The company was appointed by SSI SCHAEFER, a market leader in the field of planning and implementing integrated logistics systems, to handle the import of goods shipped in from Germany and the Czech Republic through the port of Port Elizabeth and on to the new warehouse site just under 700 miles away.

Multiple partiesThe GAC Laser team was kept on its toes by the need to consult and coordinate with multiple parties working on the project – overseas offices, shipping lines, road hauliers, port authorities and on site contractors – to ensure container release timings and the trucking schedule were coordinated to avoid delays. They also faced the challenge of other contractors vying for limited space and container handling facilities at the warehouse site, which meant constant and accurate planning, communication and information flow was critical.

Rob Demont, GAC Laser’s Regional Sales Manager – Gauteng, says: “The relationship between GAC and SSI SCHAEFER around the world spans many years. This was the first project awarded to GAC Laser in southern Africa. Pulling together a dedicated team to handle a project of this nature was paramount and its successful completion can be credited to everyone involved.”

To keep tabs on progress, a bespoke Tracking Report was designed, tailored to the specific requirements of the task. This was the start of several projects for which GAC Laser’s team continues to work with SSI SCHAEFER. It has also delivered nine containers from the Czech Republic for a cold storage plant in Port Elizabeth and is involved in the handling of additional shipments from Malaysia for a major player in the beverage industry in Swaziland, as well as containers from Germany for a well-known South African online retailer.

GAC Laser is also working with SSI SCHAEFER on a major project that started in October and will continue in to early 2018, consisting of handling up to 160 containers over this time period.