Forwarding agent EMO Trans GmbH is moving ahead fast: Recently, they relocated their European air freight gateway to a business center located near to Frankfurt Airport as a reaction to their growing cargo activities. Secondly, EMO Trans has hired two renowned experts for developing intercontinental trade lanes further. Thirdly, a new cloud-based sales pipeline will kick off this summer.
Focus on Asia
EMO Trans steps on the gas pedal, seen for example by their expansion in Asia. There, they meanwhile run own subsidiaries in eight different countries, among them are ten branches belonging to
EMO Trans China Limited.
And that’s not the end of the line, assures Bernhard Stock, Director Air Freight and Global Network. Two additional country organizations will join the EMO club in the months ahead, he says,
without revealing names. “It’s premature because we are still in final negotiations,” he reasons.
While so far, EMO concentrated on exporting goods coming from European producers and sent to customers in Far East and the Gulf region, “we will put our focus more on imports than done in the
past, without neglecting exports,” he announces.
Bergmann brings in a wealth of market knowledge
A job and challenge for Niklas Bergmann, the agent’s new Route Development Manager Northern Asia. He comes from Danish logistics company DSV and has joined EMO Trans on 1 April this year. “My
responsibility is to foster business relationships with customers in China, South Korea and Japan,” Bergmann explains. Besides air and ocean transports this includes the railing of goods across
the vast Eurasian land bridge. This segment has developed rapidly in recent times, say the EMO Trans managers, but is still mainly driven by exports transported from West to East.
Bergmann knows the local Asian markets and the people’s mentality well. Insights and experiences he gained during his two-year tenure as DSV representative in Far East.
Achieving balanced traffic flows by increasing the number of imports to Europe significantly, is a key task Bergmann is facing in close cooperation with his colleagues in Germany and the EMO
stations in East Asia.
Stock wears two hats
His counterpart in the role as trade lane developer is EMO’s cargo helmsman Bernhard Stock, who is responsible for his company’s business on trade lanes between Europe and Southeast Asia, namely
Vietnam, Singapore or Taiwan, to mention a few.
EMO starts charm offensive in South America
Carina Pilz is another new face seen at EMO Trans since 1 April. As Trade Lane Manager South America, she is responsible for increasing EMO’s awareness in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. This
she does in close cooperation with sister organization EMO Trans USA which is similarly interested in developing the market south of the Panama Canal. There, the logistics provider already has an
existing network, thanks to the agent’s two national companies based in Santiago de Chile and Lima, Peru. Offices in Antofagasta, Talca, Iquique round off the presence.
Up to now, South America has been an export driven market, says Mrs Pilz, where many German and European companies have established subsidiaries. “German products enjoy an excellent reputation in
South America, this we want to take advantage of.” She points out that EMO Trans sends weekly consolidations to Chile and Peru, flying car parts, machinery, harvesting equipment or tractor
components but also pharmaceuticals via Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport to their final destinations.
Some local markets are really thriving, says Carina Pilz, pointing at Colombia that reports a healthy annual GDP growth of between 3 and 4 percent. “Our aim is to capture additional market shares
in Colombia and the South American states where we have already our foot in the door,” she says.
Carina Pilz is another new face seen at EMO Trans since 1 April. As Trade Lane Manager South America, she is responsible for increasing EMO’s awareness in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. This
she does in close cooperation with sister organization EMO Trans USA which is similarly interested in developing the market south of the Panama Canal. There, the logistics provider already has an
existing network, thanks to the agent’s two national companies based in Santiago de Chile and Lima, Peru. Offices in Antofagasta, Talca, Iquique round off the presence.
Up to now, South America has been an export driven market, says Mrs Pilz, where many German and European companies have established subsidiaries. “German products enjoy an excellent reputation in
South America, this we want to take advantage of.” She points out that EMO Trans sends weekly consolidations to Chile and Peru, flying car parts, machinery, harvesting equipment or tractor
components but also pharmaceuticals via Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport to their final destinations.
Some local markets are really thriving, says Carina Pilz, pointing at Colombia that reports a healthy annual GDP growth of between 3 and 4 percent. “Our aim is to capture additional market shares
in Colombia and the South American states where we have already our foot in the door,” she says.
New “preferred carrier” strategy
Cargo Chief Bernhard Stock rounds up our Frankfurt-held meeting by stating that his company decided to thin out the number of carriers utilized so far. “As of now, we’ll be looking at class, not
mass,” the manger states. It’s a new “preferred carrier policy” announced by EMO Trans, focusing on reliable freight airlines such as United, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa Cargo or Iberia on trade
lanes between Europe and The Americas. He adds to this that Iberia stands on the shortlist for two main reasons: the airline serves many destinations in Latin America and there are three weekly
feeder flights from Frankfurt to Madrid operated by a DHL A330 freighter and connecting directly to IB flights bound for Latin America.
However, it is questionable whether this connection will last.
According to DHL sources, the wet lease agreement with Iberia parent IAG will not be prolonged by DHL in case of Brexit because the current deal includes freighter flights to the UK.
Regarding the upcoming cloud-based sales channel, Mr Stock reacts a bit cautiously. “We still have some homework to do before the launch,” he says.
At present it is only clear that the ambitious digital project costs 1.6 million euros. The investment will be refinanced via transaction charges.
Heiner Siegmund