New supply chain player emerges from merger

Peter Dinham
Wednesday, 29 July 2009 10:19

IT Industry - Strategy

A newly formed, Australian-owned supply chain company has emerged from the merger of ASA Logistics and International Concept Forwarding (ICF) in a deal announced in Melbourne today.

ASA and ICF have merged to form AXIMA, an integrated supply chain management group, which the new company says gives it the ability to offer both tailored solutions to Australian businesses and the full suite of services of a global integrator.

Sandra Fairchild, CEO of the newly formed AXIMA, says the merged group provides “a real alternative” for Australian businesses that want the full suite of services of a global integrator and the tailored solutions that “only come from a personal relationship with their logistics services provider. 

“AXIMA will draw on over 40 years of combined ASA Logistics and ICF experience.  It will bring to its clients a broader, deeper set of logistics capabilities in Australia and a trans-global footprint.”

Fairchild said AXIMA would also deliver a direct Asia footprint to its customer base through its own offices in Hong Kong and China.

Fairchild says AXIMA clients will be able to access a “global forwarding network, deep industry competence in brokerage services, an expansive network of  warehousing and distribution facilities, high performance inventory management solutions, and our modern owned and operated transport capability.”

According to Fairchild, in an industry experiencing seemingly relentless consolidation, and impacted by challenging economic conditions, “AXIMA represents stability and strength and a uniquely personal touch.

"Today's announcement is really exciting for our customers.  You can count on one hand the number of logistics service providers in this country that can bring the scale and scope of services to the table that AXIMA can.  The difference between us and the global integrators is not in capability but in how we treat our clients.

"We are big enough to deliver the goods and don't make people feel they are just another number.  Sure, our clients want the comfort of working with a strong partner that can grow and evolve with them and weather the inevitable storms of the business cycle.  What they don't want is to ring a 1,300 number to find out where their cargo is."