2 2 - 2 3 ] COMMENT Top Three Trends facing the cold chain industry by Atif Rafiq, co-founder at Qafila. [2 4] COMMENT Electric battlefields - Pow- ering a new generation of logistics support: Jeff Pike, head of aerospace and defence strategic pro- grammes and initiatives at IFS looks at greening the battlefield in the modern era. [3 2] COMMENT Investigating the next generation of smart ware- houses with Alain Kad- doum, general manager, Swisslog Middle East. [4 2 ] 5 MINUTES WITH Tristar is making green strides - find out how in our final page 5 minutes with interview. p6 p36p16 JOIN THE CONVERSATION To have your copy of delivered to your doorstep, subscribe by logging on to www.itp.com/subscriptions Next month Logistics Middle East will be looking at the latest trends and developments in Saudi Arabia, as well as highlighting technology in ‘Ports of the Future’. Get in touch to be featured! p20LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | DECEMBER 2019www.logisticsmiddleeast.com Published by and © 2020 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC ED IT O R ’ S CO L U M N Whether you are in the rail, road, maritime, or aviation industries, we are entering a period of evolution that will change the way the world transports goods, and how the logistics, and supply chain industries operate across the globe. Technology is the main driver of this change. Autonomous vehicles and robotic warehouse operations are reducing the need for fallible human employees, and improving the bottom line for many forward-thinking companies. Right here in the GCC Landmark Group is deploying state-of-the-art warehousing technologies (more on page 36), and companies such as LogSquare are enabling these changes. Sustainability - in particular, reducing the carbon footprint of logistics companies is another key revolutionary tenet. Amazon, a company long-hailed for its firsts in getting products to customers, has now developed electric rickshaws in India, as the company commits to new investment and job creation in the world’s second most populous country. According to reports, the company also plans to invest US$1 billion in local technology, infrastructure and logistics projects to help create one million new jobs in India by 2025. However, it is not just improving upon what is already there, in some cases, the development in the logistics sector is introducing a whole new mode of transport. Etihad Rail is building the first rail transport network across the Emirates and beyond - a project that will forever change the face of GCC logistics (more on page 16). This rail network will provide a cheaper, reliable way of transporting bulk goods across the GCC. So, what does all this change mean for you? Every company needs to look to the future, plan for industry disruptors, and implement the technologies that work for them - not because they are the latest and greatest, but because they bring value. What may work for you now, may be obsolete in three years. While future-proofing is impossible, future planning is possible. This issue is packed full of what the future will bring for this industry, overcoming challenges, and facing the future head on. I hope you enjoy the read. GEORGINA FORD EDITOR GEORGINA.FORD@OS.ITP.COM PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Directer Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Editor-at-large Georgina Ford Tel: +971 4 4443420 email: georgina.ford@os.itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Manager Sanjay Kathan Tel: + 971 4 444 3377 email: sanjay.kathan@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 4443549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Rajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Ajith Narendra Fritz Asuro, Yuliya Petrovich, Jessica Samson PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Coordinator Mahendra Pawar Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION Circulation Executive Loreta Regencia MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager Teri Dunstan ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com /subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. 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An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.UPDATE | FEBRUARY 2020 6FEBRUARY 2020 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com Amazon, one of the world’s largest e-commerce provid- ers, and a growing force in the logistics industry is support- ing victims of the devastating Australian bush fi res, using its widespread network of logistics partners, and dis- tributors. “Our hearts go out to all Aus- tralians, the country’s commu- nities, bushland, and wildlife affected by the devastating bushfires. Using Amazon’s unique logistics and innovative technologies, along with cash donations to support organisa- tions on the front line of relief efforts, Amazon is contributing AU$1million to national efforts to provide relief to communi- ties impacted by this natural disaster,” read a press release from the company. Support spans three areas of focus: Firstly, donating needed items to organisations on the front lines, starting early January with BlazeAid. In addition to products donated directly by Amazon, customers will be able to donate items requested by BlazeAid, through the nonprofit’s charity wish list. The donated products, including water, food, safety clothing, building materials, and more, have been specifi- cally requested by BlazeAid