Air cargo terminals are not just simple warehouses anymore.
Years ago it would suffice to erect a shed somewhere near the airport apron and store cargo there which was destined to move by air.
Those days most passenger aircraft had “bulk loading” in the bellies and all freighter aircraft had not yet come onto the market.

´So, relatively simple then to store export and import shipments.
That’s all changed now and the need for sophisticated systems along with secure means of storage and transport is a must for almost all airports worldwide.
Air freight has become big business and thankfully also an important factor for the airlines bottom line.
For carriers to attract new customers they must be in a position to offer them what they see as a seamless product.
This responsibility is in turn passed down by some carriers to the handling agents who at the end of the day have to fund most of the systems demanded.
The exception being carriers who decide on their own dedicated handling facilities.
The air cargo supply chain is, with exception of the actual flight sector, a high-tech handling process from start to finish.
BeCon comes into play
It is not every handler or airport set-up which can keep au-fait with new systems or even design such.
That’s where company’s like BeCon Projects come into play.
It is their job to consult, design and accompany the building process of air cargo terminals around the world.
BeCon Projects GmbH was established in 2009 by Uwe Beck who’s history in the cargo handling world goes back to the early 1980s.
Before going out on his own Uwe spent thirteen years as M.D. of ALS Advanced Logistics Systems, a company which at that time was a leader in the design and manufacture of air cargo handling
systems.
He tells CargoForwarder Global that his decision to “do it himself” arose out of the fact that he saw the need for independent consultancy in this field due to the ever changing needs of airline
and airport clients as well as the fast changing air cargo market environment.

It seems Uwe Beck and BeCon projects have not looked back since.
He and his team see operational aspects such as production workstation planning, active truck dock management and forklift management systems as well as modern IT systems, as being the backbone
of present and future warehouse operations.
However, BeCon is aware in his view that to be successful in this field, they must stay on top as far as knowing all the elements of the supply chain and being able, where possible, to integrate
them under one roof.
On top of that the company also supplies operational reviews and optimization as well as consulting on IT automation and CMS integration and warehouse design with our without Material Handling
Components and systems.
The list of past clients is long
BeCon Projects has since starting in 2009 served a large and varied customer base worldwide.
Uwe sees one of their main achievements in his company’s participation in developing Emirates Cargo’s new handling facility at the DWC airport in Dubai.
Presently projects are running also again with Emirates Cargo, dnata and also for Duesseldorf airport.
He is more than proud of the fact that BeCon was chosen by Finnair Cargo as the lead consultant for the design of the new Cool Nordic Cargo Centre at Vantaa airport in Helsinki.
At the recent cornerstone ceremony in HEL Mr Beck stated that “we started our journey with Finnair Cargo back in 2013 and are proud to have transferred it into a truly trustful and vibrant
partnership.” He went on to say that “it will definitely be one of the most modern cargo facilities globally because we have been able to develop a concept to monitor and manage the operation on
shop floor level.”
Where is the future?
Staying on top of market developments is what Uwe Beck and his team see as being essential to being able to give present and future clients an unbiased and workable solution for their individual
handling needs.
He is not just content to offer his company’s services for design and build, but also for accompanying it through the planning stage and into a successful live operation by an active
Project-Management to keep all ropes in one hand.
John Mc Donagh
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