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BIFAlink


Award Winner Profile


www.bifa.org


Antonov Airlines on the flights. “We give them the weights and dimensions of


The valuable consignment of bespoke


furniture was installed in a Manhattan skyscraper


Handle with care


Brunel Air Cargo Services took the 2019 BIFA Extra Mile Award in recognition of its ‘white glove’ delivery of handcrafted furniture


EXTRA MILE AWARD SPONSOR


The transport and delivery of unique, handcrafted furniture to an apartment on the 64th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper won BIFA’s Extra Mile Award for Brunel Air Cargo Services. Mike Haskins, operations manager at the


Egham-based company, said Brunel had already worked with the furniture manufacturer for nearly two years previously. “Our first job for it was moving some custom


casino equipment for a private yacht,” he said. “We chartered an AN12 from the UK to Malta, where the equipment was installed; then the yacht was moved via canal through Egypt to Jeddah.”


‘White glove’ treatment At first: “The initial jobs did not need so much of the ‘white glove’ treatment because the company sent their own staff out to set everything up,” Haskins explained. “But we have been taking on more and more of that responsibility – it is a new market for us, and a relief for the customer knowing it can trust us to take on that part of the job.” The Manhattan shipment comprised 13 pieces


of luxury furniture worth £3 million. Packed into 33 crates, and weighing a total of 9,100 kg, the consignment was not challenging in terms of its size – but valued at £220,000 per cu m, it needed


16


Following the announcement of category winners in January, BIFAlink profiles the successful companies showcasing the service, innovation or attitude that caught the judges’ eyes. For your chance to shine start thinking about your submission for the 2020 BIFA Freight Service Awards (competition opens in summer 2020).


careful preparation and handling to arrive at its final destination in pristine condition. Each item went through a nine-stage process


of packing, from being wrapped in acid-free conservation cloth, to transportation in waterproof and shatterproof crates with controlled humidity. The shipment had to be split over two


charters, as cargo insurance underwriters would not accept more than £1.7 million risk on any individual movement. Brunel worked directly with


the cargo and they arrange the load plans,” said Mr Haskins. “With shipments like the one we sent out to Manhattan, nothing can be double stacked because you risk damaging the pieces underneath. So we used an Airbus A330-200F, which gave us the space we needed.” Haskins was well aware of the value of the


goods. “The company wanted us to see all the work and the thousands of hours that go into creating each piece of furniture. We met the craftsmen at their factory in Wrexham and saw the whole production process. They use rare materials, including woods like bog oak or pink ivory, as well as precious metals and stones.” Such valuable and fragile consignments


require constant attendance; Brunel had a team waiting at John F Kennedy International Airport to meet the pre-cleared shipment, manage the unloading process and remove the items to its secure New York freight hub.


Essential planning Planning is of the essence. Haskins said: “Before each job, we have meetings about the logistics, the type of aircraft, packing and so on. We also have to arrange lorries, book cranes to lift pieces into properties and negotiate Customs.” Careful measurement of all access points was


an essential part of the planning process to ensure clearance of the crates on arrival in Manhattan. However, the day before the delivery, when Brunel’s project manager checked the delivery route from the pavement to the apartment, several shortfalls in the information provided by the building management company became apparent. For instance, although the lift could


accommodate the crates, access to it was too tight for the two largest pieces, which had to be unpacked and moved entirely by hand. And only a two-hour window was permitted inside the building for each day of the project, which meant only a limited number of pieces could be safely delivered, unpacked and installed at any one time. Therefore: “Delivery plans were amended, with


13 trucks delivering over six days, to match the six rooms having installations, with contingency plans if the fitters needed more time to perfect their work,” Haskins said. Clearly, adaptability is a vital quality when


Mike Haskins says planning and adaptability are both essential to success


going the extra mile to spare a customer any headaches. “We had a lot of curve balls on the Manhattan job – but you simply cannot fail,” Haskins concluded. • Over the course of 2020, Brunel will be sending handcrafted furniture to Russia, Hong Kong and California on behalf of the same customer.


June 2020


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