Agility Continues to Expand

Long term demand for the use of polyolefins in automotive and white goods manufacture in Asia led Agility and Borouge, a provider of plastics solutions to break ground on a new logistics hub in Shanghai. To be completed this year and fully operational by May 2010, the 70,000 square meter facility will mainly serve the China market.

The facility will receive bulk container shipments from Borouge’s gateway in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Borouge is building a 30,000 square meter Compound Manufacturing Unit on the site where it will produce 50,000 tonnes of compounds each year mostly for domestic Chinese distribution in the Shanghai area.

Philip Browitt, president of Agility’s Chemical Specialty business, claims, "The world manufacturing footprint of the petrochemicals industry is in major change with production in the Middle East expected to more than double by 2015. This Shanghai platform is an example of how Agility is positioning itself to be a gateway provider both from the Middle East and into Asia and emerging markets.”

In mid-January, Agility Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enter merger discussions with the Gulf Warehousing Co. If completed, the new company would be called GWC-Agility. The merger would create a strong player for the region’s logistics and warehousing industry. Over the past few years both companies have been transforming themselves into regional forces. A merger would accelerate this development.

Later in January, Agility moved to take over Oy O. Nyström & Co. AB. Established in 1932, Nyström has served as Agility’s air and ocean forwarding and logistics services provider in Finland. In early 2008, Agility had acquired Denmark’s CF GeoLogistics A/S and established offices in Oslo. With the Nyström acquisition, Agility claims it now has a complete solution for Northern Europe and a solid platform for further expansion.

As January 2009 ended, Agility opened a new sea and air freight office in Warsaw. This followed the company’s opening last year of an office in Wroclaw, Poland to serve road freight needs. Agility is currently developing a strategic business partnership with Lufthansa Cargo to serve Poland.

www.agilitylogistics.com