KAWASAKI, WAL-MART TO SET UP LOGISTICS CENTERS IN FOS

KAWASAKI, WAL-MART TO SET UP LOGISTICS CENTERS IN FOS    Japan’s Kawasaki group and a subsidiary of Wal-Mart will set up logistics facilities in the port of Fos, France.
   The logistics company Lorafret, in partnership with P&O Nedlloyd, was awarded the contract for storage and distribution in southern Europe of motorcycles built by the Kawasaki. Lorafret has applied for a permit to build a 12,000-square-meter warehouse in Fos that is expected to be operational in December 2002.
   A spokesman for the port authority of Marseilles said that the traffic has been evaluated at 2,000 TEUs a year. Previously, Kawasaki has imported its products to Europe via Hamburg.
   A subsidiary of Wal-Mart has announced its intention to build a 20,000-square-meter    warehouse in Fos, which should be operational at the end of 2002. The company has also asked the Port of Marseilles Authority to reserve a contiguous 25-hectare lot for development of over 100,000 square meters of warehouse space.