Barloworld Logistics partners LBH Africa

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The aim of the partnership is to form mutually beneficial, strategic relationships with key suppliers and business partners which enables the two companies to focus on their core business, while leveraging the expertise and experience of industry leaders in order to fast-track innovation and enter into new markets.

The Barloworld Logistics and LBH Africa team will act as a single point of contact between clients and multiple service providers across the dry bulk supply chain. By integrating processes and managing multiple suppliers, the team offers integrated multi-modal management solutions that enhance visibility and improve security, service and efficiency across the supply chain whilst simplifying and reducing the administration of the movement of dry bulk commodities.

Niche markets

"Our partnership with LBH Africa is indicative of our strategy to leverage our supply chain expertise and grow our service offering into niche markets," says Steve Ford, chief executive of Barloworld Logistics. "The combination of our specialist skills and in depth practical knowledge enables us to customise, optimise and enhance dry bulk commodity logistical processes and in so doing, reduce operational costs, improve service and increase reliability."

Athol Emerton, managing director of LBH Africa, says providing cargo owners with relevant real-time information and stock level visibility across the supply chain will enhance accurate cargo and ship planning, minimising demurrage and potentially facilitating early funding mechanisms that enhance cash flow. "With our partners we will be able to improve on issues such as truck congestion at mine and port, standardised POD's and prompt or regular contractor payments. All of these frustrate efficiencies but they can now be an issue of the past."

The team is focusing on offering dry bulk commodity solutions for grains, chemicals and minerals. Both businesses are strategically positioned and globally connected through an established freight network on international trading routes ensuring a comprehensive understanding of local and international markets, customs and excise law requirements and to deliver the safe and cost effective movement of goods inland, through ports and across borders and oceans.

Integrated technology platform

"Technology plays a vital role in increasing visibility across the supply chain delivering insightful management information, enabling faster, smarter, more successful decision-making and better control across the supply chain," Ford continues. "The combination of our supply chain capabilities and integrated technology platform with LBH's in-depth understanding of bulk commodity movements enables both parties to offer customers a more holistic, optimised and value adding supply chain solution with superior safety and governance standards."

"This is a very exciting partnership. We are delighted to provide customers with a unique 'lighthouse visibility' solution and look forward to continually innovating to create the most competitive and secure bulk solutions in the industry for our customers and to potentially rolling these out into other regions over time," concludes Emerton.