The Grimaldi Group has been recognised by General Motors as a 2011 world class automotive Supplier of the Year for its significant contributions as part of the company’s global product and performance achievement.
The award, received by the Neapolitan Group for the eleventh time, was handed to Costantino Baldissara, Commercial and Logistics Director of the Group, during the 20th annual awards presentation ceremony, held on the 13th of March at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
“The Supplier of the Year award winners’ partnership, dedication and commitment to consistently perform above expectations played an important role in GM’s success in 2011,” said Bob Socia, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “In 2012, we will continue to improve supplier relations to achieve a world class supply chain focused on quality, capacity management and total cost.”
“We are delighted to have been chosen again as the best supplier for our outbound logistics services in Europe” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. “Our Group’s goal is to continuously upgrade the quality of services offered to General Motors by introducing innovative logistics solutions based on state-of-the-art maritime transport”, concluded Mr. Grimaldi.
The 82 Supplier of the Year winners for 2011 were chosen among world suppliers of GM, and represent the best the automotive industry offers in innovative technology, superior quality, outstanding launch support, crisis management and competitive total enterprise cost.
The GM Supplier of the Year award started 20 years ago as a global programme which recognises the significant contributions of General Motors’ suppliers as part of the company’s global product and performance achievements. The winners are chosen by a global team of GM purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics executives.
General Motors and Grimaldi have been business partners for the last 35 years. The Neapolitan Group supplies logistics services for the transport of vehicles produced by the Detroit-based car manufacturer between North Europe, the Mediterranean, West Africa, North and South America.
Source Huginonline
2012-03-22
CargoNet, a leading source of information about cargo theft risk, today announced the key findings of a detailed survey of cargo theft activity in the United States in 2011. The report shows a rise in cargo theft reporting and underlines that the main driver of this trend is the improvement in collaboration and data sharing between the insurance and transportation industries and law enforcement.
Formed by Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau in 2009, CargoNet developed and manages a national cargo theft database and secure information sharing system. Although the primary focus of the system is to enhance the immediate operational sharing of data between theft victims and law enforcement, the growth of the database allows a deep and detailed analysis of cargo theft in the United States.
CargoNet's 2011 annual cargo theft report, previously distributed to CargoNet members, provides an analysis of the cargo theft problem in the United States. The report includes information reported to CargoNet on the type of commodities most often stolen, theft incident locations, and additional analysis such as the time of day and day of the week when cargo is most often targeted based on more than 300 data points. The 2011 annual cargo theft report can help law enforcement and supply chain professionals reduce risk by pinpointing areas of vulnerability and providing guidance to improve supply chain security protocols. The cargo theft report can be downloaded by visiting http://www.cargonet.com/cargo_theft_reports/2011.pdf.
"This report is an example of how far we've come in public-private collaboration efforts at a time when budgetary pressures make such strategic alliances more important than ever," said Tony Canale, vice president of Verisk Crime Analytics. "We have much further to go, but the momentum is building."
CargoNet recorded 1,215 cargo theft incidents. Of the 1,215 cargo theft incidents recorded, 116 incidents involved base metals, 229 involved electronics, 105 involved apparel and accessories, and 200 involved prepared foodstuffs and beverages.
The most cargo theft incidents occurred on Fridays (227 incidents recorded), Saturdays (202 recorded), and Sundays (198 recorded) at locations such as truck stops, carrier/terminal lots, and unsecured parking lots.
Source Huginonline
Shares of Virginia based biotechnology company, CEL-SCI Corporation (AMEX: CVM) appear to be technically breaking out to the upside again. Interest and volume in the stock has been on the rise and some recent fundamental developments appear to be fuelling the price rise.
Primarily focused on Oncology, CEL-SCI seems to have most of its value is locked in Multikine, its lead drug candidate currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials as a first-line treatment in advanced primary head and neck cancer. Globally, about 600,000 new cases of head and neck cancer - 5%-6% of total cancer cases - occur every year. With five-year survival rates of just 30% and the need for better treatments, regulators will be keen to promote new treatments for this killer disease.
