Panorama - November 2005
Transcription
Panorama - November 2005
The Magazine of the M+R Spedag Group November 2005 Contents Formula-1 Logistics M R Forwarding in Asia Editorial 3 Guest article: More courage for the future China fascinates - an article by the Swiss Consul General in Shanghai 4 All good things come in “eights” The CEO of the M R Spedag Group lectured at the BA Lörrach 5 M+R Asia - From the beginnings until today The story of M R Asia - a review of 20 years of ongoing success 6 Logistics Center Bangkok “Last mile” distribution services in Thailand 8 China Update New developments at M R China 9 The Asian network of the M+R Spedag Group A detailed overview of our organization in the Far East 10 e-dec Swiss customs are introducing a new IT-Platform 12 A perfect fit Footwear logistics in Muttenz 13 Textile know-how STF students visiting our distribution terminal in Gunzgen 14 Migros relies on M+R Logistics Service Contract signing with the largest retailer in Switzerland 15 On to the next assignment Project forwarding in Africa 16 The fight against Noma M R Spedag supports the WINDS OF HOPE foundation 17 Formula-1 Logistics A not-so-common sight at our terminals 18 Anniversaries 19 Cover Performance of the traditional Lion Dance in front of the Centre Point Building, Head Office of M+R Hong Kong panorama 02 Imprint Publisher M+R Spedag Group, Kriegackerstrasse 91, 4132 Muttenz/Switzerland Editor Bernadette Jourdan Layout Stephan Schneider Grafics Florian Fiechter Contact [email protected] Copyright M+R Spedag Group EDITORIAL To the next 20 years The focus topic of this issue takes us to eastern Asia, into the economic territory which is to make its mark on the 21st century. Our group of companies is celebrating 20 years of active presence in the Far East. Originating out of 4 offices and 25 staff, an organisation has been established with 19 subsidiaries and 350 professional logistics experts, with a global network that can match any competitor on the world market. A symbol of our success is the title page illustration. It shows a performance of the “Lion Dance” in front of the head office of our Asian group in Hong Kong. This dance signifies a good omen when something new is started and is destined for success. The noise drives out evil spirits and the movements resemble those of a Kung Fu fighter. The lion has been dancing for us for 20 years already, and the company has been moving since its beginnings like a courageous, powerful fighter. The milestones of our operations are described on page 6. At this point I would like to put the last 20 years into a historical context and examine a few important events. The standard of living in Asia has continually improved over the past 20 years, over a background of historically significant changes in power in many places. Longstanding heads of state as well as dictators were removed or have retired: Philippines (Marcos, after 21 years in office), Singapore (Lee Kuan Yee, after 31 years), North Korea (Kim Il-Sung, after 46 years), Hong Kong (transfer to China, 1997). Indonesia (Soeharto, after 33 years), Taiwan (KMT, after 51 years), Malaysia (Dr. Mahatir, after 22 years). But other events also linger in our memories, such as the unrest in Tiananmen Square (1989), the financial crisis (1997), the tragedy of the Bali bombings (2002), the SARS crisis (2003), and, not to be forgotten, the Tsunami catastrophe on 26 December 2004. Positive milestones were major sport events like the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 and the football World Cup in Korea and Japan in 2002. Despite considerable reformations or perhaps as a consequence - the Far East is in the process of approaching the dominant position of both of the major economic blocks, USA and Europe. If the forecasts of the experts are true, China - ahead of all others will be the largest economy in the world even before we can celebrate another 20 years. Congratulations to all colleagues who have made that which we have achieved possible, and with whose enthusiasm the success story is carried on daily. A big thanks to all partners and carriers for their loyalty and support and a very special thanks to all of our customers. We are looking forward to a further 20 years of success. Yours Daniel Richner panorama 03 GUEST ARTICLE China fascinates More courage for the future Our guest article comes from the pen of Hans Jakob Roth, the Swiss Consul General in Shanghai. He is Dr. Phil., has a licentiate in economics, and is active since 1982 in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). He was stationed in London, Tokyo, and Beijing before he took up his current post in Shanghai in 2001. hold on and we don't see that the defensive attitude is really the surest guarantee of failure to keep pace. We only stay fit when we attempt an undertaking, when we move forwards without thinking that we must always know exactly what the way ahead must look like. Together with the will to accomplish, aspirations signify great trust in the future as well as trust in ourselves. The progress of reality will show us the ways to realize our aspirations; and we know that we have the abilitiy to rise to the needs which will then be shown. We are in need of both, in Switzerland and Basel: self confidence and confidence in our future. A bit more than a year ago I paid a quick visit to the zoological gardens in Basel on a Sunday before my return to Shanghai. Mr. Pagan showed me his new termite facility and told me of his idea of a panda couple in an Asiatic setting on