Logistics • Forum
From transportation of medicines to drones delivering parcels to high mountaintops, logistics in the past 20 years has changed drastically. Spain’s strategic geographical location, competitive costs, and use of cutting-edge technology has allowed companies to keep up with the times. Miguel Borrás MANAGING DIRECTOR, DHL EXPRESS SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
IN 2019, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of DHL, along with its 40th anniversary in Spain. Today, we have approximately 1,100 employees, 900 vans, and 13 aircrafts. We offer our logistics services to customers both large and small. In 2013, concerning the B2C business, we started moving from traditional document shipping to e-commerce shipping. We have invested EUR93 million in our Madrid hub for conveyor belts. Two years ago, we also invested in a new conveyor system in our hub in Vitoria to expand our network to Santiago de Compostela, Lisbon, Porto, Seville, Valencia, and Alicante. This is not only about processing packages faster but also about being more efficient and delivering according to customers’ needs. We are developing our drop-off points and our online applications such as on-demand delivery (ODD) in order to offer our customers the opportunity to choose how they want their shipments to be delivered. Meanwhile, we have the DHL Parcelcopter, a drone able to deliver in hard-to-reach areas like mountains, rivers, or other similar terrain.
Manel Orihuela SUB-DIRECTOR, NACEX
WE HAVE MORE THAN 300 FRANCHISES in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. We design the company’s entire strategy and provide each franchise with the means required in order to perform the commercial, logistics, and distribution work in the area they cover, including the software. In turn, each franchise carries out the deliveries, collections, commercial activities, and previously defined strategies. We are dedicated to importing products from Europe and concentrating on sectors like healthcare and technology, which require secure delivery, high-quality information, and compliance with transit times and delivery schedules. All our messengers are equipped with phones to perform all tasks in the pick-up and delivery process. The system also uses augmented reality: if a messenger needs to look for a package inside the van, the system identifies it, searches for it, and finds it. All home-delivery customers receive an alert via e-mail or SMS that allows them to choose a delivery time and date, an alternative address, or a NacexShop pick-up point. This allows us to maximize the number of first-attempt deliveries, which is fundamental for our business.
Juan Conesa GENERAL DIRECTOR, PRIMAFRIO
PRIMAFRIO STARTED over 50 years ago with a clear vocation: to be a global player in refrigerated land transportation. We specialize in road transport, offering full load and group services that allow us to carry out our clients’ cross-docking services 24/7 all year round. Among the different certificates obtained, the company has a GDP certification that enables us to distribute medicines for human use and to transport of pharmaceutical products and road medicines. Primafrio differentiates itself in terms of service, rather than price. Technology is an opportunity and a challenge for us. We have recently created an R&D department and already have 20 people working in this area. In terms of sustainability, we reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate pollutant emissions. We have also achieved an 8% fuel economy by only using Euro 6 engines. As another part of our sustainability plan, we incorporate transport alternatives such as LNG-propelled tractors. Since the beginning, commitment and respect for the environment has been one of the most important objectives of the company.
José Ramón Arbeloa DIRECTOR, TIBA
TIBA IS PART OF a 150-yearold family business, the Romeu Group. The company’s defining factor was its international expansion in the 1990s, when it opened offices in Portugal and Mexico. Thereafter we expanded into Africa and China, where we have seven offices at present. The major objective is to be referent logistics operator in Latin America. At present, we are focused on the renewable energy sector; the top-five Spanish solar and wind companies are our clients. One of our major operations is food and liquids, and we have a full division in bulk flex tanks. We transport wine and glycerin oil in bulk. The Chinese market is growing in terms of consumption; therefore, we are also focusing on this area. In addition to this, the healthcare sector is growing. In order to grow our business in this sector, we acquired the CEIIV certification. Moreover, we own a full vertical system that is focused on sanitation. We also deliver turnkey MRIs to hospitals and offer building works. Healthcare, food, and energy are our largest sectors.