Since Multikine is administered before traditional forms of cancer treatment - chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery - it may generate a better immune response because it galvanizes lethal action against cancerous cells when the immune system is at its strongest. Besides ensuring the treatment's effectiveness, this mechanism of action is also likely to score highly with regulators during the review process.
An estimated US market size of US$3.2 billion for head and neck cancer treatment implies that there is ample elbow room for new treatments such as Multikine to rake in dollars by the millions. In fact, due to its first-line indication and solid clinical data, CEL-SCI is confident that the pipeline candidate can gobble up two-thirds of the market upon launch. Multikine's orphan drug status means that it will enjoy a seven-year marketing exclusivity upon launch, thereby enabling it to squeeze in a pricing advantage upon commercialization in the US. Critically, the immunotherapy will need to demonstrate effectiveness in just one pivotal study to reach the market, which can save CEL-SCI precious R&D dollars.
In December 2010, after having breezed through early and mid-stage trials with impressive results, Multikine strode confidently into an ambitious 880-subject, 48-centre Phase III clinical trial. The trial was designed to compare Multikine as an adjuvant therapy with the standard-of-care treatment versus the standard-of-care alone to treat primary advanced head and neck cancer. To protect its limited cash resources, CEL-SCI has adopted a smart strategy of granting licensing rights for Multikine on a country-specific basis to partners such as Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NASDAQ: TEVA), who are willing to pick up part of the expenses tab for conducting the trial. CEL-SCI anticipates that excluding its clinical trial partners - Teva and Taiwan-based Orient Europharma - conducting the Phase III trials will entail a cost of US$26 million. The Company expects to fund these expenses through new partnering agreements and additional capital injection - such as the
US$5.76 million raised through an equity issue in January 2012.
Data from the Phase III study - the largest head and neck cancer study ever conducted - is expected to be comprehensive enough to facilitate a clear "go/no go" decision for regulators. To understand Multikine's prospects of getting a thumbs-up sign from regulators, it would be apt to take a quick peek at results from previous clinical trials. A 22-subject Phase II study on Multikine as a fist-line therapy followed by surgery and radiotherapy resulted in an overall survival rate of 63.2% after 3.5 years from surgery compared to a mere 47.5% for 7,294 subjects in 55 historical clinical trials on other drug candidates for the same indication. The study also found that a mere three-week regimen of Multikine resulted in a sharp 50% reduction in tumor cells, with 12% of the subjects being cancer-free. CEL-SCI expects to conclude the Multikine Phase III clinical trials by May 2015. Given the time lag expected for data read out from this humongous trial, the immunotherapy may be launched in the second half of 2016. Gazing beyond the horizon, Multikine's label could be expanded to include treatment of other cancers such as breast, skin, bladder etc.
With so much attention on its Oncology franchise, it is very easy to overlook CEL-SCI's nascent infectious diseases business platform - enabled by its proprietary LEAPS technology. LEAPS-H1N1 - a Phase I candidate from the LEAPS stable - is being tested for treating hospitalized H1N1 patients and could even find use as a broad-spectrum influenza treatment to target different strains of the Type A influenza virus (e.g. H3N1, H5N1). CEL-SCI's other pipeline candidates under the LEAPS program are currently in pre-clinical testing - for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Herpes, Malaria and Viral Encephalitis. However, CEL-SCI's investors may presently be seeing value only from the clinical advancement of Multikine, treating the infectious diseases program as an out-of-the-money call option on the stock.
CEL-SCI has been whip-lashed by the markets since Multikine entered late-stage clinical trials, but investors are starting to take notice of the firm's execution and leaks about early clinical observations in Phase III appear to be attracting more attention from both speculators and pharmaceutical partners.
