Octal highlights importance of competitiveness in logistics sector
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Octal, the world’s largest PET sheet producer and leading integrated packaging company, participated in the IRU World Congress 2018, a global event for road transport, mobility and logistics, held in Oman and the Middle East for the first time, to debate the challenges within the logistics industry.
William J. Barenberg, Jr., EVP and Chief Revenue Officer Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Octal highlighted the importance of nurturing competitiveness in the marketplace generally and the logistics sector specifically to create sustainable value for end-users and consumers, while integrating this value within endto-end supply chains.
The event saw participation of close to 1,000 delegates featuring leading figures in road transport and trade to network, discuss and debate innovate solutions to the industry’s most pressing issues.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion titled ‘Towards Higher Competitiveness in the Middle East’, Barenberg underlined the importance of understanding logistics models, barriers, costs, value, while investigating the factors of competitiveness within the supply chain and logistics management. He referenced collaboration among all stakeholders including public, private and international organisations as key to enable growth of the global economy. “Within Oman, the integration of logistics has helped to streamline regulations on a national level. As Octal has expanded globally, we have witnessed this tremendous transition within the logistics sector. As the sector continues to expand, companies’ operations will also take advantage of further industry advancements on a regional and global level.”
Addressing one of the key questions in the panel discussion, “What is preventing the Middle East from becoming more competitive and have you noticed any positive/negative changes over the past few years?”, Barenberg commented, “Smart and effective transportation and logistics systems are increasingly becoming the backbone of the current world economy.