the Dorenbach. We discussed the project and the implementation problems in China. A few days ago, on the occasion of a short stay in my home city, I landed directly into the middle of the panda debate and realized - as is often the case regarding my work as Consul General in Shanghai - that the persuasion campaign at home could possibly be much more problematic than the zoological-political discussion with the Chinese side. China fascinates. And our land needs aspirations. What fascinates me so with China is the dynamic setting and the aspirations which are being achieved one after the other. Not everything works out; structures which were made yesterday are being ripped panorama 04 down today if they don't measure up to the ideas on which they were based. This dynamic is exactly the reason why some things are working out badly. But this failing has no news value. One speaks of successes, not of failed projects. And more than anything else, one doesn't allow oneself to get so easily discouraged, but rather tries again and moves forward. Nothing of the autogenic effects of failure which we in Switzerland celebrate almost masochistically. The advantage of aspirations perhaps, is that they are not bound to planning. How they can be achieved emerges as a rule from the progress of reality. But in present-day China, there is hardly a doubt that they will be realized in the end. Achievement means taking risks and being able to live with them - it means attempting, without always thinking of a possible fall. A big defensive attitude. Today, we in Switzerland are desperately trying to Therefore I wish the zoo director Mr. Pagan luck, that his mid-term panda project and the needed habitat will materialize and I hope that Basel encourages aspirations and does not come to a standstill in an attitude of defense. This article was printed with the kind permission of Mr. Hans Roth (Swiss Consul General, Shanghai) FEATURE Experiences of a Forwarder in China All good things come in “eights”... In reply to an invitation from the study course on Forwarding, Transport and Logistics at the University of Cooperative Education in Lörrach, our CEO gave a talk on the topic “Logistics connecting continents and cultures - Experiences of a Forwarder in China”. For years the Chinese economy has been expanding. The economic boom is simultaneously driving the demand for logistics services and logistics know-how. This was recently emphasized impressively by Mr. Daniel Richner, Chief Executive Officer of the M+R Spedag Group, which has its head office in Muttenz near Basel. With approximately 880 employees, the M+R Spedag Group counts as one of the leading logistics providers in Switzerland. The number eight appears repeatedly in the accomplishments of the China expert. Originally, eight in China stands for the eight trigrams in the book of changes (I Ching). There are the eight immortals of Taoism, the eight symbols of Confucius and the eight holy symbols of Buddhism. Thus the eight is generally seen as a lucky number. Eight misinterpretations … Following eight impressive examples regarding China's economic development, the speaker warned of eight misinterpretations. The guest referred to one of the most widely spread views that China is one land and one market, that China only manufactures low-tech products, has the lowest production costs and that it only copies western products and dumps them cheaply onto the market. Additionally, it is widely thought in the western world that capital-intensive goods are still manufactured in Europe. Some, however, also see a danger in the country's rapid economic development. In conclusion, Mr. Richner warned against hopes of making a quick profit in the Chinese market. “Various studies show that only a few foreign companies are making attractive profits in China. Many companies have had to learn this the hard way, especially those who went to China very early on”, said Richner. Eight risks … Despite the overall positive assessment for the further development of China, Mr. Richner of course also dealt with the risks involved. He included the development of raw material prices, questions of energy, water, and environmental effects; the topics of North Korea and Taiwan, the condition of the banking system, questions regarding patent protection, the transformation from an agricultural to an industrial state, and, last but not least, the question of political stability. Eight success factors … Whoever wants to be successful in China would be well advised to make themselves familiar with some peculiarities. Patience is an important virtue. The Chinese measure in significantly longer periods of time; yet another reason why it is so important to first build up a network of influential connections. The partner expects onehundred percent attention. There are no “quick wins”; the investment phase involves years. Another thing of importance is respect towards superiors and older people. To avoid disappointments one must be clear that there is a different conception of law. “A contract obligates, but it is not binding”, says Richner. This is also valid in regard to payment conduct. An exact observance of laws and regulations and good contact with authorities is indispensable. This was explicitly experienced by M+R in connection with the acquirement of the socalled A-License which authorizes the performance of all forwarding services in China. Eight challenges for a logistics provider in China The M+R Spedag Group grew very dynamically in China from 1992 to 2004. In this time