Tricon Shipping entered into a joint venture

Tricon Shipping Pvt. Ltd, a Chennai-based company involved in freight cargo logistics, has entered into a joint venture/integration pact with German freight forwarding and logistics major, Rohlig, and its Austrian partner, Gebrüder Weiss (the largest freight forwarding company in that country), to tap the growing opportunities in India and around the globe.

According to Exim News Service, this was highlighted at a get-together organised by the companies here on January 21, where it was revealed that Röhlig had taken 50 per cent stake in Tricon and would soon be divesting 25 per cent to Weiss, with the new company to be called Weiss-Rohlig India from fiscal 2009-10.

The new company, which benefits from being a partnership of 3 privately-owned firms, would be providing services of the highest quality, utilising the latest in processes and technology, to and from India, it was stressed.

Weiss-Rohlig India would also have the advantage of a combined network of over 200 offices covering 40 countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr B. R. Rangamani, Managing Director of Tricon, stressed that the joint venture would usher in the next level of business opportunities for the companies.

He highlighted how Tricon grew from being just a Chennai-based CHA with 7 employees in 1992, to a company today involved in sea and airfreight, multimodal transport, warehousing and distribution with 15 branches at strategic locations and 170 staff all over India.

An important step in this process, Mr Rangamani underscored, was the induction of Mr V. Ramesh, Executive Director, and Mr S. Krishnaswami into the Board in 2000 to strengthen commercial and operational activities.

Tricon’s association with Röhlig, Mr Rangamani pointed out, began in 1998 with a non-exclusive agency agreement with Rohlig Netherlands, which was elevated in 2003 to an exclusive arrangement as Röhlig’s agent in India.

Describing the joint venture agreement as a historic event for the three companies, Mr Thomas W. Herwig, Managing Partner of the Bremen-based Röhlig (which focuses on transcontinental sea and airfreight forwarding with 110 offices in 27 countries and 1,700 staff), said the integration came about as Weiss and Röhlig were keen on a strong partner to establish their presence in India and tap the tremendous opportunities in one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

It was also part of Röhlig’s strategy to expand its network, especially in the emerging markets in Asia, he pointed out.

Emphasising that it was the right time to enter the Indian market despite the recession, he said that the new joint venture company would be seeking long-term partnerships with customers.

Mr Herwig also threw light on the fact that Röhlig and Weiss, which formed a global alliance in the 1990s, had 9 other joint ventures, mostly in Asia and North America.

Mr Quentin Lacoste, Managing Director (COO) of Röhlig, stressed that the advantages of Röhlig and Weiss were that they were financially independent, long-standing companies (both founded in the 1800s) that believed in organic growth and employed the best in processes and IT.

Röhlig’s 2008 gross profit was 105 million euros, which it intended to double by 2012, he pointed out.

Mr Joe Lasser, Director, Air & Sea Head Office, Gebrüder Weiss, also graced the occasion.

Key global managers of Rohlig and Gebrüder Weiss, Tricon officials and a large cross-section of the maritime, cargo and logistics fraternity were present at the function.

Source: Transport Weekly