GAC
and Wilson Sons — Global agency network now in Brazil
Posted: 02 June 2004
Alliance
smoothes way for South American exports to ME
The GAC Group’s global agency network
has now expanded to Brazil through an alliance agreement with
Wilson Sons Shipping Agency, which came into effect on June 1.
This alliance will ease the way for the shipments of timber, steel,
PVC resin, Marco Polo busses (used by Dubai Municipality for the
local public transport system), Volkswagen trucks and cars and
Caterpillar equipment that Brazil exports to the Middle East region
every year.
With over 500,000 tonnes of lumber, 250,000 tonnes of Caterpillar
equipment and 100,000 tonnes of PVC resin produced in South America
for the Middle East market every year, GAC’s expanding port
coverage in South America is an important development for facilitating
exports to the region.
“As one of the only international shipping agencies based
in the Middle East, it is vital that our global network caters
to our clients’ interests in every corner of the globe,” said
Lars Peter Heisselberg, Group Vice President, GAC Shipping from
the company’s corporate head office in Dubai. “With
alliances already established in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru,
Uruguay and Panama Canal, the GAC-Wilson deal brings us one step
closer to complete port coverage in South America.”
Sustained growth and a stable economy are boosting Brazil’s
trade volumes and have provided the catalyst for GAC’s entry,
said Lars Peter.
“There is strong demand for export products including soybeans,
coffee and sugar, and dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, steel
and timber. Our timely partnership with industry veteran and agency
expert Wilson Sons enables us to meet the surge in demand for port
and ship agency services, especially to dry bulk carriers and tankers,” he
said.
Lars Peter says GAC already has a strong position in the global
dry bulk sector through its operations in South Africa and its
network agency alliance with Adsteam Australia. “We believe
we can leverage our existing dry bulk competencies with our partners
in Brazil to win new customers in this vital trading sector,” says
Lars Peter.
Nationwide coverage
Established in 1837, Wilson Sons is the only ship agency in Brazil
offering nationwide coverage through its own offices in ports
from Rio Grande to Belem handling in excess of 5,000 vessels
per annum.
“In addition to our traditional strengths in liner, tramp
and semi liner operations, Wilson Sons boasts very strong connections
with the ports,” says Christian von Lachmann, Director, Wilson
Sons.
“Combined with GAC’s extensive expertise in specialised
ship agency services, we expect to reap additional benefits such
as penetrating the robust dry bulk sector which has very different
demands to those of the liner trades.”
Global network
In the past 12 months, GAC has rapidly expanded its global network
of agents to complement its own port coverage in the Middle East,
the Indian Subcontinent, Asia, Africa and key locations in the
Americas, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Its global network agents today include Adsteam (Australia, New
Zealand, Oceania), Unipros (Republic of Korea), Kudrat Maritime
(Malaysia), RUR (USA East & Gulf Coasts), Wilford & McKay
(Panama), Vensport (Venezuela) and Ultramar (Argentina, Chile,
Peru and Uruguay).
For more information please visit www.gacworld.com and www.wilsonsons.com.br
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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