< PreviousLOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2021 30APRIL - MAY 2021 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com FMCG SUPPLY CHAIN OF THE YEAR - HELLMANN WORLDWIDE LOGISTICS ENERGY SUPPLY CHAIN OF THE YEAR - TRISTAR GROUP The winner of FMCG Supply Chain of the Year is Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. Gordon Barnard, chief commercial officer, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, said that the last 15 months have been very difficult for everyone in the sector. “Even currently with the current ocean freight dynamics in the world, it’s been very difficult. The reality is that we’ve been able to provide advanced solutions to help our customers to be able to trace their goods and also helping them to make sure that they can show their customers that cargo is arriving as scheduled. So we’re very proud to win this award and that can only be down to the customers that we serve and the people that we hire.” Every major FMCG customer is different and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has adapted its approach to The winner of Energy Supply Chain of the Year is Tristar Group. Shivananda Baikady, general manager, Tristar, said that technology is the backbone of Tristar operations. “Energy supply is one of the most difficult jobs where safety and visibility is key. And we are the first ones in this region to implement blockchain technology for customer visibility and customer experience. I think that’s helped us a lot. The last 18 months has been very difficult. And I must say that this award goes to all our 2,000 people.” The logistics sector is constantly challenged to control and reduce its carbon emissions while transporting customers’ products be it by road, sea or air. As such, Tristar has been inspired to invent innovative solutions to address global problems in energy supply chains. Tristar operates in over 20 countries ensure the evolving needs of its clients in this sector can be met. The group’s CIP (Continuous Improvement Process) has helped to improve and streamline processes and allowed the organisation to remain competitive in the expanding market. Hellmann says its dedicated staff, use and territories and is looking to increase its footprint, expanding with its existing customers while also looking for new opportunities and acquisitions. The integration of technology is important to Tristar and it has been working on finding innovations that will be efficient of specialised information technology tools and reporting capabilities quickly determine what is needed to transform customers’ supply chain challenges into market opportunities. The highly commended nominee for this category is GAC Dubai. and cost effective for both current and future projects; for example, Robot Processing Automation and Artificial Intelligence, in addition to smart ship technology. The highly commended nominee for this category is SOHAR Port & Freezone.LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2021 31LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | APRIL - MAY 2021www.logisticsmiddleeast.com EXPRESS LOGISTICS COMPANY OF THE YEAR - POSTA PLUS RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN HUB OF THE YEAR - LANDMARK GROUP Sponsored by Sponsored by The winner of Retail Supply Chain Hub of the Year is Landmark Group. Mihin Shah, chief supply chain officer, Landmark Group, picked up the award. He said: “First of all thank you for the award, it really goes to our visionary board members and the team that worked really hard behind this very, very complex project, and all of our partners, suppliers and vendors who have really supported us through this project. Finally I think this is a phenomenal project in the region. It has really helped us leapfrog in the world of retail and particularly in the world of COVID, it has seen us through the last year. We are really, really proud of what the team has achieved.” The Landmark Mega DC is the largest automated distribution centre in the GCC, built at a massive investment of over 1 billion dirhams. The hub is becoming the Central Distribution Center for Landmark GCC business, providing a centralised inventory and high speed processing of goods for stores in the UAE and feeder centres in other countries. Landmark’s efforts are designed to help reduce the inventory by lessening buffer stocks distributed across various countries and provide the group with the ability to divert stocks where they are most needed and where they sell at the best possible price. The highly commended nominee for this category is Al-Futtaim Logistics. The winner of Express Logistics Company of the Year is Posta Plus. Samer Darwish, chairman of Posta Plus, said he was honoured to receive the award. Ahmed Helmy, sales director, said: “It has been a tough year for everyone. It was a rollercoaster but it was worth it. We learnt a lot and we grew our business, we set new limits for our business, our company and we’re looking forward to the coming years to build on this. We are doing a lot of expansion now, we’ve seen a lot of potential in new areas that we didn’t see before. We saw a lot of challenges