period, the establishment of a relatively dense network in the eastern and central regions was accomplished. The size of the country is a challenge not only for a mid-size logistics company. The infrastructure of the country lags behind the economic development. The warehouse and transport infrastructures also are unsatisfactory. Distribution services only function on a short-range level. The varying regulations from province to province and the many restrictions for foreign companies are particularly difficult problems. The partially inefficient and financially weak government owned enterprises are major issues for future development strategies. Generally, the question is raised how growth without loss of quality should be accomplished. Prof. Schwolgin, BA Lörrach Founded in 1981, the University of Cooperative Education in Lörrach is a government sponsored institution of the state of Baden-Württemberg. In co-operation with partners in commerce and industry, courses in Economies, Information Technology and Engineering are offered to students. panorama 05 ASIA History M+R Asia M+R Asia - from the beginnings until today It is exactly 20 years since M R Spedag ventured into Asia. Today, "M R Forwarding" is a powerful and rapidly expanding organisation in Asia and one of the most important pillars of the company group. The M+R Spedag Group is recognized today both as leading firm in the European transport sector as well as overseas. This was not always the case: at the end of the 70’s the company looked back over the first quarter-century of its history. It enjoyed a distinguished reputation with a corresponding slice in the European overland transport sector. In regard to intercontinental transport, though it was still at the beginning. The first steps concentrated on consolidation services to the USA by sea and overland services to Morocco - both areas in which M+R Spedag is still a market leader today. With the take-over of Spedag Spedition AG in the year 1979, the Group attained further know-how and market shares regarding overseas transport - Centre Point - the Hong Kong-based Head Office of M R Asia panorama 06 especially in the areas of Africa and Latin America. The turning point for the overseas areas was in 1985 as the firm expanded into Asia. At the beginning there were 4 offices in the so-called Tiger-states. They were small but they were situated in strategically important locations. In the 80’s, the economic setting looked different in Asia than it does today. Following the giant Japan, the so-called “4 small tigers” (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Korea) were the driving power behind the Asiatic economic upturn. At the beginning of 1986, Daniel Richner, the current CEO of the group, moved to Asia to contribute to the building of the Asian organization. First he directed the skills of the firm in Singapore, then from 1989 onwards in Hong Kong. The goal was to build a network of own offices and strategic partners from Pakistan to Japan. In 1989 the organization expanded with four new offices in Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya). The basis for success in China was laid already in 1987, as one of the official agents of Sinotrans, with a license to issue own TBs/L there. In 1988 a new firm with the name “M+R Forwarding (China) Ltd.” was founded. The focus - at the beginning out of the head office in Hong Kong - lay exclusively with transport services out of China. In 1994 the opening of the representative office in Shanghai followed: the first office in China. The next step was a presence in Tianjin. The corridor Xingang - Tianjin - Beijing is still one of the three big economic regions in China. In 2001 the management for China moved from Hong Kong to Shanghai. In the same year new offices were opened in Beijing and Ningbo and in the following year further offices followed in Xiamen and Qingdao. Beginning in 2003 a new project was started: the coveted and important ALicense for China. This goal was reached in the middle of 2004; as one of the very first foreign companies overall, M+R China received this license. Since then M+R China may - instead of as before indirectly through a locally licensed firm - serve the customers in China directly under their own name. The expansion of M+R Forwarding is moving along with the rapid economic development in China. In 2004 a delegation office was opened in Shenzhen, the young metropolis near the gates of Hong Kong. As the new airport in Guangzhou (Canton) was put into operation at the beginning of 2005, M+R opened an office there too. With Hong Kong as the most important gateway for the entire region of the Pearl River delta, these offices in Shenzhen and Guangzhou are administered from Hong Kong, not Shanghai. The most recent step in the expansion in China was the opening of the M+R office in Nanjing in the middle of this year. The growth in Asia is moving unimpeded onwards under Ruediger Elste, who took over the management of the Asian Group from Daniel Richner in 1992. The constantly expanding company was given a strong management structure. A dynamic team comprised of local and international experts of various nationalities - all proven professionals in transport and logistics form the foundation for a continuing successful future. Looking back, M+R Spedag can be more than proud of what has been achieved. After 20 years the Asian ASIA organization exceeds the boldest expectations and with its 19 offices and 350 employees, represents a significant part of M+R Spedag. In the