The Unsung Hero of Indian Trade

APM Terminals Inland Services, South Asia’s Equipment Maintenance and Repair (EMR) division with its effective network of best-in-market infrastructure led facilities in Mumbai, Chennai, Dadri, Kochi and Pipavav is probably the most efficient and one of the leading container care and repair services provider covering the largest market in India; Unparalleled when it comes to Reefer Maintenance and Repair. TechNavio’s analysts forecasted the Global Container Fleet market to grow at a CAGR of 4.54 percent over the period 2013-2018. As the world moves towards increased containerisation at a rapid pace and more and more perishable commodities are traded across the globe, the demand for containers continues to rise. Containers not only fall under the intensive usage bracket in the shipping business, but also carry high value cargo. Compared to dry containers, refrigerated containers are a far more complex and specialised part of the logistics supply chain due to a multitude of requirements like maintenance of right temperature at all times, specialised manpower, appropriate stuffing and de-stuffing, repair and maintenance of the container – ensuring those bundles of grapes, blocks of cheese, meat, milk and all that you could transport in reefers, reaches the end user in a perfectly fresh condition. Container Maintenance and Repair Service can brand a consignment as a success or failure; but is hardly spoken of. While Reefer and Dry containers cost around Rs. 25 lacs and 12 lacs, respectively, the cost of material carried can range from a few lacs to say pharmaceutical products worth crores in reefer containers! That explains the criticality of this service industry. Its role is only set to increase. Drewry predicts - total sea borne perishable reefer trade will increase 17 percent between 2013 and 2018. APM Terminals Inland Services, South Asia’s Equipment Maintenance and Repair (EMR) division with its effective network of best-in-market infrastructure led facilities in Mumbai, Chennai, Dadri, Kochi and Pipavav is probably the most efficient and one of the leading container care and repair services provider covering the largest market in India; Unparalleled when it comes to Reefer Maintenance and Repair. A container enters their gates almost every two minutes on an average. The shipping lines they cater to include APL, Balaji Shipping Line, Caravel,CMA CGM, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Maersk Line, MSC, NYK and Perma. Bharat Forge, Bajaj Auto, Reliance Industries, LG India, Renault, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ikea, Tata Motors, Parle Agro, Walmart, Allana & Sons, Ralph & Lauren, Glenmark, Intas and JSB Cargo Movers are some of their esteemed customers. A visit to one of their state-of-the-art facilities in Mumbai opens up a whole new perspective to the world of maintenance and repair. And safety. You can’t visit the facility sans the safety jacket, helmet and shoes they provide you with. A guided tour of their facility and you suddenly realise the amount of work that goes in ensuring containers are fit for use. Ajit Venkataraman, MD, APM Terminals India Pvt Ltd says, “Transparency in business and high-end infrastructure are the pillars on which we have built the Equipment Maintenance and Repair function at APM Terminals Inland Services; assuring the customer of excellent container care services 24 X 7.” A container on arrival is checked thoroughly for issues before its taken into their 12 acre facility. Basis issues and dry or reefer category, the container is stacked and inducted into the repairs workflow. Most frequent issues are structural/body damage in reefers and dry containers and machinery replacement. It is a technology intensive organisation. Container details are punched into the IT system, estimate sheet generated and shared online with the customer for approval. Real time stock in yard and other customised MIS reports help optimal utilisation of containers and provide status visibility to customers. In India, EMR is a highly unorganised market and quality of work-a highly sought feature. While dry container repair services are offered by aplenty, the reefer maintenance and repair business is tremendously intricate. A quick indicator- a reefer container has more than 2,000 spare parts. Considering four key players–Starcool, Carrier, Daiken and Thermo King, it would be 8,000 spare parts! Imagine the complexity around inventory management and the technical know-how and serviceability one must have to deliver. Plus, these need to be imported! APM Terminals Inland Services’ EMR division manages this complexity with ease through its skilled manpower, efficiency and advanced systems. It also has a dealership for Starcool Spare parts.