and we didn’t forecast our volumes to grow as much as they did.” Numbers are an impressive way of showcasing achievements and milestones. And recently, this company has posted impressive numbers indeed. Posta Plus’ state-of-the-art solutions have led to an increase in the number of customers who benefitted from the Express Logistics Solutions by well over a third in Kuwait and the UAE, with a volume of shipments of 1,381,046 on the eve of the pandemic. The highly commended nominee for this category is FedEx Express.LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2021 32APRIL - MAY 2021 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com SUPPLY CHAIN HUB OF THE YEAR - LOGIPOINT BREAKBULK OPERATOR OF THE YEAR - MAERSK The winner of Supply Chain Hub of the Year is LogiPoint. Nadeem Qureshi, commercial attache, UAE, LogiPoint, said: “We are very, very pleased at winning this particular award because being a supply chain hub in the region has always been our stated ambition. With the infrastructure that LogiPoint brings to the region, we have the opportunity to become the primary gateway into the Middle East.” LogiPoint is a leading network of integrated logistics parks across KSA. In recent months, the organisation has been attracting international investors into the Kingdom, which is fast becoming one of the preferred trade gateways into the Middle East. LogiPoint is making significant improvements to supply chain efficiency by opening a bonded corridor between Batha (Saudi–UAE border) The winner of Breakbulk Operator of the Year is Maersk. Morten Berg Thomsen, head of special cargo, Maersk, said: “It’s a huge honour for all of us and a big compliment to the entire team across the region in enabling this. And also a big honour in terms of how we serve our customers in these trying times.” Through innovation and digitisation, Maersk has enhanced the customer journey and made it easy and efficient for the project cargo industry to enable these non-standard commodities to be transported anywhere around the globe. Recently, Maersk has enhanced the customer journey and tried to smoothen the process of doing business through various initiatives. Maersk cedes that its earlier booking and LogiPoint bonded and re-export zone. This has helped reduce the hold-up at the border by offering an alternative option to truckers and importers to clear their cargo. The group has also launched the first bonded reefer container village in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Port. This process was manual and was made via phone calls, documentation and email. But no longer. Maersk has studied its orders and segregated them between standard and non-standard and found that almost 57 has helped importers and exporters minimise their costs on electricity and reduce their carbon footprint since LogiPoint is investing in sustainable energy sources. The highly commended nominee for this category is Thakral Gulf FZE. percent of its orders were standard for which the rates throughout the entire process could also be standardised. The highly commended nominee for this category is Navigators Shipping and Logistica LLC. Sponsored by Sponsored byLOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2021 33LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | APRIL - MAY 2021www.logisticsmiddleeast.com AIR CARGO OPERATOR OF THE YEAR - ETIHAD CARGO TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - IQ ROBOTICS Sponsored by Sponsored by The winner of Technology Solutions Provider of the Year is IQ Robotics. Fadi Amoudi, founder and CEO, IQ Robotics, said: “First of all I would like to thank the industry for the nomination. We’re a UAE start-up, we’re home-grown, and we’re going to take this technology global. What we’re doing is providing entire end-to-end solutions, not just products or services, to really transform our customers’ entire back-end. Knowing that we’re always close by, step-by-step, because we believe that transformation is a journey. We hope we can add more value to the region and help sectors to transform.” The rise of e-commerce has changed the way businesses have functioned, more so in the logistics, fulfilments, and delivery sectors, with the human workforce depending more and more on robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning that have played a key role in this transformation. This is especially true in the wake of the pandemic. IQ Robotics, an AI-driven fully robotic business spearheading the digital transformation of the logistics sector, was only launched in Dubai in September 2019. Over the last 18 months the company’s solutions have come into their own as B2B customers pivot their strategies. The highly commended nominee for this category is LogSquare. The winner of Air Cargo Operator of the Year, is Etihad Cargo. “It’s been a tough year from a passenger standpoint but on the cargo side of the business it’s been an excellent year,” said Martin Drew, senior VP sales and cargo, Etihad Aviation Group. “What we’ve done with the government and the distribution of PPE and vaccines of course, it’s just been an incredible year. [Air cargo] now is a lifeline and it