Inroads into Steel

When a leading steel manufacturer embarked on ambitious growth plans in the GCC region, they found themselves in need of experienced supply chain management services like never before. As an existing client of Charles Kendall since 2016, they need look no further and by March 2017 we had handled over 3,163 tonnes of steel, utilising 84 trailers in an operation lasting 15 days.

Situation

Charles Kendall had been successfully handling a succession of small irregular inbound trailer movements for the client for many months when they were suddenly approached about a far larger breakbulk shipment. This new shipment consisted of steel pipes and plates which were too large for conventional containerisation and so needed to be breakbulk loaded on top of a vessel. On arrival, they would need to be transferred by trailer from port to the client’s yard.

Solution

Compared to previous movements, this one was of a much larger magnitude. In order to achieve the best outcomes, we agreed to project manage the whole thing and ensure the client got the quality of service they needed.

Results

A high degree of planning and coordination was needed to meet the practical challenges on the ground. In the end, we successfully transferred thousands of tonnes of steel pipes and plates from DP World Break Yard to the client’s site, without incurring any port storage charges. And all that without any subcontractor or agent involvement. This meant the client’s manufacturing timelines remained intact.

In February 2017, our client announced a deal to double the size of their existing Dubai site to 2.4 million sq ft. A move which will lead to extensive growth going forward.