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Developing Direct Trade Lanes into Mexico

Edgardo Hamon - Dachser Mexico
Country Manager of Dachser Mexico

STORY INLINE POST

Sat, 09/01/2018 - 10:40

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Q: What are automotive companies demanding from logistics operators?
A: Automotive companies look for someone that can respond to urgent demands. We have a dedicated team that works 24 hours a day, seven days a week so we can be aware of whatever problems our clients might have. We already have two shifts working nonstop to support the industry and we are in the process of adding a third shift that will start operating in September to follow up on shipments during the night.
Improving delivery times is critical for this industry because it leads to cost reductions in terms of warehousing. Our large presence in Europe has helped us build confidence among automotive clients by being able to respond to their demands in a timely fashion, regardless of the type of company we are serving. This strength has also opened doors for Dachser with European companies that are investing in Mexico. Today, we have extensive delivery capacity in Europe, which combined with our local and international warehouses allows us to guarantee delivery times that few other companies can match. Together with our European road logistics capabilities, we follow a strict global policy regarding sea and air carrier selection that puts cargo safety and delivery times above everything else. We implement that same strategy to the selection of road freighters in Mexico to ensure maximum quality in our service.
Q: What would you consider Dachser’s main priorities as a logistics provider for the automotive market?
A: I am a firm believer in personalized service as a differentiator and this has been our main focus. We have solidified our customer service area and we have designated a specific team dedicated to the automotive industry. Today, we have over 15 people solely focused on this sector, offering specialized services. Some of them even worked previously for automotive companies.
Being a family company also gives us an edge in terms of flexibility and adaptability when compared to larger corporations that cannot meet very specific needs due to the size of their operations. Large 3PL providers normally focus on OEM operations, while we target Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies where we can offer dedicated and much more specialized solutions. We are already working with several important automotive companies and 70 other companies with operations in Mexico. Our priority is to target more of these transnational suppliers, offering support through our presence in over 396 locations around the world.
Q: How is the company innovating in its offering to boost its clients’ competitiveness?
A: Traditionally, Dachser Mexico was mostly focused on imports. Now, our goal is to balance our operations between imports and exports, mostly because of Mexico’s economic growth in recent years. Having said that, we still need to strengthen our domestic offering. We already have a considerable volume of automotive operations but we can still go further, not only focusing on port-to-port transportation but also offering supply chain solutions. Dachser is now creating consolidated air and sea freight services to Germany and Brazil, both of which are markets with significant automotive operations and a strong relationship with Mexico. Specifically with Germany, we are building a consolidated service from Germany directly to Queretaro to supply the entire Bajio region thus reducing delivery times and boosting savings for our clients. This logistics hub in Queretaro is completely innovative and will be a key advantage for Dachser against other local and international logistics providers.
Q: How important is the automotive sector for Dachser Logistics in Mexico?
A: The automotive sector already represents a significant percentage of our total operations in terms of revenue and cargo volume. This industry is a cornerstone of Dachser Logistics’ development. We are focused on warehousing and distribution activities within the country and we want to reinforce our contract logistics services with in-bound facilities that can offer an added value to our automotive clients.

 

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