light of ongoing growth, especially in China, M+R Asia has managed in its anniversary year to close the gap to the parent company in Switzerland in both the number of employees as well as in the financial results. Stephan Schneider, Muttenz Movie Recommendation RUSH HOUR 2 (2001) - Jacky Chan - Chris Tucker A member of the Hong Kong police (Jacky Chan) and his American “partner” (Chris Tucker) are trying to get behind a plot between triads (Chinese mafia) and drug dealers in the USA. A fight begins on a luxury yacht in the port of Hong Kong. In the background one can see the office of M R on the 7th floor, with the light still on; apparently colleagues of ours were busy until late into the night. The film ends in Las Vegas. The crooks possess a banknote printing machine from the world market leader in matters of banknote printing. They bring the counterfeits into circulation in a casino which is fitted out overall in Chinese style. As far as we understand from a reliable source, the story is not so far-fetched because at least one such print machine has really vanished without a trace over the last four decades. Though not, of course, in transport with one of the most reliable movers. Oriental Pearl TV Tower Shanghai Amusing and entertaining - impressive pictures of the Hong Kong skyline. panorama 07 LOGISTICS Logistics Center Bangkok Logistics Center Bangkok Since the opening of the “Logistics and Distribution Center” in Bangkok at the beginning of 2004, M R Forwarding Thailand is intensively engaged with the well-known Liechtenstein company HILTI. This demonstrates that even in a difficult environment, with applied know-how and a functioning and smart logistics concept, distribution down to the “last mile” can be done to international standards. Following the intense export boom of the 80’s and 90’s, there is an increasing demand in Thailand today for specialized logistics services in the area of national distribution as well. For almost two years, M+R Thailand has been vigorously engaged with Hilti and is responsible in their outsourcing project for warehousing and distribution in Thailand. The company, based in Liechtenstein and active around the world, is one of the leading specialists in the area of mounting and assembly technology. In the partly air-conditioned logistics center in Bangkok, M+R Forwarding stores more than 600 different Hilti products. Incoming orders are approved and packed for subsequent distribution. There are around 1300 shipments per month. The majority of the shipments must be delivered in and around Bangkok, but the number of deliveries to more remote areas is growing. Hilti specialists at the M+R logistics center take care of the maintenance and repair of devices which have been picked up and returned by M+R Bangkok. For several months now, Hilti has been offering customers in Bangkok M R Logistics-Center in Bangkok the delivery of shipments on the same day. For M+R Forwarding this means that a maximum of five hours is available to distribute all shipments. In a rapidly growing metropolis with its notorious traffic problems, this is an extraordinary achievement. And as if that was not enough, besides the “same day delivery” service, customers are furthermore offered an express service which guarantees delivery of supplies within Bangkok city limits in under three hours. In order to handle the constantly growing traffic, M+R Thailand is working on a new distribution concept. Instead of the previous “sequential” daily procedure, approval, packaging, and delivery will be transformed into a unified, flowing process. These changes signify a fundamental change in the entire process concept and require amongst other things a restructuring of the warehouse facilities. Further improvements in efficiency, as well in the area of inventory management, will be accomplished by the introduction of the newly developed software “M+R Warehouse Management System”. Maarten Oonk, M+R Bangkok M R Team at the Logistics-Center panorama 08 Maintenance work ASIA China Update China Update Northern China Logistics in northern China is increasing in significance. This is not only in regard to export to overseas but also for local distribution services. The local industry as well as the growing requirements of China's population, especially the booming industrial regions, need to be supplied. Consequently, early in 2005 Chad Sprecher took up his new position as Sales and Logistics Manager in the M+R office in Qingdao. Chad previously worked for more than three years at M+R Shanghai where he proved his know-how and professionalism, especially in the logistics sector. Airport office Guangzhou In March this year M+R Forwarding opened an airfreight and sales office at the new “Baiyun International Airport” in Guangzhou. Since all activities in southern China are directed Nanjing and coordinated through the “China desk” of M+R Hong Kong, the new Guangzhou office is directly under the jurisdiction of M+R Hong Kong. Guangzhou (Canton) is the capital city of the Guangdong province. With a population of almost 100 million and three so-called “special economic zones” (Shenzhen, Shantou and Zhuhai) the region Guangdong produces today the highest GDP in all of China. The industrial activities of the province are concentrated mainly around the so-called “Pearl River Delta”. New office in Nanjing As of April 2005, M+R China has opened an office in Nanjing. Nanjing is the capital city of the Jiangsu province and is situated roughly 380 km west of Shanghai. In recent years Nanjing