Who is more efficient – a swarm or a single actor? For the 50-plus members comprising Aerospace Logistics Group (ALG) the answer is clear: it’s the swarm. At their annual gathering in Madrid two member firms were honored for their outstanding commitment to drive the aerospace biz within the group forward. The voting is a result of surveys filed by each of the firms.
The question each ALG firm had to answer prior to their Madrid meeting was rather simple: How many orders for handling aviation parts or conduct on-board courier services did your enterprise
receive from any of the ALG members within the last 12 months?
Business stays within the ALG Group
This important question has to be seen against the background that medium sized firms like Brazil’s DMS Logistics or Germany-based Qualified Cargo Solutions, just to name two from the list of
members, are acting locally and provide the demanding aerospace business as a close-knit global network to successfully compete against the worldwide acting big boys. That’s the basic idea behind
the 2007 ALG Group which was founded in 2007.
As winners of the internal surveys evaluated during ALG’s Madrid session and thus most valuable business drivers within the group, two members emerged: the Aerospace Division of agent Fast
Forward Freight headquartered in Amsterdam Schiphol and B&H Worldwide Ltd. based in Heathrow. Both not only upped the number of shipments consisting of spare parts, components or tools sent
by the aviation and aerospace industry substantially, but addressed their shipments to one of the ALG members somewhere around the globe to take care of customs clearance, handling as well as
feeder or transit services.
Close relations are key for market success
In addition to the awards ceremony the face-to-face meetings at the Madrid event proved to be the real driver of business. “The ALG is a very familiar group with most members knowing each other
quite well. This special, trusting relationship is an important platform to achieve even better solutions for both our clients and ALG members in the future,” Andreas Preisendanz of Qualified
Cargo Solutions explains. The services offered to the market by all firms are similar. They comprise of charter options for all types of aircraft, import and export customs clearance, 24-hour AOG
service at all stations, domestic distribution of shipments or dedicated on-board courier services for the aerospace and aviation industry.
Joachim’s Madrid summary
Shortly before the 2 and half day Madrid gathering ended we asked Managing Director Joachim Wildner of Scan Global Logistics Norway about his impressions:
Q: Joachim, from a business perspective, what value did you most get from attending the ALG conference in Madrid?
A: The value of the meeting is to meet your partners face to face as our line of business still is “people’s business” as we don’t sell any other than ourselves, our trust
and service within logistics. Many forwarders can on paper provide the same service but at the end of the day there are big differences and it’s therefore so important to meet and gain the trust
and become better acquainted and perhaps even friends with the partners you are doing biz with.
Q: Do you think that your company will be able to increase the amount of business you have with ALG members over the next year?
A: Yes, we sincerely hope to increase our business with the ALG members during the next years but it’s important to remember that you don’t gain anything for free and it’s
therefore important that business mainly goes both ways.
Q: How does your company benefit from being a member in the ALG?
A: The biggest benefit is that at all times we can count on members that are dedicated to service the industry in the best possible manner and experts in handling time
sensitive and critical shipments.
Q: Where do you see the Aviation/Aerospace business heading over the next year in your local market?
A: From a global perspective I can’t really tell, but generally speaking I expect a steady increase of shipments. As to my home market I can say that in comparison to other
countries the aviation business/aerospace industry is quite limited in Norway. Only recently, one of the leading players in the market has closed its station at Oslo airport, which is not really
an encouraging sign. However, there still are great deal of companies out there to be serviced. Air traffic is increasing, so is the number of passengers and air freight tonnage. This leads to
additional demand for the timely delivery of aviation parts and encourages us at Scan Global Logistics to capture an adequate portion of this business.
Q: When and where is ALG’s next meeting taking place?
A: In October 2015 in Singapore.
Heiner Siegmund
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