Avalon increases trailer fleet by over 38% after joining Gulftainer Group in mid-2010
Partnership spurs growth for transport and Logistics Company
A year and a half after becoming part of the Gulftainer Group, Avalon General Land Transport has acquired its hundredth trailer, an increase of 28 trailers since the tie-up in mid-2010, when the company had 42 trucks and 72 trailers. In this time, Avalon has also increased the number of trucks in its fleet to 74.
This is a clear example of the fact that, despite the challenging economic environment in the UAE in recent years, companies that reliably and effectively deliver the right product at the right price have continued to flourish.
When Gulftainer took a controlling interest in Avalon, both GTL Managing Director Peter Richards and Avalon MD Ravi Punjabi extolled the virtues of a partnership that would, "maximize the complementary strengths of our organisations".
Now, Ravi is quick to highlight that the actual benefits were even greater than expected."When Avalon began operations in 2004 we started with a couple of trucks and six curtain side trailers. At the time of the tie-up with Gulftainer the fleet had grown to 42 trucks and 72 trailers – and now we have 74 trucks and 100 trailers in the fleet."
"Acquiring our hundredth trailer is a significant milestone for us," Ravi continues. "We have to adapt to customer demand – nothing remains unchanged for long in the logistics business – and now, out of the trailers we have, about a quarter are refrigerated. In recent times market demand is not for curtain sides but for closed units and consequently we are converting CS units into closed boxes."
"Thanks to the zeal and dedication of our staff – not forgetting the support of Gulftainer’s organisation, our business has continued to expand so that we, for example, now also, handle cargo for airlines at all UAE airports on a 24/7 basis and specific business for a major cruise line calling Dubai. We are confident that we will continue to grow in the UAE and beyond for many years to come by listening to our customers, delivering what the market needs and adapting to changing conditions," he says.
Gulftainer Group has 35 years experience operating in the UAE and around the world. In addition to operating three UAE ports: two on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority - Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) and Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT); and one in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, on behalf of the international plastics company, Borouge, Gulftainer also operates and manages a number of projects and investments in several countries, including Iraq, Pakistan, Brazil, Africa and Turkey, with other ventures worldwide currently being evaluated. Gulftainer’s logistics subsidiary, Momentum Logistics, was established in 2008 to take over the Group’s transportation and logistics business and has offices throughout the Middle East.