will continue to be throughout this year so all in all it’s been an incredible year for Etihad Cargo and we’re honoured to be recognised.” Prior to the pandemic, Etihad Cargo successfully rolled out an ambitious and all-encompassing transformation strategy with the aim to develop a more sustainable business and operating model and build a stronger foundation. The transformation, which included a massive digitalisation programme, streamlined internal processes and created a more innovative, efficient, and customer-driven operation. In 2019, Etihad Cargo became the first Middle Eastern airline to hold both IATA’s CEIV Pharma and CEIV Fresh certifications, and second globally for the latter. The group overhaul, which led to a 26% growth in Asian and African markets in 2019, could not have come at a better time. The highly commended nominee for this category is Volga-Dnepr.LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2021 34APRIL - MAY 2021 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com PRIDE OF LOGISTICS AWARD - GWC LOGISTICS LOGISTICS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR - GARY BLYTHE, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, STARLINKS The winner of the Pride of Logistics Award is GWC. Wilfried Hugebaert, executive director strategy and growth, GWC, said: “Under the leadership of our chairman and CEO we have worked a lot on the entrepreneurship of our company. We’re very proud tonight to be awarded such an award. It’s been a lot of hard work integrating all the business units involved to do end-to-end work from warehousing to transportation. It’s a great achievement to ensure we can keep delivering for the Qatari population.” GWC approached the pandemic crisis head on. In spite of the overwhelming challenges presented by the pandemic, the Qatari company secured a number of major contracts and milestones. Becoming the official logistics provider of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, GWC started out on a path which will see it thrust into the The winner of Logistics Executive of the Year is Gary Blythe, founder and managing director, Starlinks. “We’ve got 400 employees, we’ve got three businesses under the Starlinks brand and we’ve come through an amazing journey with a team which I genuinely feel has an unstoppable culture,” said Gary on receiving the award. “To get this recognition now is absolutely about the team, it’s about what we’ve created and more than anything what they’ve delivered in the last year. It’s huge.” When asked what the next three years look like for Starlink, Gary said he plans to “double” all elements of the business. “Double our profit, double our revenue, double our scale. In the end we want to differentiate from everyone out there. We want to provide a next level in terms of logistics limelight over the next couple of years and reaffirm its place as a major player in the Gulf. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, GWC achieved net profits of almost $65 million in 2020 on the back of $338 million revenues. The organisation’s quality product solutions. We’re two years old, we’ve only just begun but we’ll see where we go.” Gary has had the opportunity to work across the world and experience the unique challenges of each of the continents and countries he’s operated in. He understands the strength of the teams he’s worked with and strong performance is a testament to the team’s ability to overcome adversity and capitalise on newfound opportunities springing up from the pandemic. The highly commended nominee for this category is DHL Global Forwarding. how important developing and harvesting talent is. Gary has used the multicultural experience he has to overcome the many challenges that he has faced and is a true visionary. The highly commended nominee for this category is Neil McMaster, general manager, GAC Dubai.LOGISTICSMIDDLEEAST.COM NEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALSIN FOCUS | GWC LOGISTICS 36APRIL - MAY 2021 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com The world’s largest sporting event kicks off next year and it falls on the logistics sector to make sure everything is in place before millions of people arrive in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup. At the centre of the massive logistics operation is one of the country’s major supply chain operators, GWC. As the official host na- tion logistics provider of the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the Arab region’s first – GWC is responsible for delivering the tournament to the world. But it’s been no easy task preparing the road to Qatar 2022. A little over a year ago, the world was plunged into the coronavirus crisis and everything ground to a halt. Few other countries have had to organise a major sporting tournament under such challenges. Here’s a brief look at the logistics of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Qatar is, geographically, at the cen- tre of the Middle East region. Around Logistics Middle East shines a light on the logistics operator primarily responsible for delivering the world’s greatest sporting event in Qatar in 2022. THE ROAD TO