www.bifa.org


Profile Herman Bosman:


“As a medium-sized privately owned company, we have


to always set the bar higher than the competition”


BIFAlink


not only saves on the cost of trucking flowers to Amsterdam and back, but it also increases the shelf life of the flowers.” Morgan Cargo works closely with the farmers


who grow the flowers in the UK to ensure they are kept at the correct temperature right from the beginning of their journey. As Bosman pointed out, cut flowers are very


sensitive to changes in temperature, which can occur within minutes of them being picked and at any point in the supply chain if due care is not taken to prevent temperature fluctuations. If heat builds up inside a consignment of flowers, it can spoil the entire shipment. “You have to keep them cool from the


packhouse, through transit, in storage and on the flight,” he stressed. Since flowers are live, they respire – the


process by which oxygen from the air combines with the organic material of the produce to form, ultimately, water and carbon dioxide. The by- product of this chemical reaction is energy, released as heat. The rates at which flowers produce heat


varies; some have high rates of respiration and may require more refrigeration/cooler temperatures than those that respire more slowly. The rates of respiration are determined by temperature and Bosman noted that for every 10°C rise in temperature, the rates may be doubled – or in some instances, tripled. “We have three state-of-the-art forced-air


Fresh as a daisy…


The winner of this year’s Extra Mile Award, Morgan Cargo, started out as a specialist perishable cargo agent in 1994 in South Africa, and opened its London office in 1999. Within a competitive and demanding industry, the company continues to pull out all the stops to keep its customers happy, writes Megan Ramsay


Morgan Cargo’s winning award submission concentrated on its support of customers in the cut flower sector – a global market that relies heavily on air transport to ensure each flower is as fresh as possible when it reaches its destination. Herman Bosman, managing director of the


South Africa-headquartered company’s UK operations, outlined: “We work very closely with flower exporters to the USA. The majority of the flowers are of Dutch origin, but during a certain part of the year, UK-grown flowers are also exported. Most of these flowers are sent in bulk to


September 2018


Amsterdam where they are sold at auction in Aalsmeer. Due to consolidations flying through the UK to the USA, the flowers are then trucked back to the UK to fly to the USA from UK airports.”


Time-consuming process He continued: “As it is a very time-consuming process to truck flowers up and down to Amsterdam, Morgan Cargo has set up a flower handling operation within its temperature- controlled facility at Heathrow Airport to process, blast chill and pick orders for USA exports. This


coolers in our Heathrow facility, which has been designed to bring the temperature of a shipment down quickly if necessary before export,” he said.


Proof positive According to Bosman, Morgan Cargo is working very hard to achieve success for its customers in a very competitive export market dominated by multinational companies. “As a medium-sized privately owned company,


we have to always set the bar higher than the competition to make sure we are one step ahead of the game,” he remarked. “We specialise in a niche market – perishable commodities – so one- to-one attention to customers is really important. Winning the BIFA award is proof that we really do go the extra mile for them. It has also led to some new business opportunities for us.” Plus: “Logistics is a tough job. The award


shows our staff that people do see what they do. It has had a positive impact on our employees in terms of motivation, a sense of appreciation, and reassurance that the company is doing well.” • Morgan Cargo has its own offices in South Africa, the Netherlands, Spain, Kenya, Uganda and the UK. To offer its customers a service around the globe, it is part of the WCA network of agents.


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