In today’s complex supply chain environment, customer service between shippers and their logistics providers means more than just a friendly voice on the line when something goes wrong. Today, logistics providers are expected to adopt a ‘cradle to grave’ approach to customer service. From transportation of inbound raw materials to vendor management to outbound deliveries and everything in between, shippers depend on their providers to execute flawlessly, while acting as an extension of their company.
Peel Ports Logistics, part of the Peel Ports Group understand this all too well. Learn how its fully integrated solution approach provided a customer with a true cradle-to-grave and cost effective logistics solution to deliver silica sand into the UK.
The challenge
Minerali Industriali (MI) is an Italian mining company who supplies raw materials for several industrial applications, both in Italy and abroad. Minerali have been working with Peel Ports Group for several years, importing up to 80,000 tonnes each year of silica sand from its sand mine based in Lochaline, into Runcorn for its customer glass manufacturer, Pilkington. Silica sand is an essential raw material that has a number of important uses. The most important use of it is within the glass manufacturing industry. It is also used in the building and construction industry as it is one of the prime constituents of concrete.
The raw material, which has a fine grain like composition, is normally handled as a dry bulk material. It is a low-value, high-volume commodity where transportation is a major cost component. This means that a cost effective handling and transport service to ensure its safe transport, without any contaminants and ensuring every penny counts is vital to provide value to the customer.
The solution
Peel Ports and the Peel Ports Logistics team worked together to provide the chartering and agency which in turn, provided cost savings at each touch point of the customers supply chain. Peel Ports Logistics’s ‘One-Stop-Shop’ solution enabled it to have full visibility, taking into account the whole supply chain not just its individual parts. As a result, it enabled the dentification of opportunities as well as add value to Minerali’s supply chain.
Furthermore, Peel Ports Logistics location in Runcorn was perfectly placed to transport the product closer to its end destination to ensure an economically viable solution.
Sebastian Gardiner, Managing Director, Peel Ports Logistics said: “Whilst Minerali has been a long-standing customer of Peel Ports Group, it was a pleasure to welcome the opportunity and be an extended part of their team. As a resulted this allowed us to combine strengths to provide a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ solution. The combined efforts of the right facilities with an expert team resulted in a successful project and we look forward to our continued partnership.
Diego Zurolo, General Manager and CEO, Minerali said: “We have been working with Peel Ports Group for a number of years importing large volumes of silica sand year on year. Working with Peel Ports Logistics enabled us to benefit from the value-added services and become an integrated part of our supply chain.
Runcorn proved to be the perfect location to support our business requirements. This was due to its ability to both handle the tonnage and expertise of the team who removed the complexity to provide a seamless operation. We look forward to our future collaborations.”
Jenna Beaty, Terminal Manager (Runcorn), Peel Ports said: “Runcorn was perfectly positioned having both the capacity and team expertise who worked brilliantly together to ensure a smooth and efficient ship discharge. Our ability to provide an end to end solution in-house means that efficiencies can be passed onto our customer to add value to their supply chain.