Raj Kumar, Head EMR, APM Terminals Inland Services, South Asia says, “We understand how critical it is to have a well maintained and perfectly functioning container. EMR Division is an embodiment of our focus on ensuring that the customers’ containers are well maintained and up to standards at all times” The management team is focused on the business as it is a very critical component of the end to end integrated solutions they offer to the customers– with the Container Freight Station and Transportation portfolio. The employees, mostly hailing from nearby villages and trained for reefer maintenance have an average of 15+ years of experience. A values conscious company, customers vouch for their ethics, transparency and high service quality. And that’s the secret to their success. They are fully compliant with the laws of the land like the Pollution Control Board, use of Non-agricultural Land and Factories Act. They have carved a niche for themselves as a partner rather than a service provider. For example, grapes famers in deeper pockets of Nasik, can be assured that their grapes reach the far off markets - all fresh - due thanks to APM Terminals Inland Services who send their specialised team of trainers to educate the farmers and labourers on the basics of reefers and proper stuffing techniques. They extend 24 X 7 services for containers gone kaput en-route the port. The other specialised reefer services include:

• On-dock live reefer monitoring
• Assistance in carrying out static trials for new reefer commodity acceptance
• Reefer Cargo care assistance

Deepak Trivedi, Partner, Ace Clearing - one of the leading consolidators of grapes, says, “Grapes from Nasik can be famous the world over only if they are delivered fresh at the destination. We cannot imagine the existence of the fruit export industry if not for reefers. APM Terminals Inland Services’ EMR Division has been our silent keeper. We admire their quality of customer centricity, transparency and an ‘always ready to work together’ attitude. Knowing their back end team is available 24X7 is a huge relief. We haven’t estimated, but the training they provide to our workers for stuffing operations in reefers probably has saved us huge costs…With them, it’s a smooth sailing ride.” APM Terminals Inland Services continuously strives for maximum operational efficiencies and believes in passing the resultant benefit to customers. Their dedicated Quality Control Cell ensures adherence to high quality standards through depot and repair shop audits, verification of repair estimates, 3rd party damage recovery and post repair inspections. The employees together exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit – exploring new ways of lifting customers’ businesses. Probably that’s what led to the setup of the Garment on Hanger (GOH) Fabrication Services- a game changer in the retail industry. Today, directly or indirectly they serve the leaders in this industry like Walmart, Marks & Spencer and Debenham. Normally, each garment is folded, packed in cartons, stuffed in containers, transferred,and sent to the retail store. On arrival it needs unwrapping, dusting, crease removal and placement on hangers. GOH service is an innovative way to effectively handle readymade garments whereby the garments covered in plastic are placed on individual hangers, hung in loops in a GOH container or on mobile stands, swiftly moved in the container as it is and similarly moved out right into the retail store. Saves so much time and labour! Here’s a small extract of the multitude of activities they conduct ensuring the containers are fit to carry all kinds of cargo across oceans.

• Dry Container Repair
• Reefer Body Repair (Light, Medium, Heavy damage) Machinery Repair
• Pre Trip Inspections of Reefers
• Reefer Monitoring
• Survey of Empty Reefers, Dry Containers
• Handling & Storage
• Customised Garment on Hanger fabrication solutions

They say the underlying philosophy of their business is measured not really in terms of the containers but in terms of enabling more trade. Anup Bisht, MD, JSB Cargo Movers, one of the fastest growing export meat consolidators in India says,“Simply put, APM Terminals Inland Services has been our ‘Partner in Progress’ since the last three years. It has been an extremely fruitful association. Since we specialise in meat exports logistics, it’s extremely critical that the reefer is well maintained and doesn’t undergo problems at any point of time. Quality is supreme for us and we know we can always rely on their EMR facility. Apart from technical expertise, their in-time coordination and effective communication works wonders for us. With them, we are assured of global best practices and world class services. Their proactivity in going beyond their duty particularly stands out. The operational efficiencies they offer have made a commendable difference to us – allowing us to better serve our customers” In a market that often struggles with issues like lack of infrastructure, poor work quality and inflated invoices, APM Terminals Inland Services, South Asia, ensures highest standards of service. Having pioneered an organised approach to this highly unorganised sector, they sure have been making a difference to the way containers are looked at in today’s times - as the most critical yet hidden component of the logistics supply chain. And providing assurance to each fruit grower, farmer, meat supplier or manufacturer that his or her produce, will travel across the globe, reach different places – just the way he/she sent it from his or her hinterland - Fresh and Perfect! These are the unsung heroes of Indian Trade!