as essential to aid their volunteers in the recovery efforts. Secondly, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is providing in-kind technical support for many of the government agen- cies dealing with the response and recovery efforts including Geoscience and Digital Earth Australia, the Bureau of Mete- orology, and state agencies such as Land Gate (WA), the Rural Fire Service (NSW), Fires Near Me app, SAFECOM (SA), and the South Australian Depart- ment Planning, Transport, and Infrastructure. Thirdly, Amazon is providing cash donations to relief agen- cies including the Australian Red Cross, the Salvation Army Australia, WIRES, and Rural and Country Fire Services. Customers who wish to donate essential items to the relief effort can do so by visiting Amazon. com.au and shopping from the wish list specifically created by BlazeAid. Amazon will deliver these items to BlazeAid’s nominated destinations. Additional charity wish lists will be added in the days to come with thousands of items avail- able to order. LA N D + SE A + AIR + SU PPL Y CHAI N + WA R E H O U S E + MA TERIAL S HAN D L IN G UPDATE 02.2020 How Amazon is supporting victims of the Australia bushfi re crisis What the company is doing for support organisations on the frontline of the Australian bushfire crisis, and how you can help Amazon, the global e-commerce behemoth, is mobilising its logistics network, and incentivising its customers to make a real difference in the Australian bush fi res rescue and aid efforts. STORY SUMMARY HOW TO DONATE ITEMS FROM BLAZEAID’S WISH LIST: 1. Browse the wish list 2. Click “add to basket” 3. Continue shopping or proceed to checkout 4. Select the wish list location to deliver to (actual delivery address will be hidden) 5. Follow on-screen instructions to complete your order We are amazed and humbled by the individuals, organisations, and agencies leading the response and recovery efforts across Australia. We are proud to be part of a strong community.FEBRUARY 2020 | UPDATE 7LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | FEBRUARY 2020www.logisticsmiddleeast.com Bangladeshi technol- ogy start-up, Jatri, an- nounced it has closed a seed round for an undis- closed amount backed by Super- angel, Falcon Network, Tahseen Consulting, and leading angel investors – many of whom were early investors and advisors to leading transport apps like Bolt (previously Taxify), Uber, Bird, Angkas, and Buseet. The seed round is believed to be one of the largest seed rounds ever raised in Bangladesh and is being viewed as a watershed moment for the country’s rapidly growing digital economy in attracting leading investors from the Middle East and North Africa. Jatri’s pre-seed financing came from Adventure Capital, a global venture capital fund founded by Fahim Saleh, cofounder of Pathao and several other on-demand transport apps. The participa- tion of prominent global investors in Jatri’s seed round indicates a growing appetite for early-stage investments in Bangladesh, one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Dr. Sayd Farook, co-founder of Falcon Network, said; “At Fal- con Network, we aim to invest in startups that not only have strong market potential but which also show promising results in creating a sustainable impact in the lives of people. In a very short time, Jatri has proven that it has the aptitude to revitalise the public transporta- tion industry in Bangladesh. It has created a pathway for the everyday commuter to benefit from smart solutions, and we believe these solutions have wide ranging ap- plications in many markets in the Middle East and Africa region as well.” Jatri is currently in discussions with other MENA investors to participate in its Series A round, and its management team is trave- ling to the UAE later this month with intentions to meet with the Dubai Roads and Transport Au- thority, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, and Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority to discuss deployments. Dubai’s integrated mobility platform, S’hail, offers an outstanding use case for Jatri’s technology, in particular. “When most people think of startups, they envision Silicon Val- ley. We back world-class founders in emerging and frontier markets who are empowering and uplifting the next billion. Bangladesh doesn’t have Silicon Valley’s mystique, but its entrepreneurs are build- ing transformative, world-class companies. In Jatri we see a pas- sionate, experienced management team where we believe our capital and expertise can support lever- aging technology to transform public transport in Bangladesh and globally,” said Wes Schwalje, chief operating officer of technol- ogy advisory and investment firm Tahseen Consulting. Jatri was founded in early 2019 by Aziz Arman, Khondoker Tas- war Zahin, and Zia Ahmed who saw an unmet need to enhance the reliability of public transport to address Bangladesh’s notori- ous traffic congestion challenges and insufficient public transport system. According to the United Nations, Dhaka’s traffic congestion reduces GDP by six per cent an- nually and pushes commuters to use private vehicles to get around due to lack of public transport coverage and passenger-centric services offered by transport op- erators - thereby creating a cycle that results in more congestion from significant private vehicle use. Transport surveys show that lack of reliability is the primary reason for Bangladeshis not us- ing public