QATAR two-thirds of the world’s population are with an eight hour flight of Doha. The country has invested significantly in its logistics and industrial infrastructure in the run-up to the tournament in an effort to transform the economy. As a result, Qatar has some of the youngest ports and aviation hubs in the region. Qatar will have eight stadia within a short distance of each other, with the northernmost Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor city only 69km from the southernmost Al Janoub, in Al Wakrah city. For the first time ever, fans will be able to visit all sta- dia from any location in the capital, even taking in multiple matches in a single day. The compact layout of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, combined with a re- vamped highway and subway/light rail system built to link the stadiums, are part of a concerted investment in transporta- tion and logistics infrastructure that put Qatar at the forefront of the global logis- tics economy and connect it to the world. Connected through modern rail and road infrastructure, and located stra- tegically in communities around the peninsula, the eight stadia will host between 40,000 and 80,000 visitors per match. The country has also in- vested to create specialist logistics and warehousing infrastructure designed to ensure the smooth operations of the games themselves. Fortunately for Qatar, and indeed for international fans, GWC’s considerable experience in the local market and in sporting events, even during a pandemic. In fact, GWC’s investment in infrastruc- ture mirrors that of the government, in terms of developing new ports, new ware- houses and new transport modes to meet growing demand in the country. Coupled with increasingly sophisticated technical and software integrations, these invest- ments will help the group – and country – to overcome challenges ahead of the World Cup and beyond. GWC will expand GWC LOGISTICS | IN FOCUS 37LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | APRIL - MAY 2021www.logisticsmiddleeast.com During the pandemic, GWC quickly employed its business continuity plan which ensured that urgent requirements such as shipping, transporting, storing, distributing, and managing assets includ- ing medical equipment, pharmaceuti- cals and personal protective equipment (PPE), essential food security products and other vital goods were handled in accordance with international standards and regulations. GWC also ensured a quick response to the extraordinary circumstances in the Industrial Area in the early days of the pandemic. The company was able to coordinate closely with authorities to evacuate client goods behind lockdown lines to ensure busi- ness stability. Supporting the local business commu- nity, GWC provided discounts on rentals and offered special customs clearance and transport services for SMEs in the GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing Park work- ing in the health care and food security sectors. The company also offered six- month waivers on rents to the retail outlets and rental discounts offered for 9 months to all SME clients at the GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing Park. And ending the year on a high note, GWC underlined its critical role in the nation’s medical cold supply chain, en- suring the safe delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine from airport to injection site, as the Authorized Service Contractor of UPS in Qatar. In an unprecedented year, the Gulf ’s entire logistics sector shone through as a critical infrastructure ensuring the con- tinuity and safety of nations and econo- mies. In Qatar, GWC has succeeded in supplying the public and private sectors in with lean, reliable and global stand- ard logistics solutions that have kept the country moving. beyond its 3 million square meters of lo- gistic footprint and 250,000 pallet loca- tions to meet increasing demand, where most of the supply is shipped through GWC’s network, leveraging the compa- ny’s access to two of the largest world- wide freight, supply chain, and express courier networks in the world. Its fleet of over 1,200 specialised vehicles and 19 strategic locations makes it a primary lo- gistics provider in Qatar. “At GWC, we have always insisted on following industry best practices in qual- ity, health and safety while delivering our services in a timely manner, keeping in mind the environment we operate with- in,” GWC’s CEO Ranjeev Menon said in the group’s most recent financial report in January. GWC managed, in spite of the global pandemic in 2020, to achieve net profits of QAR 236 million, with gross revenues reaching QAR 1.233 billion. “We are pleased with our performance [last] year, we will point back in the future to 2020 as a year in which Qatar stood stronger, more diverse and more resilient as a nation,” said GWC’s chairman, Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, in a statement. Ranjeev Menon, CEO, GWC LogisticsQ&A | TRISTAR GROUP 38APRIL - MAY 2021 | LOGISTICS MIDDLE EASTwww.logisticsmiddleeast.com How do you view the po- tential of the African market currently? The logistics and ware- housing