News bulletin – tanks and logistics

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTIC’S

UBH CLOSES ITS DOORS

UK tank manufacturer UBH International has entered administration. Its 100-strong workforce was laid off on 17 December. The company has not so far issued a formal statement.

Universal Bulk Handling was established in the 1960s and went into receivership in 1999, after irregularities were discovered in its accounts. It was acquired from the receiver by its employees, which subsequently ran it as a cooperative. The latest closure came just a month after UBH announced a big push into the Middle East market. www.ubh.co.uk

LAG GOES TO FRANCE

LAG Trailers has gained approval to market its ADR road tankers in France. The approval completes LAG’s range, as its foodgrade tankers, aluminium containers and fuel tankers have already been on the market. Its stainless steel tankers are now approved for the carriage of liquids of Classes 3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 8 and 9.

LAG has already delivered ADR tankers to Delvaux and says a batch will shortly be handed over to TIP Trailers Service France. The 37,500-m3 design, with a tare weight below 7 tonnes, was introduced to the French market at the Solutrans event this past November. www.lag.eu

LNG FOR NI

Calor and Dennison Commercials have introduced LNG-powered Volvo trucks at Dennison’s head office depot in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, from where Calor distributes LNG by road. Calor says it is planning to extend its LNG fuelling network in Northern Ireland over the coming year and, according to CEO Duncan Osborne, is looking further ahead to a switch to biomethane, which will help Calor and its customers further reduce their carbon footprints. “This would operate using the same fleet and refuelling infrastructure, future-proofing the investment in this alternative fuel technology,” he says. www.dennisons.co.uk

CHEMION EXPANDS IN DORMAGEN

Chemion has begun the expansion of its container storage area in Chempark Dormagen. On completion, the Container Terminal Dormagen II, located on more than 1.4 ha of land in the north-west part of Chempark, will be able to handle some 1,000 freight and tank containers. The foundation stone was laid during a ceremony this past December (above), following more than a year spent on securing approvals and making preparatory ground work.

Lars Friedrich, Chempark director, said he is “delighted” with the plans. “The manufacturing companies in the plant continuously invest in their operations and therefore need welldeveloped, efficient logistics. With today’s laying of the foundation stone, we have come a bit closer,” he said. www.chemion.de

LESHACO BUILDS AGAIN

Leschaco has broken ground on a new logistics centre in Malaysia, designed primarily for the storage and handling of chemicals, including dangerous goods. The BBR Industrial Gateway project will cover 39 ha in a busy industrial area of Bandar Bukit Raja in Klang, west of Kuala Lumpur.

“The new facility will allow us to provide high quality logistics services to our customers and the chemical industry in Malaysia, therefore strengthening and expanding our market position in Malaysia,” says Lothar Lauszat, managing director of Leschaco (Malaysia). “This project is a major strategic milestone for our presence in Malaysia, where we have been operating warehouses since 2013. Our current facilities are running continuously at full capacity.” The warehouse

at the new site is due for completion by the end of 2020.

Leschaco Pte Ltd Singapore, meanwhile, has received certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), further expanding the group’s global airfreight network. With the new certification, Leschaco is represented as a cargo agent in all major cities, delivering its customers’ airfreight shipments in accordance with individual requirements, coordinating the loading and unloading of airfreight, collecting freight and handling customs formalities. IATA agents can issue documents such as an air waybill on behalf of airlines and have access to the e-freight project, including the creation of electronic air waybills. www.leschaco.com

QUALA OPENS IN TEXAS

US tank wash major Quala has taken over the former Premier Container Services depot in Angleton, Texas. “This new site allows us to offer another convenient location to our customers in the Gulf Region, complementing Quala’s nearby locations in Clute and Freeport,” says Jeff Noble, senior vice-president, operations. “In addition to the chemical cleaning services, we’ll be offering cleaning of Frac tanks and roll-offs. Plus, equipment maintenance services are available, making this a convenient stop for customers.” www.quala.us.com

SUTTONS GOES FOR YOUTH

Suttons Group has made two appointments to boost its marketing division, hiring Alex Loveless from GW Legal and Jessica Russell from CollectPlus and Yodel (below). “In an extremely competitive marketplace, these appointments are key as the company enters its next phase of growth. We need to ensure we are known in the marketplace as a high quality, safety led business,” says CEO John Sutton. “Alex will head up marketing activity for Suttons International creating dynamic campaigns to grow our business in the States and in new markets across the world. Jessica’s experience will help our UK Tankers team tell its story of success in delivering a quality, cost-effective service for our clients.” www.suttonsgroup.com

NEW HEAD FOR NIJHOF

Bertil Bouwhuis has been appointed managing director of Nijhof-Wassink’s chemical logistics division. Bouwhuis has been finance and control manager at the company since 2016 and was previously an independent business consultant. He succeeds Wijnand Hendrikse, who left the company at the beginning of December 2019. nijhofwassink.com

PETROTRANS ADDS GASES

This year’s expo PetroTrans trade fair, which takes place 1 to 3 October in Kassel, Germany, will be the first to be organised in cooperation with Leipziger Messe. As part of that, its former focus on fuel logistics will be expanded to cover the road transport of LPG and other gases.

“Our previous discussions with the industry have been extremely positive and we are already looking forward to the first registrations of exhibitors from this sector,” says Ingo Klöver, managing director of planetfair, co-organiser of the previous eight biennial expo PetroTrans events alongside AVR Messe- und Veranstaltung.

“The reputation and competence of Leipziger Messe will contribute to the continued development of expo PetroTrans and increase its significance for exhibitors and trade visitors who, next year, will be able to see for themselves,” adds Thomas Klocke, managing director of AVR Messe- und Veranstaltung. expopetrotrans.de