Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1062629
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 DECEMBER 2018 MOTORING M4 "BREXIT could be the main concern for the international logistics sector especially if there is a meltdown of trade agreements, transit conventions, security agreements and other cur- rently available arrangements and fa- cilities. Although the UK is aiming for a Facilitated Customs Arrangement (FCA) practice shows that this will be difficult to apply before the end of the transitional period." Such is the opinion of Franco Azzo- pardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers when asked about the main challenges that the international logis- tics sector might be facing next year. Azzopardi was reviewing Express Trailers' performance over the past months mentioning 2018 as having been a milestone year for Express Trailers as the local logistics sector, positively correlated to the national policy of growth in the population continued to yield a heightened de- mand for consumer goods. "From an operational perspective, we consolidated our hubbing and 'warehousing as a managed service' concept with the completion of a new 2,800sq.m warehouse facility in Qor- mi, a move that helped us centralise all our managed warehousing activity in one depot to cater for the increased business in this sector. We also set up our new company Express Trail- ers Engineering with the objective of serving our maintenance needs and to serve Hammar Maskin of Sweden in rebuilding re-engineered side-load- ers." "Internally, from an HR perspec- tive, we set up our dedicated Express Trailers Training Academy with the aim of providing our employees with ongoing training and to develop the next generation of logistics employees based on a blend of theory, practice and experience. And as part of our CSR, we continued to assert our commitment towards road safety with the launch of a national Express Road Safety Campaign to promote safer roads for everyone." Referring to the company's priorities and goals for 2019, Franco Azzopardi explained how from a commercial as- pect, one of the pri- orities is going to be ShipLowCost.com's B2B service which is now adding export ser- vice for online sales done by Malta-based retailers. Internally, our topmost ef- forts will be trained on the implemen- tation of a three-year IT project that will see our operations using best-of- breed logistic planning and adminis- tration core systems. "The roll-out of our new core lo- gistics and transport IT platform will pose the most significant challenge for our people but it is a project to which we have been giving a lot of energy over the past three years. With the in- volvement of all key people, users, risk function, IT, project management, le- gal, and the board, I am very confident that this will continue to position Ex- press Trailers as the foremost logistics operator on the island," concluded Franco Azzopardi. Brexit could be main challenge for international logistics sector Franco Azzopardi