CEL-SCI's management seems to be wading cautiously and quitely through the waters at present - a strategy that could provide a rich pay-off for the long-term investor - and possibly, earlier if it attracts acquisitive interest.
Source Huginonline
- With vessel designs for 22,000 TEU capacity vessels now drawn up, Crane & Engineering Services Managing Director Halfdan Ross suggests quay solutions at TOC Asia Conference.
APM Terminals Crane & Engineering Services’ Managing Director, Halfdan Ross, discussed solutions to the challenges presented by the latest and future generation of Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCV) that confront port and terminal operation and design at the TOC Container Supply Chain Asia Conference in Hong Kong.
Addressing the topic “Terminal Planning & Operations: Driving New Performance Efficiencies”, Mr. Ross examined issues and solutions applicable to quay cranes intended to accommodate the larger vessels entering into service in the global container fleet, as well as the design or reinforcement of the quays themselves.
“While none have been ordered yet, studies have been completed on the feasibility of constructing containerships with a 22,000 TEU capacity” noted Mr. Ross, adding “so planning for crane and other infrastructure support to accommodate such vessels and their container volumes is a very necessary exercise for any major hub port”.
As of February 1st there were 153 containerships on order with capacities in excess of 10,000 TEUs, including 20 of the 18,000 TEU capacity EEE Class vessels ordered by Maersk Line, the first of which is expected for delivery next year. There are currently 121 vessels of 10,000 TEU capacity and above in service.
“There are issues of structural stiffness, weight, visibility and wind load which all must be taken into account with cranes of such dimensions, along with the question of upgrading existing equipment or installing new cranes entirely” explained Mr. Ross.
Improved engineering, camera-assisted and remote control of the crane operations were some of the solutions presented, though increased power requirements may also pose obstacles, particularly in emerging market areas with power generation or supply issues.
CES has been playing a major role in maintaining the readiness of the APM Terminals Global Port and Terminal Network for handling ULCVs such as the EEE Class vessels at key load centers and hub facilities.
“The point is that ultra-large vessels are already in service, and even larger vessels will follow, and so the time to prepare the necessary terminal and quay infrastructure is now” said Mr. Ross.
Source APM Terminals
COSCO Container Lines has announced plans to raise its container shipping freight rates from Asia to South America from April 15.
The increase will be US$500 per TEU and $1,000 FEU, or 40-foot high-cube. The coming increase hike will apply to both dry and refrigerated cargo, a statement said.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GENEVA'S Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced a planned general rate increase for transporting sea freight from the Far East to New Zealand.
Effective April 15, the rate hike will be US$300 per TEU and $600 per FEU and for 40-footer high-cube.
The rate increase will apply to cargo shipped from all ports in Asia to New Zealand.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SOUTH Korea's Hanjin Shipping is adding two more loops to its current US west coast services with one connecting the Middle East and South Asia and the other with Japan.
This involves the introduction of the PSG (Pacific South & Gulf) service that connects the Middle East, Asia and the US west coast starting in April with the deployment of eleven 6,500-TEU class ships by Hanjin and NYK.
The PSG will offer a rapid transit of 19 days from Singapore to LA, 17 days from Laem Chabang to Los Angeles and 13 days from Shenzhen-Yantian to the US west coast. Its inaugural sailing from Singapore will be April 27 and westbound from Busan on May 8.
The port rotation of PSG will be Jebel Ali, Damman, Port Kelang, Singapore, Laem Chabang, Shenzhen-Yantian, Los Angeles, Oakland, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Yantian, Singapore, Colombo and back to Jebel Ali.
Hanjin will launch its first service between Japan and the US west coast called the JPX (Japan & Pacific South Express) service from May 10 from Kobe, deploying five ships in the 3,400 TEU class through vessel-sharing agreements with carriers with NYK, OOCL and Hapag-Lloyd.
The port rotation of JPX will be Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo, Sendai, Long Beach, Tokyo, Nagoya and Kobe.