transport. Jatri views increased bus ridership as a criti- cal solution to enhancing public transport ridership. The founders have set about redesigning the passenger expe- rience for public transport users starting with buses. J atri’s mobile application enables digital tracking and ticketing which significantly enhances the rider experience on buses. Its technol- ogy also enables bus operators to enhance schedule adherence and optimise travel times. The result is a more seamless, reliable, and stress free passenger experience and enhanced fleet management capabilities for bus operators to significantly improve service levels and bus system performance. Jatri’s technology also has use cases for minibuses, electric scoot- ers and bikes, and other emerging transport modalities. “We are very grateful to be supported by such a prominent team of business builders and investors. Our initial target is to Public Transport App Jatri Attracts Leading UAE Investors to Bangladesh P h o to by S a z z a d A ry a n o n U n sp la sh significantly enhance the rider experience on buses, but we are just getting started. We plan to look at other transport modalities and view enhancing the public transport experience as a global challenge that Jatri’s technology is uniquely positioned to solve. We are creating a solution born in the developing world that can address congestion and enhance public transport ridership in the developing and developed world. Later in the month, we are trave- ling to the United Arab Emirates to explore opportunities after significant interest was shown in our technology for improving their bus system,” said Aziz Ar- man, Jatri co-founder and chief executive officer. In just over eight months of op- eration, Jatri has over 30,000 users, and its technology has been used by leading bus operators to complete more than 50,000 trips. The fund- ing raised in its seed round will allow Jatri to significantly scale-up its services in Bangladesh’s popu- lous metropolitan areas and fast track product development for additional transport modalities. Jatri is improving the commute of thousands of public transport passengers while complement- ing the significant investments Bangladesh is making in transport infrastructure. Bangladesh technology start-up, Jatri, has closed a seed round backed by Superangel, Falcon Network, Tahseen.UPDATE | FEBRUARY 2020 8FEBRUARY 2020 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com Aramex, a leading global provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions, has started test- ing fully electric vehicles within its fleet in the Saudi market. This step comes in line with the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, where environ- mental protection is one of its main objectives. The company is committed to moving forward with its long-term strategy to convert its entire fleet into electric ve- hicles where possible, in order to reduce CO2 emissions from its operations and reduce its negative impact on the envi- ronment. First Advanced Auto, the sole authorised dealer of BYD cars in KSA, provided Aramex with a fully electric vehicle to be tested in the last mile delivery services. Raji Hattar, chief sustain- ability officer at Aramex, said: Aramex begins fully electric vehicle pilot in KSA “We pride ourselves on be- ing a leader in sustainability across the region. Protecting the environment is a top prior- ity and an essential part of our sustainability strategy, there- fore, we continuously evaluate Xantrex vice president Gaudet promoted Xantrex vice pres- ident and general manager Richard Gaudet is now the president of Marine Power at Mission Critical Electronics, Xantrex’s parent company. Gaudet as- sumed his new responsibility on January 02, 2020. The Ma- rine Power Division is com- prised of popular brands in the marine industry – New- mar, ASEA and Xantrex. Gaudet who joined Xantrex in 1997 worked in a variety of roles before becoming its top leader in 2010. Under Gaudet’s leadership, Xantrex expanded beyond its traditional marine, RV, and truck markets, and started offering custom solu- tions for industrial and emerging market applications. As part of his strategic vision to make Xantrex a complete power solutions provider, the business added storage and power generation products to its portfolio with the addition of lithium ion and solar solutions; while strengthening its core power conversion offering. The launch of the Freedom X line of inverters and inverter/chargers has continued Xantrex’s posi- tion as a product innovator and market leader and expanded the brand’s footprint. Under Gaudet’s leadership, Xantrex forged strong strategic partner- ships and operated with a high quality, customer centric culture delivering expansive growth and superior customer satisfaction. “Rich is a strategic thinker who brings product and market knowledge and a strong track record of growth to the MCE Marine team. His proven abil- ity to develop strong customer and partner relationships and deliver innovative solutions to customer needs will take the MCE Marine Power business to the next stage of growth and development,” said Kevin Mos- chetti, CEO of Mission Critical Electronics. Mission Critical Electronics offers custom solutions for industrial applications. Aramex is testing electric vehicles in KSA, including in the city of Jeddah (pictured). all options that contribute to reducing our CO2 emissions. We have already succeeded in reducing these emissions by more