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John Williams

Forwarding and logistics supplier expanding China operations

Logistics companies are flocking to China to feed an ever hungry import-export market, and Swiss company Panalpina is keen to recruit to fuel its own expansion in the mainland.

Founded in 1895, Panalpina, which literally means 'across the mountains', is one of the world's leading suppliers of forwarding and logistics services, specialising in intercontinental air freight and ocean freight shipments and associated supply chain management solutions.

The company has expertise in a variety of industries including hi-tech, retail and fashion, health care, automotive, and oil and gas, and employs about 14,500 people in 550 branches in 80 countries, with partner companies in a further 60 countries.

Impressive, but still not  approaching the resources of some of its mammoth competitors.

As Panalpina's Pearl River Delta (PRD) managing director Markus Muecke explained this was because the company ran 'asset light' - having smart staff who worked with local partners and investors, instead of bulking up on asset-heavy resources in set locations.

Mr Muecke is looking for  smart people. The company has  recently placed 50 new staff within its PRD operations and is looking for more to furnish an expansion into the mainland.

Panalpina has 800-900 staff  in the mainland and Taiwan, and 400 in Hong Kong. The Macau office has a staff of 40, and is the transport hub for the PRD.

There are four senior positions available: head of document processing in Macau; head of customer services in Shenzhen; customer services manager - oil and gas, Shekou/China Southern; and head of area services centre, China, Pearl River Delta.

These positions require sound management skills and three to 10 years relevant experience  in logistics and air and sea freight forwarding, depending on the position.

Mr Muecke said Panalpina was looking to expand its Guangzhou office from 40 staff to 100 staff by the end of 2008. He added the company's Shenzhen operations would be expanded from 100 staff to between 130 and 150 staff.

'We want to enlarge our service centre in Guangzhou, because more business is happening in China, and we're looking for a variety of recruits, from back office operators, people with service industry knowledge, call centre staff, right up to supervisors and managers,' he said.

'We want people with a passion for solutions, for thinking out of the box and making things happen. We're looking for enthusiasm and flair, for someone who can work in a 24/7 environment, because this is a global company. Experience is also necessary for more senior positions.

'Whether it's moving garments in the UK, computers to Poland, or the import department where local staff are dealing with retail accessories, it's a global business.'

Mr Muecke said that  recruits would have the opportunity to pursue their career overseas. 'We are a multicultural company and as such encourage such interests,' he said.

'The career possibilities are there. Recruits might want to pursue the oceangoing freight side of the business, or find they excel in supply chain management - ours is a company where you can learn the whole nine yards of the business.

'The Pan Academy, our own training school,  teaches about service, local business rules and regulations and so on. As a recruit progresses, steering courses for management are available, training with your peers from around the world.

'Finally, managers learn about navigating the future in special leadership courses for new managing directors and other senior positions.

Mr Muecke said it was the Panalpina's 'asset light' philosophy which was helping it advance quickly in the Chinese market, with Panalpina's staff using their skills to utilise local businesses and partners to achieve goals, rather than shifting heavy resources to China as its larger competitors were attempting to do.

'That's our advantage. Asset light investments are easily done, partners are easy to find. We do not focus on foreign companies - it's local companies we are interested in,' he said.

Panalpina has  adopted the Six Sigma approach to training, a measure of service excellence that strives for near perfection.

The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes how a process is performing. To achieve the excellence level of Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities -a measure to which few companies can aspire.

'Being asset light, it is ever more important to properly manage sub-contractors and we are ever more stringent on our staff capabilities at all levels,' he said.

Six steps to success

A well-established global clientele

Reliance on people over capital assets

Willingness to work with local companies/partners

Continual focus on hiring smart, enterprising staff

Upgrading training efforts to the Six Sigma approach

Continued expansion into China market



Quality better than quantity