This lane will be using Hanjin Shipping's TTI Terminal in Long Beach and Oakland, which will increase speed of cargo handling.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KOREA's Hanjin Shipping and China's Cosco, both the members of the CKYH-Green Alliance, have announced they will jointly launch a new Far East-Gulf of Mexico service from April 28.
Coded AWT by Hanjin or GME by Cosco, this string will be run by a total of eight 4,000-TEU vessels, comprising six ships from Hanjin and two units from Cosco. Featuring the feeder network, it covers the Gulf of Mexico and the southern part of the US in Houston area, including the Caribbean Sea region.
The port rotation of this service includes: Busan, Shanghai (Waigaoqiao Terminal), Ningbo, Xiamen, Shenzhen-Yantian, Panama Canal, Colon, Houston, Panama Canal and back to Busan.
This new loop is designated to offer one of the fastest transit times for the service of the like, said a Hanjin statement, adding it takes 24 days from Shenzhen-Yantian to Houston and 27 days from eastern China to Houston.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
NEW ZEALAND employment court in an closed session with the sacked dockers and the Ports of Auckland employer managed to un-sack the striking dockers and put hiring freeze on replacements until a judge determines the legalities involved.
In a judicial settlement conference the Ports of Auckland [PoA] has agreed to stop recruiting privately contracted non-union dockers until Thursday (today) March 22.
"They have adjourned for the day but are bound by confidentiality not to release anything outside of the judicial settlement conference," said a spokesman for the port.
Ports of Auckland also agreed following a telephone conference with the court and the union not to sack dockers or engage contractors before the proceedings.
Judge Barrie Travis will then hear an interim injunction plea to extend the recruiting half by the Maritime Union of New Zealand [MUNZ] before its case against the "unlawful" dismissal of 292 dockers is heard next week.
The dispute has diverted cargo to the Port of Tauranga that is said to have reached the "saturation point", reported Fairfax Media, adding that the smaller port had achieved a record of 20,200 container moves last week against its normal week of 12,000.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GRAND Alliance shipping lines are increasing the allowable vessel size that calls at Charleston, South Carolina, starting with the docking of the 5,400-TEU OOCL California.
Grand Alliance members, Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and OOCL are now deploying larger vessels on their Atlantic Express Service (ATX), a North Europe service that calls at the North Charleston Terminal on a weekly basis.
The service is now deploying four larger, postpanamax ships with capacity of 5,400 TEU in place of the previously used panamax ships, according to the South Carolina Ports Authority.
Charleston is the last US port outbound on the service. "Charleston is a natural gateway to North Europe, given the businesses with European ties that have established in South Carolina," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority.
Charleston said it leads the European market among US south Atlantic ports, with 36 per cent of the port's container volume associated with North Europe.
"Large vessels are not only being deployed in the trade between Asia and the US east coast," Mr Newsome said. "This represents the second carrier grouping to deploy postpanamax container vessels in the trade between the US and North Europe."
Following the Charleston port of call, the OOCL California is scheduled to make stops at Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre and Southampton. Zim, ACL and Hamburg Sud also participate in the ATX service.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GUANGZHOU Railway Group has signed a cooperation agreement with Hunan's port of Yueyang, and Guangdong's port of Guizhou and Guangzhou, on jointly developing water-rail intermodal services, Xinhua reports.
According to the agreement, Guangzhou Railway Group's business volume of water-rail intermodal to Yueyang, Huizhou and Guangzhou will increase 35 per cent, 23 per cent and 17 per cent.
Guangzhou Railway Group discussed with the three ports on increasing water-rail intermodal capacity and freight volume. The group will set up a workshop with the ports to strengthen their exchange and enhance operational efficiency.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
QINGDAO port's throughput is expected to increase to 400 million tonnes from last year's 370 million tonnes while its container movement to hit 14.5 million TEU over last year's 13 million TEU this year, the port group's president Chang Dechuang told Xinhua.
