29th November 2012, London - Despite 270 flood warnings in
place across the UK on Monday night, 400 shippers, cargo owners and carriers
made it to London Gateway’s offices on Tuesday morning to view the latest
developments at Britain’s new port and Europe’s largest logistics Park, which
opens next year on the Thames.
At the ‘Insight to London Gateway’ event, held this week,
shippers, carriers, hauliers, and cargo owners were given a unique tour of DP
World’s £1.5 billion investment into UK maritime infrastructure. Similar
events have taken place recently in Birmingham, last week in Manchester, and a
final event is taking place in Leeds tonight.
The insight event was held to satisfy overwhelming interest
in the new deep-sea port from future port users. Representatives from
across the supply chain attended, including multiple deep-sea carriers, freight
forwarders, rail and road operators as well as cargo owners and global
retailers.
As part of the event, visitors were shown the sheer scale of
the development with a convoy of coaches touring the three square miles of land
that is owned and managed by DP World, while presentations were given
throughout the day to explain the significant benefits of the new port to cargo
owners.
Many guests recognised the advantages immediately, Julie
Curran, Pricing Manager, Atlantic Pacific Global Logistics, said: "London
Gateway offers an excellent alternative for London, Birmingham and Manchester
areas, and we see real opportunity by using the new port. We are looking at
options now."
Chris Leeder from Magnus Group, a national distribution and
logistics provider, said: “London Gateway represents an opportunity for us.
There are definitely going to be savings for shipments into London and South
East and these savings are going to benefit our customers. The important thing
from our perspective is ensuring that we can integrate ourselves into the
supply chain and into the volumes of business that are going to shift to London
Gateway.”
Commenting on the turnout at the event, Simon Moore, CEO
London Gateway, said: “The fact that nearly 300 flood warnings were in place,
roads across the country were blocked, rail lines were suffering and we still
welcomed 400 guests means that it was an astonishing turn out.”
During the open forum discussion, Dr. Carsten Hinne,
Managing Director for DB Schenker Rail UK, spoke about the rail services on
offer to shippers to inland terminals. Marc Wynne, Operations Manager, for
Roadways Container Logistics, also explained how they see London Gateway
benefiting shippers across the UK.
In addition to the London Gateway based event, over 130
shippers and lines attended a similar insight event in Manchester last week.
Charles Meaby, Commercial Director for London Gateway, said:
“London Gateway is closer to Manchester, Birmingham and London than its leading
competitor. So we went to Manchester to let them know how much closer and how
much cheaper it will be for shippers in the North-West using London Gateway. We
are talking about shipping closer, which simply put, will save shippers money.”
Tonight, the London Gateway commercial team will be hosting
an event at the Leeds Marriott Hotel. A further London Gateway insight
open day for shippers will be announced soon.
About London Gateway:
Opening in Q4 2013, London Gateway will be the UK’s first
21st Century major deep-sea container port and Europe’s largest logistics park.
Owned and operated by DP World and situated on the north bank of the River
Thames, London Gateway will provide unrivalled deep-sea shipping access to the
largest consumer markets in the UK. The port's location, with its superior operational
systems and service, will ensure ships load and unload as fast as possible,
making London Gateway a world class asset for the UK.
About DP World:
DP World operates more than 60 terminals across six
continents(1), with container handling generating around 80% of its
revenue. In addition, the company currently has 11 new developments and
major expansions underway in 10 countries.
DP World aims to enhance customers’ supply chain efficiency
by effectively managing container, bulk and other terminal cargo. Its
dedicated, experienced and professional team of more than 30,000 people serves
customers in some of the most dynamic economies in the world.
The company constantly invests in terminal infrastructure,
facilities and people, working closely with customers and business partners to
provide quality services today and tomorrow, when and where customers need
them.
In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is
building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated
at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport
in the Middle East” for 18 consecutive years.
In 2011, DP World handled nearly 55 million TEU (twenty-foot
equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia.
With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets,
including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to
around 103 million TEU by 2020, in line with market demand.
(1)As of June 2012. Includes non-container terminals.
