NACA’s VANGUARD WAREHOUSE SERVICE EXPANDS TO AUSTRALIA

NACAÆS VANGUARD WAREHOUSE SERVICE EXPANDS TO AUSTRALIA    Vanguard Logistics Services, the warehouse and cargo handling operator of the New American Consolidators Association, will launch operations this week in Australia.
   The company will handle cargo on behalf of NACA members Brennan International Transport, Direct Container Line and Conterm Consolidation Services. Services include managing container loading, devanning, and processing documents for the non-vessel-operating common carriers.
   Sales staff from the three NVOs will relocate to common facilities for efficient communications and operations.
   Vanguard, which was started by NACA two years ago, has also built operations in North America, Europe and South America.
   NACA members said that container sharing, common container freight station locations, and consolidated operations have paved the way for expanding services to new markets.
   “In North America alone, the container-sharing concept added about 75 weekly new direct sailings for the members, opening up the market for direct service from inland hubs and direct services to destinations previously transshipped,” said Robert Hackett, regional managing director in Asia Pacific for NACA.
   In South America, the introduction of Vanguard set the stage for new services from Asia, Europe and Scandinavia, as well as improved services to and from North America.
   “In Europe, the results were less dramatic in terms of new services, but it most certainly gave us better accountability and service reliability,” Hackett said.
   Vanguard and management from the individual NACA members have sent letters to customers affirming that there would be no further changes to the individual NACA companies.
   “This is strictly an operational alliance,” Hackett said. “It has no impact whatsoever on the sales activities of the individual companies.”
   Malcolm Gregory, president of Vanguard, said that by the end of this year, about 20 percent of the cargo it handles will be from companies outside the NACA group.