International freight forwarder and consolidator FPS Australia has opened a new sales office in Albury, New South Wales, to serve the growing economy in the area. FPS is currently one of only two freight agents with an office in the region. Albury is a major regional city located on the Hume Highway, on the north of the Murray River. It lies on the state border between Victoria and New South Wales, equidistant from their respective capitals of Sydney and Melbourne. Australian Government incentives to develop commerce and industry in rural areas are encouraging large corporates to re-locate to the region, adding to its existing importance as a major producer of wheat, barley, fruit, vegetables and livestock – much of which is exported to Asia. In addition to serving Albury itself, the new FPS office will provide cover for the important surrounding towns, including Wodonga, Wangaratta, Shepparton, Echuca, Lavington, Wagga Wagga and Griffith. The FPS Albury office is managed by Alan Mckeown, who joins FPS after working in forwarding in the local market for 10 years. Alan’s career in multi-modal forwarding and logistics spans 25 years, including a variety of sales and operational posts for major companies such as Brambles and Circle International. Says FPS Australia National Marketing Manager, Matthew Drake-Brockman: “We have identified big potential in this region. We opened this office because we believe local business people will feel more valued and comfortable dealing with a fellow local, rather than receiving occasional visits from big city sales staff based four hours’ drive away. “The new office will upgrade our existing presence in this important market, and it demonstrates our commitment to the area.  The export potential here is very good, and we also feel confident that imports will become a major element of the business, based on significant flows of equipment, fertilisers and other raw materials needed in the agriculture sector.” FPS Australia celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year: the company opened its first office, in Melbourne, in 1994, and this was also one of the earliest branches in the entire FPS network. FPS Australia also has a base in Sydney, and fellow FPS members in Brisbane and Fremantle.