has attracted a constant flow of foreign investment money (FDI - Foreign Direct Investment). A considerable part of the goods which are loaded at the docks of Shanghai come originally from the region around Nanjing. Book Recommendation “Know your enemy and yourself, and you needn't be afraid of the outcome of a hundred battles … Know neither your enemy nor yourself, and you will be conquered in every battle” In 500 BC, the Chinese general Sun Tsu wrote a scientific and philosophical paper for his king about the art of war. Almost nothing is known about his life. It is certain though, that the man who wrote his knowledge onto bamboo sticks, was no friend of war. In the 20th century, the West also discovered the wisdom of the general from the Ghi province. Although, here it is applied less to armed combat as to everyday life. Sun Tzu The Art of War 128 Pages panorama 09 ASIA Asian Network The Asian Network of the M+R Spedag Group Founded in 1985 in Hong Kong, “M R Forwarding” - as the Asian subsidiaries of the M R Spedag Group are called - forms a comprehensive network of 19 offices with a total of 350 employees. The overall responsibility is held by the regional management in Hong Kong. The individual country organizations are directed respectively by competent managers, each one of them a professional in the field with many years of experience in Asia. Besides the proprietary branches, which cover all major hubs of commerce and trade in South-East Asia and the Far East, M R Forwarding is closely cooperating in all other countries in Asia with strategic partners. Thus there is full network coverage from Pakistan to Japan. THAILAND Company: M+R Forwarding (Thailand) Co. Ltd. Offices: Bangkok Employees: 34 founded: 1989 Giovanni Salce Regional Director S.E. Asia SINGAPORE Company: M+R Forwarding Pte Ltd. Offices: Singapore Employees: 12 founded: 1985 Gareth Evans General Manager INDONESIA Company: PT M+R Forwarding Indonesia Offices: Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya Employees: 33 founded: 1989 panorama 10 Frank Kleinteich General Manager CHINA Company: M+R Forwarding (China) Ltd. Offices: Shanghai, Beijing, Lianyungang Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao Suzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen Employees: 149 founded: Marco Duerr Director China 1990 TAIWAN Company: M+R Forwarding (Taiwan) Ltd. Offices: Taipei Employees: 15 founded: 1985 Julien Pace General Manager HONG KONG Company: M+R Forwarding (Hong Kong) Ltd. Offices: Hong Kong, Kowloon (Airfreight) Shenzhen, Guangzhou Employees: 105 founded: 1985 Rocky Chan General Manager STRATEGIC PARTNERS Pakistan: DMK Logistics (Pvt) Limited Indien: PL Shipping & Logistics Ltd. Sri Lanka: MCS Logistics International (PVT) Ltd. Bangladesh: Bentrans (Pvt) Limited Myanmar: EFR Forwarding and General Services Co. Ltd. Malaysia: Multi Cargo Express Sdn. Bhd. Cambodia: Khmer Freight Lines Shipping Co. Vietnam: Altus Logistics (Vietnam) Ltd. Philippines: Eagle Express Lines, Inc. Korea: Hae Young Ocean-Air Co., Ltd. Japan: A.O.T. Japan Ltd. panorama 11 EUROPE e-dec e-dec The Swiss Federal Customs Administration will supply services to its customers in the area of cargo processing through an IT supported platform. The new comprehensive service package for electronic customs clearance is being introduced under the name of e-dec. The concept of the EZV (Federal Customs Administration) describes the nature of its core activity, the customs clearance of goods. e-dec is the name of the platform which is currently being created and that will gradually replace all current cargo processing systems as for example the "Zollmodell 90" and the "customsinternal application" (ZIL). The e-dec module Import is being developed in the framework of the project RM90. On one hand, the goal is to achieve more transparency, on the other through a focus on one platform - all processes, data, ITsystems, regulations etc. can be standardized. Considered in its entirety, this will lead to cost savings and in the end help both the company as well as the customs administration towards increased success. The pilot project was started on 2 December 2004 in cooperation with customs offices, processing centers and some customers - including M+R Spedag. The Switzerland-wide introduction of e-dec Import began on 1 September 2005 and is being carried out in phases in consultation with customers and the responsible persons at the customs stations and processing centers of the EVZ. Thomas Liechti, Muttenz New partner in Turkey M+R Metzger+Richner Transport AG and Türksped - both the strongest family owned forwarding companies in Switzerland and Turkey - have entered into a new partnership as of 1 July 2005. The traditional company Türksped was founded in Istanbul in 1969 and specialises in land, sea, and air transport around the world. Türksped has a fleet of 300 vehicles at its disposal which is constantly in operation between Turkey and all centres of Europe and ensures the flow of goods with Turkey. The partnership refers both to the relation Turkey-Switzerland-Turkey as well as Asia-Turkey. Türksped Head Office in Istanbul panorama 12 LOGISTICS Logistics Park Muttenz A perfect fit At “Logistics Park” 44 in Muttenz, thousands of shoes are stored on two floors. They originate predominantly from Italy, Spain, and especially the Far East. Our customer - Pasito-Fricker AG compiles the daily deliveries with his own personnel, for the approx. 