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Issue 6 2017 - Freight Business Journal


7


Freight Forwarding Road Freight


Air Freight Sea Freight


Customs Import/Export Contact our Sales team on: 01472 266 000 sales@vixsoft.com


Germany’s Kukla enters UK drinks market


German-owned freight forwarder Robert Kukla has launched a UK beverage logistics subsidiary and has recruited a team from rival operator, JF Hillebrand. The Brentwood, north-east


London-based company will be led by managing director, Steve Wood, along with commercial director Lynda Simms, operations director Martin Jacobs and general manager, Hannah Webb. The new company has taken over the parent company’s existing


transport business in the UK which, said Steve Wood would allow the new company “to hit the ground running”.


BIFA names new national chairman


Mark Bromley has succeeded Fred Osborn as the elected national chairman of BIFA – the British International Freight Association – for a two-year period. He has been associated with


BIFA for many years, working for BIFA member, Allways International Freight Forwarding. He was previously chairman of


BIFA’s Surface Policy Group. Fred Osborn becomes


immediate vice-chairman for two years. Alongside him is John Stubbings, group director of the Woodland Group who was also elected vice-chairman by the board.


Sir Peter Bottomley remains BIFA president. Initially, he would establish close


relationships with Kukla’s other local operations “so we can offer new clients a strong European


network of freight services.” Steve Woods and the other


directors have a direct stake in the new business. He added: “Being a part of Kukla’s network is the platform we need to grow and we see that happening very quickly. We understand beverage logistics, we know who the right people are to talk to in the industry and we can provide a unique service with a real hands-on professional approach.” Managing partner of Robert


Kukla in Germany, Knut Sander, said the new UK subsidiary would fit well with its other overseas companies in Stockholm, Breda, Bilbao, Genoa and Moscow.


Tigers on the loose in Leeds


Hong Kong-based Tigers Global Logistics has opened a new office in Leeds and become certified as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) in the UK.


The Leeds office is the group’s


seventh to open in the UK and brings the total number of Tigers locations in Europe to 13 including Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Others in


the UK are London Heathrow, Gatwick, Felixstowe, Cardiff, Banbury and Basildon. Tigers’ regional managing


director in Europe, Shahar Ayash, said that, thanks to AEO, customers will benefit from a lower rate of compliance inspections. It also offers customers a Virtual Warehouse as part of its e-commerce suite of products.


Audit office warns of ‘meltdown’ if Chief replacement fails


The head of the National Audit Office has warned that a collapse of Customs’ new computer system could throw the UK into chaos aſter Brexit, on the day that the Government was due to publish its ‘Great repeal Bill’. In a strongly-worded


statement, auditor general Sir Amyas Morse said that the Customs Declaration System (CDS), due to replace the ageing CHIEF computer, could become “a horror show”. He said that CDS was due to


be introduced in January 2019, only weeks before the March 2019 Brexit deadline, and that serious problems could result should it over-run – a very


plausible scenario with major IT projects. Older FBJ readers will recall


the chaos that ensued at the UK’s airports in 1986 when a replacement for the then HM Customs LACES computer failed to perform, with cargo piling up on the tarmac. In June this year, the CCS-UK


airfreight community system unveiled a fallback system, saying that part of the motivation would be to provide a back-up in the event of CDS experiencing teething problems. However, other freight community systems used in the UK’s major seaports currently have no such back-up in place.


Waberer buys Poland’s Link


Hungarian-owned European full truckload specialist Waberer


has finalised its


acquisition of Polish-based transport operator Link and Link Services


million. Waberer concluded a preliminary agreement for the


for €32.5


purchase in May this year. Link’s main activities are in


the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, and Poland. It has 427 trucks and 675 trailers and employs 956 people including 717 drivers.


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