This past month, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), the global shipping and logistics provider, signed a long term lease agreement with Singapore’s Jurong Port to develop and manage an on-dock Processing Center that will cater to manufacturers of heavy rolling equipment such as agricultural, mining and construction equipment.
"Through this partnership, WWL will make extensive use of Jurong Port’s Ro-Ro capabilities. This will further enhance our strong relationship with WWL and will also strengthen our role as an international multi-purpose port operator," said Mr. Matthew Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Jurong Port."
“With significant growth of heavy rolling equipment sales in Asia expected over the decade, Jurong Port is poised to become one of the highest quality Ro-Ro hubs in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Christen Schreuder, WWL’s Head of Commercial in Asia. “Our ambition is to help equipment manufacturers reach these markets while reducing inventory carrying costs, shortening lead times, and improving product availability.”
Services, location make ideal hub
WWL will begin offering temporary storage solutions and light technical services in January 2011. The facility will have a storage capacity for approximately 400 units, approximately 1,500 m2 of buildings for technical services and a total area of 18,237 m2 that can be further expanded as demand increases.
Over the upcoming 12 to 16 months, WWL will phase in a broader range of services for shippers of high and heavy cargo, including: inspections and checks, washing/cleaning, repairs/fitments, storage, preventative maintenance, PDI and dealer distribution.
Singapore holds a unique position in Southeast Asia, connecting the growing ASEAN markets with a strong feeder network. Jurong Port is a leading international multi-purpose port operator handling approximate 14 million tones of General Bulk cargo, 0.8 million TEUs of Containerized cargo, with a total of about 40,000 vessel calls annually.
Singapore also sits at the center of WWL’s ocean network in Asia. The company currently offers a China to Japan Express, and an Intra Asia Trade which connects major ports in Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.
“By linking ocean transportation to a global network of terminals, technical service facilities and inland distribution, we can help manufacturers and forwarders reduce their logistics costs while improving quality and inventory control,” explains Mr. Schreuder.
Global, factory-to-dealer solutions for manufacturer
The new Singapore facility is part of WWL’s strategy to provide tailored ‘factory to dealer’ transportation solutions by offering a unique combination of 5 products (ocean transportation, terminal services, inland distribution, technical services and supply chain management) to auto and equipment manufacturers whilst covering both new and used products.
Including the new Singapore facility, WWL has a global network of eleven (11) Processing Centers for high and heavy cargo, located at key portside locations in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia, where the company offers its core technical services for heavy rolling equipment manufacturers: product prep, post-production, quality inspection/PDI, accessorizing services, repairs (paint and mechanical), storage and inventory management distribution services (receipt and dispatch), and supply chain management.