60 sales outlets throughout Switzerland. For generations, the name Fricker has been synonymous for good shoes. Following the acquisition of the company by the firm Salamander in the year 2001, its appearance on the market did not initially change. Only after the amalgamation of Fricker, Pasito, Pedrino and Get It, the company appeared on the market since June 2005 under the name of Pasito-Fricker AG. Parallel to the legal alterations, the reorganization of the delivery chain was also due. The four original companies had to merge their operations. This required a central warehouse with a unified distribution system. Various logistics companies were invited to develop corresponding concepts. Of all of the submitted concepts, the one from M+R was selected as the best solution. So much was certain: the new central warehouse was to be established in the M+R Logistics Park in Muttenz. The moving date was set for the 1 January 2005. Although comprehensive upgrade work was due in the Logistics Park, the ambitious plan went ahead, even though at the beginning workmen and the new tenant bumped into one another daily. M+R developed a concept in close cooperation with the customer for delivering to their branches. The carefully contrived distribution system functions without any friction and ensures that each branch is supplied exactly according to plan. And so, every customer can find the right shoe in the right size. Walter Hugentobler, Muttenz www.logistikpark.ch Pick and pack operations in the Pasito-Fricker distribution facility at M R Logistics Park, Muttenz panorama 13 LOGISTICS Textile knowledge Textile knowledge Walter Hugentobler, member of the Executive Board of M R Spedag Switzerland, has been Chairman of the Expert Group for Trade and Marketing for over ten years and in the supervising commission of the Swiss Textile Technical School (Schweizerische Textilfachschule - STF) since 2001. On his initiative, a visit to the M R textile logistics and distribution center in Gunzgen was organized. Three classes and their teachers had a look at the work done there in March this year. The Schweizerische Textilfachschule (STF) is a higher technical school. Sponsors include the Swiss Federation, cantons, and local communities on the one hand and various associations and companies on the other. Graduates have already completed career training when they are accepted for the school and subsequently acquire specialized textile knowledge at STF. The training at STF is thematically divided into three groups: 1. Textile creation The graduates acquire technical knowledge on various techniques, including spinning, twining, weaving, hosiery, knitting, and embroidery. 2. Clothing and Fashion In this area, students are trained to become fashion designers and textile cutters. 3. Commerce and Marketing Business people may acquire specific textile knowledge here. In an additional course, students may train to be product managers. Schweizerische Textilfachschule (Headquarters) Ebnaterstrasse 5 9630 Wattwil Schweizerische Textilfachschule Vadianstrasse 2 9000 St. Gallen Schweizerische Textilfachschule Wasserwerkstr. 119 8037 Zürich www.textilfachschule.ch panorama 14 In the past, the teaching activities of STF were concentrated mainly in the first area (textile creation). The fact that the Swiss textile industry is moving its manufacture more and more into foreign countries, has also had its effect on STF. Today, the focus is clearly in the areas 2 (clothing and fashion) and 3 (commerce and marketing). STF is located in Wattwil where the technical training predominantly takes place, and Zürich - for the areas of clothing and fashion as well as commerce and marketing. On the occasion of the visit in Gunzgen we made a presentation to the students about the entire supply chain. This runs - beginning at textile fibers, through the semi-finished product, tailoring, and finally wholesale and retail commerce - over the entire globe. Totally unknown to the majority of the students was the comprehensive service which a modern and accor- dingly specialized logistics company contributes inside of this chain. The young visitors were impressed with the competent explanations of Rosmarie Wiedmer, Operations Manager of the M+R Logistics Terminal in Gunzgen. After all, general and specialized textile knowledge in such a concentrated form is not commonplace. Not surprisingly, the subsequent round of questions and answers was very lively. Bernadette Jourdan, Muttenz LOGISTICS Textile Logistics Migros relies on M+R logistics service The largest retailer in Switzerland, the Migros Cooperative, has put its new textile distribution center for hanging garments in Volketswil into operation. The Migros-Verteilbetrieb AG Neuendorf has expanded the existing textile center in Volketswil near Zürich with an area for hanging garments. The facility, comprising 6 floors and a total of 18,900 m2, went into operation on 26 September 2005. The majority of the incoming goods is comprised of women's outer garments, bodywear and sportswear, as well as men's outer garments, mainly originating from Europe and the Asian regions. The textiles are sorted to the point of sales according to quantity, size, and color. A modern semi-automatic hanger-conveyer as well as a sorter assist the processes. Of all of the 650 Migros branches in Switzerland, around 230 are already being supplied with garments on hangers. Migros has made the decision not to direct the daily distribution and supply of its branch stores on its own, but rather to delegate this work to a specialist on the market. Despite the stiff competition, M+R