News bulletin – tanks and logistics

NEWS BULLETIN

TANKS & LOGISTICS

GIRARD KIT NOW FROM OPW

OPW has acquired Girard Equipment’s tank container product line, comprising manlids, pressure/vacuum relief vents, airline ball valves, composite footvalves and top-discharge butterfly valves. OPW will manufacture the products at its facility in Lianyungang in Jiangsu, China, with an emphasis on expanding its presence and product portfolio in the Asia-Pacific, Latin American and European regions.

“We have great respect for the Girard brand and believe that it represents a great opportunity for us to grow our presence in the ISO market,” says Azam Owaisi, vice-president and general manager of OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions. “This new product range also fits seamlessly into our ongoing efforts to improve the range of products we can offer our customers.”

Meanwhile, Dave Girard, a 30-year veteran of the bulk transport industry after his career at Girard Equipment, has joined Matlack Leasing in the role of regional sales representative, based in Chicago. “Dave has a proven record of facilitating long-term business relationships within the industry,” says Jim Rogers, Matlack’s vice-president of sales. “His winning attitude and outgoing personality are assets that will complement and enhance Matlack’s ability to meet the needs of our customers as we continue to provide quality service and bring innovative tank trailer and tank chassis products to the marketplace.” www.opwglobal.com girardequip.com

AMERICA GETS OMNI TANKS

Omni Tanker has launched its innovative carbon-composite tank truck trailer design in the US. The tanks have been in use in Omni’s home market of Australia since 2006 and feature a unique and internationally patented construction that sees a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CRFP) exterior tank bonded to a seamless thermoplastic interior tank.

The result is an exceptionally light but robust and safe tank suitable for the transport of Class 8 corrosive chemicals, with a weight saving that allows an increase in payload of 8 to 10 per cent. Omni Tanker says the product is safer because the CRFP outer shell is six times stronger than steel, while the tank is significantly lighter than a traditional steel tank or even a fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) tank, as commonly found in the US.

The launch took place at the start of October at the headquarters of All Chemical Transport in New Jersey, one of the first US customers for the design. The event was also attended by the Australian ambassador to the US and by Eurotainer, which is already operating Omni’s CRFP tank containers, also newly launched in the US. omnitanker.com

SA TALKE GETS SAFCO GIG

SA Talke, the joint venture between Talke Group and Saudi interests, has won a five-year contract from Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (Safco) to provide a range of on-site and maintenance services including bulk loading, bagging, drumming, material transfer, warehouse coordination and administration at the various plants in Al Jubail. Work has already begun at the Al Bayroni plant and will be extended to the Safco and Ibn Baytar sites by the end of the year. The contract covers anticipated volumes of 5.86m tonnes of chemical products per year.

“SA Talke is considered a reliable and trustworthy logistics partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for many years now. We are very pleased to be awarded the Safco business and are fully committed to managing this operation in the safest and most efficient manner,” says Mark Benzahia, managing director of SA Talke (pictured opposite). www.talke.com

MILKYWAY ADDS MORE

Shanghai-based Milkyway Chemical Supply Chain Service (left) has, in partnership with Chengdu Xiongfeng Investment, acquired a 60 per cent shareholding in Sichuan Xiongrui Logistics, which it says has greatly improved distribution activities in the Sichuan and Chongqing region of China.

Xiongrui Logistics has a broad range of service offerings, including the road transport of dangerous goods, chemical warehousing, international freight forwarding, cold storage and other specialities. Milkyway says its team

has a lot of experience in the chemical logistics sector, with long-term customer relationships across its network in Chengdu, Chongqing, Luzhou, Hangzou, Xi’an, Guangzhou and elsewhere.

Xiongrui Logistics will now be renamed Milkyway Xiongfeng Logistics and be fully integrated into the Milkyway management system, strengthening its national distribution network and improving response times for customers.

Milkyway has also acquired Ningbo Dowchain Logistics, which was formed only in September 2019 with a focus on chemical transport and international freight forwarding. Dowchain’s team came from logistics operations in multinational and state-owned chemical groups. www.mwclg.com

DANTRA BUYS FROM LAG

Denmark-based Dantra Group, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, has expanded its road tanker fleet with 12 stainless steel trailers built by LAG Tankers. The 37,500-litre tankers feature air-operated valves, anti-spark filters on the pressure duct collector to filter out static, and a separate steam line on the heating circuit. Six of the new tankers have three chambers while the other six are single-chamber units. All were supplied to Dantra by Jorn Bolding A/S, a Danish specialist in trailer rental and sales. dantra.dk

BERTSCHI BUILDS IN CHINA

Bertschi China has started construction work on its new logistics centre in Zhangjiagang. The new facility will offer up to 50,000 tonnes of storage capacity for chemicals and will expand Bertschi’s service offering in China from pure tank container transport to encompass storage, re-packaging, and distribution, along with many other value-added services. www.bertschi.com

HILLEBRAND BUYS BRAID

Hillebrand, a world-leading specialist in transport and logistics services for the alcoholic beverages sector, has acquired Braid. The deal strengthens Hillebrand’s services and expertise in handling non-hazardous liquids in bulk, including wine, olive oil, edible oils and non-hazardous chemicals.

“Braid offers an exciting opportunity for Hillebrand to strengthen its network of services, products, skills, knowledge and teams,” explains Cees van Gent, CEO and chairman of the executive board of Hillebrand. “With its global reach, wide range of customised logistics solutions in bulk liquids transportation, as well as its manufacturing and technology knowhow, the acquisition of Braid supports Hillebrand’s strategy to not only lead the market in logistics services for alcoholic beverages but also for non-hazardous bulk liquids.”

Allan Leddra, CEO of Braid, comments: “Hillebrand’s acquisition of Braid provides a major growth opportunity for both businesses. The two companies will achieve more as a unit, increasing value for customers, given both companies’ high reputation for providing a leading customer experience in bulk liquids logistics.”

Leddra and his management team will join Hillebrand to drive a successful integration and continue to grow the consolidated bulk liquids business of Braid and Hillebrand. “We also share the same values and culture, so we are confident that our employees will smoothly integrate in the new organisation and will find new growing opportunities within Hillebrand,” Leddra adds.

Hillebrand’s bulk liquids services and Braid will, for the time being, continue to run their operations separately. However, the businesses will be brought together over the next 12 months, creating one of the largest food-grade tank container fleets in the world. www.hillebrand.com www.braidco.com