luxury logistics Bollore Logistics

LuXury Logistics

Bollore Logistics Asia Pacific is a leading global transport and logistics company that offers multimodal transport, customs and regulatory compliance, and supply chain solutions. Today the company is leading the field in its development of sustainable solutions and is continuing to extend its global presence. Philip Yorke reports.

Bollore Logistics is a privately owned company that was previously known as SDV until it was rebranded in January 2016. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the international Bollore Logistics Group. The company offers five distinct types of services including multimodal transport, customs and regulatory compliance, logistics, global supply chain solutions and industrial management projects. With its headquarters in Puteaux near Paris the group operates a global network of more than 600 offices and employs over 22,000 people worldwide.

High-tech automation

Bollore Logistics recently announced plans for its first fully automated logistics facility in association with one of the world’s largest luxury products groups, LVMH. The $10 million investment is a joint venture between Bollore Logistics and LVMH and is part of an innovative solutions programme and long-term partnership strategy to increase productivity and efficiency. The 20,000m2, high-tech facility features a 12,000 tote multi-shuttle system provided by the Dematic Company of France, designed to increase productive space and improve throughput that is 10 times greater than current conventional warehousing systems.

Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) the new extensive warehousing facility forms part of a long-term programme of development between Bollore Logistics and LVMH.

“Automation is the key for Singapore’s logistics sector to cope with emerging patterns globally. The set-up will be housed in our logistics ‘Green Hub’, which is our high-tech logistics facility in Pioneer Turn, and we are happy to announce that the co-development of this new automation system has secured a long-term commitment from LVMH. Bollore Logistics strives to be at the forefront of innovation and prides itself on developing advanced supply chain solutions for its customers,” said Mr Cyril Dumon, CEO of Bollore Logistics Asia Pacific.

Mr Guillaume Mechain, the Supply Chain Director of LVMH Asia Pacific, commented, “The close partnership between LVMH and Bollore Logistics has strongly supported the growth of our business in the last 15 years. With the introduction of automation, it further reinforces our connections and emphasises our expertise concerning safety, quality, service and efficiency for the next ten years.”

Collectively designed by Bollore Logistics, LVMH and Dematic, this unique combination of multi-shuttle system and picking technology is the first of its kind to be deployed in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region in general. With Singapore as the company’s regional hub, the new facility, through its adaptable and scalable world-class system, has been developed to create a future-ready infrastructure in order to support the increasing demands of the Asia Pacific region.

Sustainable supply chain development

The driving force behind the company’s remarkable growth is its commitment to sustainable development and the highest QHSE standards that together form the core foundation of its current and future business projects. Today Bollore helps to preserve the planet by offering transport solutions that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the company has additional ambitions that go still further. Today it is endeavouring to reduce the overall environmental footprint of its activities by generating new areas for action, such as managing its impact on biodiversity, air quality and environmental challenges with regard to water.

The company’s responsibilities also extend to social and community considerations that focus on the expertise of its environmental

teams and the integration and expectations of its stakeholders. Bollore’s CSR approach is realised by utilising strategic drivers and commitments that are common to all Bollore Group activities and are deployed at an operational level throughout the company.

Focus on oversized-load logistics

In March 2018 Bollore Logistics was contracted by a French company, the Eiffage Group, that specialises in the completion of major rail infrastructure projects. The latest group project is located in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. This involves the shipping and delivery of two gigantic tamping machines used to position railway tracks. Each machine is almost 20 metres long, three metres wide and four metres tall. Between them the two units weigh around 140 tonnes. These giant structures were unloaded by the teams from the Dakar Terminal Company and Bollore Logistics operatives in January 2018.

It took two, 200-tonne cranes to transfer the huge tamping machines from the MAFI trailers at the port, to the tank transporters provided in order to transport the machines. A special convoy composed of a 120-tonne transporter, a six-wheel heavy load tractor and a hydraulic trailer were employed to deliver the machines to their sites within two days of arrival.

Delivery of the heavy cargoes took place at two sites, the Dakar train station and the town of Bargny, which is located 30km from Dakar. This configuration and the challenges linked to packing the machines required close collaboration with Bollore Logistics, the Dakar terminal handling teams and members of the project follow-up committee. In addition, it also required the support of the Eiffage rail teams.

In March 2018, Bollore Logistics transported the two massive machines precisely on time and completed the operations successfully, thus demonstrating its unique expertise in relation to oversizedload logistics and making it a vital partner for the most challenging global TER projects. n

For further details of Bollore Logistics’ innovative transportation services and products visit: www.bollore-logistics.com