The port will put a 400,000-tonne ore terminal into operation this year with an annual capacity of more than 40 million tonnes. Moreover, the port will start construction of an oil terminal and coal terminal with a capacity of 300,000 tonnes.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TRANSNET, South Africa's state-owned freight and logistics company, plans to invest a further ZAR10 billion (US$1.32 billion) in the development of Ngqura Port over the next decade.
The announcement comes as South African President Jacob Zuma opened the new deep water Port of Ngqura just outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape earlier this month.
The additional investment in the port would be used to raise the annual container handling capacity from 500,000 TEU at present to two million TEU. According to Port Technology International, this move would help ease the long-term problem of insufficient container handling capacity in Africa.
The report said Transnet has already invested over ZAR10 billion in the development of the facility, which is said to have been in construction for the past 12 years. The port is a green fields project.
It said the extra investment of ZAR10 billion would finance the construction of two more berths at the port's container terminal, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility as well as a bulk and break-bulk berth. Furthermore, the funds would be used to relocate Transnet's manganese export facility to the port from its current location in the Port Elizabeth harbour.
The first two container berths at the Ngqura Container Terminal have been in operation for the last two years.
President Zuma was cited as saying the Ngqura Trade Port would boost South Africa's trade with other countries in the region while supporting the government's long-term economic development plan.
"The planning of the Ngqura has been integrated with that of the Coega Industrial Development Zone, and this will ensure increased benefits for the province and business," said President Zuma. "It has also made it possible for the province to participate in the country's minerals sector."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
APM TERMINALS, the container port operator unit of AP Moller Group, is to open a EUR150 million (US$198 million) container terminal at Savona-Vado, Italy, west of Genoa and east of Monaco in the first half of 2016.
The public-funded EUR400 million project aims to boost annual capacity to over 800,000 TEU by building a 700-metre long berth with 20 metres alongside with 21 hectares of yard space, serviced by six super post-panamax cranes.
Despite delays caused by "bureaucratic process and public approvals" it has passed the necessary environmental hurdles, said the terminal operator's Vado Ligure manager, Cargo Merli.
Outside of a minor dredging test opposed by local municipality to be brought to court in May, the project will go ahead following test adjustment.
"There are definitely no more 'game-stoppers' at the legal level for the project. We are looking at the creation of 400 jobs when the terminal enters service, rising to around 600 when it reaches full capacity," said Mr Merli, according to UK's Port Technology International.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GLOBAL supply chain provider, CEVA Logistics, has signed a five-year contract with specialist retailer of sports clothing and equipments, Forum Sport, to manage 18,000 products and handle about 10,000 orders annually for delivery to stores and homes in Spain.
Forum Sport sells its products through its own stores as well as online and has entrusted CEVA with the management of all its logistics activities. CEVA will be responsible for inbound and outbound logistics, warehouse management, shipment preparation and reverse logistics within Forum Sport's 6,000 square metre warehouse located in Basauri, close to Bilbao and their newly opened 13,000 square metre automated warehouse in Jundiz Business Park, in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
In order to manage growth in demand, the sporting equipment and clothing retailer has invested in expanding its warehousing capacity to better serve its customers in Iberia.
Diego Llorente, operational director of Forum Sport, said: "We have entrusted the development and management of our logistics activities to CEVA because of their solid experience in the Retail sector and their focus on continuous improvement. This makes CEVA the best partner to support us in making our logistics operations one of the cornerstones for business growth."
Antonio Fondevilla, business development director for CEVA in Iberia, said: "We are delighted that Forum Sport has awarded us the contract to manage their supply chain. Our collaboration with Forum Sport is based on a commitment to supporting their business growth by optimising their supply chain, through continuous improvement and operations excellence."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
The magazine SEA has been published since 1935
International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA has been published since 1999
The first magazine in Eurasia in the four languages: English, Chinese, Russian and Lithuanian
|
|