Logisitk Service AG - the recognized market leader in the Swiss textile logistics sector - was assigned this contract from Migros. The concept is based on the optimization, utilization, and supplementation of already available structures and processes. The product, a tailor-made logistics solution, combines high flexibility with the unloading of the goods in Volketswil as well as delivery to the points of sales, and embodies according to Migros Verteilbetrieb AG - the “optimum in economy and ecology”. The transfer of return-goods as well as the preparation of flat-packed goods is also part of the contract. The cooperation contract between MVN, responsible for the supply chain management in Switzerland, and M+R was signed in Volketswil on 11 August 2005. Some numbers: The yearly volume of around 3.6 million pieces of hanging garments for Smiling faces during the signing of the contract in Volketswil. From left fo right: D. Richner (M R), W. Arnold, H. Kuhn (MVN), C. Speccher (M R), B. Metzger (MGB), HR. Richner (M R) Migros alone is distributed daily to over 200 stores. As they do for other customers in the textile sector, including Manor, Charles Vögele, PKZ and others, M+R delivers the sales-ready hanging garments to each and every store individually, inside of 24 hours. A fleet of 25 special vehicles, with environmental-friendly engine technology, the majority of them customized for city deliveries, manages the enormous cumulative overall volume which M+R processes and optimizes for the majority of the Swiss clothing market. No small feat from a logistics point of view! Most of the hanging garments pass through the M+R Logistik center in Gunzgen, the heart of the M+R textile infrastructure, regardless of who the contractor is. Optimal utilization and route planning are the result. In this facility, all fashion work such as the preparation in steam tunnels, putting on hangers, processing on steammannequins and form-finishers, packing, labeling etc. is done in an area of over 16,000 m2. The service palette is rounded out with the internal customs infrastructure and an NOS storage. It goes without saying that all processes are IT-assisted. China, where M+R Forwarding operates with an A-Class license, down to South East Asia, the Group marks a strong presence in the Far East and has been more than successfully active there for 20 years. The same applies for Europe, where M+R Logistik Service AG is member of the Fashionet group, a pan-European association of specialists for the transport of hanging garments. Fashionet offers to the market logistics services from A to Z for garments on hangers, chiefly in acquisition. Supply chain for the textile industry, from raw material to POS. Retail and specialized dealers know and appreciate this and express it through their loyalty and many years of collaboration. Claudio Speccher, Muttenz Textile logistics is a core expertise of the M+R Spedag Group. Beginning in panorama 15 AFRICA Project Forwarding On to the next assignment on the individual requirements for ongoing projects. In order to achieve the highest efficiency, whenever possible the machines are shipped directly from one point of use to the next. It is clear that here, the transport logistics play a decisive role. Precise, ontime loading and short transit times are critical requirements since any delay in delivery to a new destination can set off a chain-reaction of complications and additional costs. Mombasa, 3 June 2005. The freighter “Global Prince” puts out to sea. Construction machines and vehicles are to be found on board, which have been loaded by the project specialists of Spedag East Africa under contract for the internationally renowned construction company STRABAG. The freight is headed for Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate Oman, where the Global Prince will arrive seven days later. STRABAG depends on the experts. Because the machines, which are now on course to the Gulf of Oman, originate from a previous street-building project in Rwanda for which Spedag East Africa had already shipped the equipment out of Europe. The next task for Spedag is already fixed, because another part of the equipment must be shipped later to Bata in Equatorial Guinea.. Within the corporate structure of STRABAG, the equipment is administered by a separate company which makes it available for use by the various corporate divisions depending Joseph Lenherr, Muttenz Loading at the port of Mombasa Spedag South Africa under new management Since 1st of July 2005, Spedag South Africa Ptv Ltd. with offices in Johannesburg and Durban, is operating under the direction of Iain McCallum. Iain McCallum was born in 1967 in Dundee, Scotland. He has lived in South Africa since 1982 when his father took on a new engineering-position there. His career in the logistics industry took him from household moving specialist to courier services, and ultimately into freight forwarding. He has been with Spedag since 1996 and has last been in charge of the Durban branch office. panorama 16 Iain McCallum INTERNAL Charity The fight against NOMA Traditionally, every year M R Spedag supports a non-profit cause. Last winter the choice fell to an organization whose goal is the fight against a children's sickness: a disease which only occurs in the poorest countries of the world and of which the tragedy for the affected child is almost unsurpassable. Balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, initiating the campaign against Noma in Niger When in 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones were the first to circumnavigate the earth non-stop by balloon, the Breitling Orbiter 3 began a new chapter in the history of aviation. poverty is the ideal breeding ground for the spread of Noma. Without treatment, 80% of all cases lead to death. Survivors of this disease are stricken with abominable mutilations. At their home-coming they resolved to dedicate their adventure to the children of this world and the fruits of their success to the fight against almostforgotten infirmities and disease. Unfortunately, funds are insufficient. Deformed children are usually first brought into hospital when it is already too late for an effective treatment. Then, only extensive and painful operations can help. But even with that, it is only possible to repair a part of the face. Only very few of the affected children, however, can be helped at all. Both pilots used the CHF 1 million with which the prize for the first balloon journey around the world was endowed, as well as a donation of their sponsor Breitling and created the Swiss foundation “Winds of Hope”. The foundation's board of directors decided to dedicate their first campaign to the support of the fight against Noma, a sickness which is a symbol of extreme poverty and especially affects children in an appalling way. Noma - the face of poverty Noma (Greek nomein = to devour) is a devastating sickness which begins in the mouth and from there, spreads out over the entire face. Poor hygiene and malnutrition are causes. Extreme The work of the foundation After they had helped to begin the national campaign in Nigeria in 2000, Winds of Hope decided to finance comparable projects in Burkina Faso, Mali and Benin. In each case 5-year programs were planned which were initiated with cooperation of the national health ministries and the WHO in Africa. The goal is to train the native representatives on the village level in prevention and early diagnosis of the sickness. Through their regular visits on location, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones have built up a trusting cooperation on all levels with the responsible persons in these lands and with numerous international organizations. A further important goal is to achieve a synergy-effect in which the activities of all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are engaged in the fight against Noma are supported. For this purpose the Winds of Hope organizes regular podium dialogues and press conferences. On the 20th of March 2003, the International NoNoma Federation (www.nonoma.org) was created which is comprised of 17 NGOs. The chairmanship of the federation is incumbent on the Winds of Hope foundation. Winds of Hope Foundation 20, avenue Florimont 1006 Lausanne / Switzerland www.windsofhope.org [email protected] panorama 17 INTERNAL Formula-1 Formula-1 Logistics After M+R China organized the local logistics of an exhibition car of the Sauber-Petronas team in Shanghai, M+R Hong Kong carried through the return transport of this “show car” to Switzerland. The high-powered car was taken into a specially customized transporter belonging to the contractor following its arrival in the Logistics Park in Muttenz. The transfer in LWT Muttenz took somewhat longer; first of all extreme caution was naturally taken and the unusual sight drew interested onlookers out onto the ramp. Even the Panorama team didn’t miss the opportunity to get a photo! Loading up at Logistics Park, Muttenz Pretty Smart! While they might not be as fast as a Formula-1 racing car, our new courier vehicles are just as dashing to look at. Studies show that the Smart car still draws a lot of attention. The wave-design as a symbol for our slogan “Logistics connecting continents”, is a further attentioncatcher. Moreover, the car is unbeatable in regard to fuel consumption, in city traffic and the search for parking spaces. And that is more than enough to compensate for the difference in horsepower! panorama 18 INTERNAL Anniversaries Again there have been several anniversaries over the past months of colleagues that have been with us for 10 or more years. To all of them we would like to express our sincere thanks for their loyalty and their ongoing contribution to the success of our company! 40 Years Robert Brechbühler M+R Muttenz - TD Camion 35 Years Eberhard Drews Spedag Muttenz - Rail / Warehousing 15 Years Sandra Schlegel Dora Yeung M+R Muttenz - Export France M+R Hong Kong - China Desk 10 Years Fritz Danner André Messerli Renate Rombach Andreas Voirol M+R Muttenz - Customs services M+R Gunzgen - Forwarding Spedag Muttenz - Overseas / Projects M+R Muttenz - Customs services Sue Tahirovic Maria Nussbaumer Spedag Zürich M+R Muttenz - Accounting Breaking News Effective immediately, Mr. Christian Ryser will assume responsibility for the direction of our delegation team in the USA as well as all the activities of the M+R Spedag Group in North and South America. Christian Ryser has over 30 years of experience in the forwarding and logistics industries. Prior to joining M+R Spedag, he was working for many years in top management positions for a global forwarding company, stationed in various countries around the globe. Christian Ryser is no stranger to us: He began his career at Spedag Speditions AG in Basel. A special welcome to our old and new colleague! A detailed report about Christian Ryser and our activities in North and South America is scheduled to appear in the next issue of Panorama. Christian Ryser panorama 19 History & Logistics (interpreted by Hong Kong Mail)