than 20% by the end of 2016, and we are taking steady steps towards achieving our goal of reducing them by an additional 20% by the end of 2020”. In 2017 Aramex successfully introduced ten fully electric vehicles to its fleet in Amman, Jordan. Logistics giant moves forward in its sustainability pledge Gaudet is now president of Marine Power at Mission Critical ElectronicsFEBRUARY 2020 | UPDATE 9LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | FEBRUARY 2020www.logisticsmiddleeast.com Maersk, a leading global integrated logistics company, recently successfully delivered its fi rst end-to-end shipment of freshly produced ‘Green Chillies’ from Varanasi to Je- bel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE) within a duration of nine days. The company worked closely with Agricultural and Processed Food Exports De- velopment Authority (APEDA), the apex organisation under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, responsible for the export promotion of agricul- tural products, to enable trade opportunities in the state via land & sea routes. The delivery is a testament to Maersk’s ef- forts to unlock the agro-trade potential in Uttar Pradesh and expanding across the country by leveraging end-to-end cold- chain logistics solutions. The eastern part of Ut- tar Pradesh (Varanasi region) comprising of five districts – Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sant Ravidas Nagar which are some of the top producers of fresh fruits & vegetables, such as green chillies, okra, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, mango, guava etc. present an immense opportunity for the farmers and entrepreneurs in and around the region to boost its agro-exports. Considering these enormous trade prospects offered by the region, APEDA is in the process of setting up Agri-export hubs in these districts along with soon-to-be set up project office to fast-track the co-ordination & facilitation of all activities. Steve Felder, managing di- rector, Maersk South Asia, said “The economy of Uttar Pradesh is predominantly agrarian and performance of agriculture and allied activities such as horticul- ture, animal husbandry, dairy- ing and fisheries are critical in determining the growth rate vegetables & fruits produced so that they could facilitate the right infrastructure. Furthermore, the government also facilitated Veg- etables And Fruits Exporters Association (VAFA), Mumbai to sign an MOU with four Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) for sourcing of fresh vegetables & fruits for exports to interna- tional markets. The produce of the first trial shipment consoli- dated from the FPOs has been processed & packed at CONCOR Cargo Facility, Rajatalab, Varanasi which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2018. As the future enquiries are in pipeline with an additional route (rail) option, the target com- modity is wide-ranging (green chilies, okra, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, mango, guava etc.) with focused efforts from the company and government to ensure this to be a year-round movement. The company is in touch with the relevant gov- ernment stakeholders to help realise the true export potential of the region. Maersk unlocks agro export potential in India with cold chain solution of the state. Additionally, due to its favourable climatic and geographical conditions, the agricultural produce from the state especially Varanasi region enjoys a preferred demand in the global market which is the rea- son the government has plans to make it an export trade hub. Our initiative to take local produce to global market is in-line with our aim to be a global integrator of container logistics connecting and simplifying trade for the farmers & entrepreneurs across the region.” The shipment was loaded at the facility under the supervi- sion of the company’s Reefer expert and flagged-off by the chief guest, Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chairman, APEDA. Throughout the journey from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, leveraging the Remote Container Manage- ment (RCM) technology, the temperature of the cargo was accurately maintained at the temperature recommended by the Reefer expert with proper tracking of the container move- ment and spot-on co-ordination with various stakeholders in- volved in the project. Sensing the tight schedule of the shipment cycle due to short shelf-life of fresh produce & non-availability of export-quality packing mate- rial at Varanasi, Maersk ensured the deployment of an additional driver for inland transportation. By delivering on ensuring that the chillies reached its destina- tion in top quality, by ensuring on-time delivery and by taking responsibility of various phases of the logistics, Maersk went all the way in making sure its customers were satisfied by the offering from the company. Future opportunities in the region APEDA also organised an export promotion programme & Buy- er-Seller Meet (BSM) attended by more than 100 farmers from Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Uttar Pradesh during the first half of 2019, to provide a platform to link farmers to exporters. The platform provided a chance to the exporters to understand the potential of the region, quality of Maersk exported chillies from Uttar Pradesh to Jebel Ali. P h o to by V ip u l B o ra d e o n U n sp la sh For the first time ever, Maersk transports chillies from Uttar Pradesh to Jebel AliNext >