market in Africa is in growth mode. Africa is a diverse continent with significant untapped po- tential in the energy market, particularly in renewables. Africa is set to have one of the world’s fastest rates of consump- tion and production of natural gas till 2040, according to the African Coalition for Trade & Investment in Natural Gas (ACTING)’s 2021 report. This growth is set to take place on the back of policy support for natural gas consumption and new LNG projects. Intra-regional trade in Africa has the po- tential to keep pace with levels in Europe and Asia. There is a strong push to indus- trialise many African regions, which will require high levels of energy in the form of fuel, natural gas, and other sources. Currently, we are looking to leverage our presence in Africa to expand our regional footprint and our fuel supply services to various intergovernmental organisations, military groups and the mining industry. We are present in Mali, Liberia, Demo- cratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic (CAR) where we provide turnkey fuel supply, road and river transport, and commercial aviation fuel services. How have you developed infrastructure and a logistics network in Africa and how are they being used? We have facilitated the development of infrastructure in remote regions, mak- ing it possible for aircrafts to fly to these regions due to our aviation fueling capa- bilities which facilitate the movement of people, goods and services by air. Our turnkey fuel supply operations are supported by efficient project execution capabilities and robust supply chain ar- rangements, which include well-established importation capabilities and a fuel storage capacity of over 55 million litres spread across more than 60 operating sites in Africa. Africa, with its developing infrastructure, challenging climate and topography and in parts, security issues, is a tough market for logistics operators to crack. But it holds vast potential if it can be tapped. Here, LME chats with Eugene Mayne, founder and CEO of Tristar Group, to discover how the organisation is approaching the challenge while building for a sustainable future. OPERATING IN AFRICA We are also actively engaged with the three governments of South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda for the establishment of an inland container depot to facilitate the seamless movement of goods and ser- vices between the three countries that is simultaneously linked to the rail network from Mombasa, which is the first point of entry for goods arriving by sea. We operate a wide network of retail fuel stations in East Africa and offer com- mercial aviation and into-plane refuel- ling services at several airports in East and West Africa. In addition, we are close to completing the construction of a modern aviation fuel farm and hydrant line facility at the Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. What kind of challenges does operat- ing in Africa in particular present and how are you overcoming the hurdles? High costs of operations coupled with risks, a general lack of modern infra- structure and little use of technology coupled by the weather, terrain and security risks present a complex set of challenges that require a blend of reforms, technology, innovation and government support to build a modern and intra region corridor for the free movement of goods in Africa. To overcome the challenges of the poor road network and rainy season in South Sudan, we built bespoke barges, push- ers and landing craft trailers that could transport cargo using river networks dur- ing the low draught season. We also have special trucks with all-wheel drives to transport fuel to the remotest corners of Africa during the monsoon season. As a last resort, we have also developed the capability to use air modes to supplement our fuel supply chain. Additionally, we have developed the ability to construct field fuel instal- lation structures in remote sites and commence operations in short periods, supplemented by quality assurance and control systems conforming to stringent specifications. Safety is key for our operations, and so, our safety procedures are thoroughly vetted to meet international standards, and our fuel sites, equipment and facilities are inspected annually by Joint Inspection Group (JIG)-approved external agencies. Eugene Mayne, founder and CEO of Tristar GroupTRISTAR GROUP | Q&A 39LOGISTICS MIDDLE EAST | APRIL - MAY 2021www.logisticsmiddleeast.com impact of Covid-19 by staying focused on reducing service disruptions to custom- ers rather than reducing our workforce. We set up a Crisis Committee that meets regularly to review and monitor the health of our employees and potential disrup- tions to our services. Recalibration of contingency measures, along with astute management of our business continuity plans with day-to-day oversight by the committee has ensured minimisation of disruptions and that the arrangements for employee testing, isolation and treatment are well established. We organised Covid-19 testing for all our employees and proactively implemented several preventive measures to enable our employees to keep