EXPRESSLINKTHE Issue No 5 | August 2022 www.expressgroup www..com expressgroup.com Reading time: 14 minutes
Engineering Ltd recently completed another reconditioning project for its Swedish partner Hammar. The side-loader, which needed a complete overhaul now features a telescopic chassis and has been modified with container-stacking capabilities for 20-foot containers and has a weight-lifting capacity of 36 tonnes.
An old black and white photo of a group of port workers hangs in Antoine Vella’s office. Amongst those workers is Emmmanuel Vella, flanked by a young ten year old boy. The photo recalls a protest at the harbour. However, to Antoine, it is more significant because that young boy is his father, Joseph Mary, who everyone calls ExpressĠużi.Trailers
For the past few months, TAMARA WEBB, one of Malta’s most recognisable brand ambassadors, has been acting as the face of ShipLowCost. In her social media posts, she has been communicating with her followers about her online shopping adventures and the benefits when using our ShipLowCost platform.
“The current international situation has brought a lot of disruption to the way we operate. However, I’m proud to say that together with my team, we have managed to rise to the challenge to reshape the way we work,” says Mark Vella, Head of Express Trailers’ bond operations.
THE LINK MEETS MARK VELLA HEAD OF BOND OPERATIONS ĠUŻI VELLA A TOY TRUCK AND AN ORANGE BICYCLE EXPRESS ENGINEERINGTRAILERSCOMPLETES A NEW SIDE-LOADER MEET OUR AMBASSADORBRAND TAMARA WEBB A CiConsulta Project Published by CorporateDispatch ePublications | Designed by Bold Identities EXPRESS LINK IN THIS EDITION
CEO’S MESSAGE
So, you would be wondering, what does this story have to do with our company? A few decades after Guzi’s love affair with the orange colour, and the company making the colour its flagship standard, I was onboarded as the new CEO. At that time, we were regrouping and rethinking our corporate positioning, purpose and culture, the typical starting blocks of As our summer hit the mid-point, we celebrated the Santa Marija feast. In logistics this has an added significance as we commemorate Operation Pedestal in World War II, in August of 1942, when the island was in a dire situation and about to surrender. Fourteen ships in the operation including SS Ohio with HMS Ledbury secured to her side were escorted in the Grand Harbour by Dockyard tugs bringing food supplies, fuel, and hope to the Maltese who were battered and famished by the heavy bombings of the war. Logistics at its best.
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corporate strategy. We were searching for our deep-rooted endowments and what people had known us for. We found what we were looking for. Our business plan starts off with two quotes. One is what my father who was a veteran customs officer said of the company when I had told him I was joining it. He knew the company well in his line of duty and he had said of it as being made up of the best gentlemen in the port. The other is what a long-time friend of mine who was a long-standing client of the company told me. ‘If you are looking for a cheap price, don’t go there. If you are looking for peace of mind, don’t look anywhere else.’ These two quotes became the bedrock of our raison d’être, our reason of existence, our purpose, what we stand for in the company on my watch.
But in this episode, we also celebrate the genesis of our brand, our flagship colour and our three-stripe logo. In an interview with one of the Vella brothers, Guzi, he tells us how, back in the day as a youngster, he had a fancy for the orange colour and one day he painted a truck in orange, much to the disappointment of his brothers. The colour was then liked by customers and soon became our flagship colour. Guzi also shares his memories of how he got inspired from a toy truck for his son Antoine, and that was where our logo was conceived. I will share with you another dimension of our current branding, the #WeAreOrange tag line, which some may think is just a cliché. But before I come to that, I will share with you how the logo at the back of iPhone or Mac, developed into one of the most powerful brands globally. There is a connection. Again, in World War II, a certain Alan Turing laid the foundations for the modern-day computer, pioneered research into artificial intelligence, and managed to unlock German wartime codes. The Normandy landings of the Allies, Operation Overlord better known as D-Day on 6th June 1944 made abundant use of intelligence provided by Alan’s methods. Sadly, his work was unrecognised, and he was jailed for ‘gross’ indecency. He was also humiliated by injections intended to ‘cure’ his sexual orientation. Unthinkable today! Sadly enough, Alan committed suicide on 7th June of 1954, 10 years after the Normandy landings. He had laced an apple with cyanide and bit it. It is said, although never confirmed lest neither ever negated by Steve Jobs founder of Apple, that the genesis of the logo of an apple with a bite taken out of it, was a tribute to Alan Turing. This could well be a myth. Steve Jobs could have dismissed the creation of myths, but he chose not to.