themselves and their families safe. We also provide regular operational updates on Covid-19 to our customers, which has been well received as it mitigates the risk of disruption to their individual supply chains. We also continue to check in on our employees, to make sure they are doing well both mentally and physically. Has the pandemic changed your geo- graphical focus at all? Our diversified and resilient business model has ensured that no one sector of our business was unduly exposed to the pandemic. For this reason, our outlook for 2021 remains positive, and we are very bullish about the future. We are looking at growing our business organically and are also exploring key acquisitions to support our integrated business model. We aim to have a balanced revenue stream where no one sector becomes overly weighted. Our foothold in Africa remains strong and we are committed to the market. In fact, we supported local communities in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. How would you describe your corpo- rate social responsibility strategy in the African market? We are committed to the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which focus on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. In line with these principles, we take an active approach to address social issues in Africa such as access to quality educa- tion and provision of clean water. These issues are part of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2009, we built a primary school build- ing in Yapa Village outside the capital Juba in South Sudan. Three years later, we added more classrooms, making it into a secondary school. These educational fa- cilities have benefited more than 2,500 students over the past 12 years. In 2013, we also supported the Gabat School in Juba by donating additional classrooms to accommodate second- ary level students. In the same year, we awarded internal scholarships to 85 pri- mary school children from five schools in Juba, as well as sponsored the final ex- amination fees for 75 students from the Central Equatorial State. We donated a computer lab to the Gabat School in 2018, making it the first primary school in South Sudan to introduce computer classes. We are also sponsoring the education and housing of two orphans in Kenya who have been given the opportunity to pursue their secondary school education. Our aim is to ensure that they continue their education with support from men- torship programs to help them develop their career. In 2020, we co-sponsored the construc- tion of a nursery school and a child health center in Boali – a town in CAR. The pur- pose of the facility is to promote access to basic education for children in preparation for primary school. We strongly believe that education is the key to bringing about lasting peace in regions of conflict. To en- sure we give young children a fair chance to connect with the rest of the world. Our other community projects help chil- dren beyond education. In line with the UN SDG No. 6 on Clean Water and Sanita- tion, we constructed sanitary facilities for a school in Kenya with more than 2,000 students and 50 teachers. The facilities are for boys and girls, with bio-digesters, modern cisterns, flowing water, sanitary bins, and hand wash dispensers. We also donated borewells for inter- nally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan and a water tank to the ‘Mission De La Charite’ or Mother Teresa Centre in Kinshasa, DRC. The water tank’s capacity is 5,000 litters, which will be a reserve water source for cleaning, washing and laundry for more than 100 people. Why is it important for private compa- nies to start acting more responsibly? Can a more responsible approach ben- efit business? We believe that our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy goes hand- in-hand with our business strategy, and in fact is closely linked to our long-term growth. In the logistics industry, respon- sible business practices are no longer an option, rather a license to operate. As the world adapts from the impact of the pandemic, there will be an accelerated shift towards prioritising renewable en- ergy sources as climate change moves up the agenda for local and regional govern- ments. Sustainability will be a key priority going forward and is an integral part of our business. Ultimately, as a ‘business for purpose’, we encourage other private sector entities to operate in a responsible manner and prioritise the adoption of an ESG frame- work. Given the far-reaching economic and social impact of the pandemic, the logistics industry could look to do their part in rebuilding a better future for the global economy. Did you have to adopt different strate- gies in different locations to deal with challenges from the pandemic? Or were you able to apply a blanket approach? Our COVID-19 response strategy has been centrally managed from our headquarters in Dubai and implemented across the 21 countries and territories we operate in. At the onset of the pandemic, we chose to find solutions to mitigate the negative Tristar says it has invested in a number of schools, providing computer equipment for childrenNext >