So, in one of the clashing of the minds sessions I used to have with Jes and James from our marketing, we marvelled at how Steve Jobs had managed to change the dictionary meaning of the word ‘apple’. Top of mind, people would say ‘apple’ is a phone not a fruit. That set us thinking to ourselves. The word ‘orange’, which is a fruit like an apple is, is also our flagship colour so dominant on the roads with close-tofour kilometres of trucks and trailers. We wondered whether ‘orange’ could become what captures the indomitable spirit of our company. We could actually give the word ‘orange’ a meaning, an interpretation, a spirit, similar to what Steve Jobs did with the word ‘apple’. That is how we came up with our brand tagline #WeAreOrange. ‘Orange’ for us, and for many stakeholders, signifies the greatness of our company in ethical entrepreneurship, fairness in business, commitment to Malta just like the Santa Marija Convoy, and inclusivity of all people of different creed, gender, orientation, ability and limitations, as is now coined under ESG. Whether the sad story of Alan Turing having been the inspiration of the iPhone logo, is true or not, I can confirm that our ‘Orange’ in our tagline, is definitely a representation of a purpose and culture that go far beyond the name of a colour or a fruit.
A TOY TRUCK AND AN ORANGE BICYCLE ĠUŻI VELLA Reading time: 4
When containers started coming to Malta but there were no suitable vehicles with which to carry them, Ġużi, together with his brother Bastjan, were the ones entrusted with the arduous job of travelling overseas to buy vehicles, mostly from the UK. There were few fork lifters at the time and merchandise had to be carried using makeshift rollers, which made it a very laborious job.
“We knew that if we wanted to grow, we had to invest in proper vehicles. I remember how excited we were the first time we set off to the UK! We were young and had no idea what to expect on the way. Don’t forget at the time we did not even have the luxury of today’s means of communication. We had young families at home, and it was a risk. But we went, eager to take our business forward,” recalls Ġużi. In the UK, they acquired three flat carriers and a truck before setting back on their way to Malta overland – Ġużi in the driving seat and Bastjan guiding the way.
An old black and white photo of a group of port workers hangs in Antoine Vella’s office. Amongst those workers is Emmanuel Vella, flanked by a young ten year old boy. The photo recalls a protest at the harbour. However, to Antoine, it is more significant because that young boy is his father, Joseph Mary, who everyone calls Ġużi. minutes
“We knew that if we wanted to grow, we had to invest in proper vehicles. I remember how excited we were the first time we set off to the UK! We were young and had no idea what to expect on the way. Don’t forget at the time we did not even have the luxury of today’s means of communication.”
believes that the bureaucratic headaches that had to be constantly dealt with were one of the many reasons by Express Trailers had supported Malta’s EU membership from the outset.
“Just like our father had seen huge opportunities with Malta’s Independence in the 60’s, we too recognised the immense opportunities that EU membership would bring to our country, and we knew that if we adapted ourselves to the new political and economic scenario, membership would work to our advantage. After all, resilience and adapting to new realities were always in our blood and have always been the qualities that enabled us to successfully carry on.” Their judgement proved them right. With increasing economic activity, a growth in tourism and the birth of many new sectors, Malta started becoming increasingly interconnected but due to its limited natural resources, it was increasingly relying on imports and “Maltaexports.had to finally accept that in order to survive and thrive, it had to open up to international trade and this is what we eventually chose to do at Express Trailers.
Ġużi however recalls the earlier years which were quite hard. He remembers the company’s first premises in Watermill Street in Qormi – more of a makeshift office which his brothers had built themselves to save money and resources, which at the time were tight.
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“There was no GPS at the time, so we had to rely on a map and Bastjan’s navigation abilities. The weather was not very kind to us either and the roads were covered with snow. It was our first experience driving on snow-covered roads. Not coming from an EU country also meant navigating the great deal of paperwork and bureaucracy including the T-document that we needed to provide as a guarantee at Dover in the ĠużiUK.”
Today, if we had to look back, we know that it was through EU membership that Malta found its rightful place,” says Ġużi.
“But even if times were hard, our pride in the fleet which was growing, was always there. We used to hand-wash the vehicles ourselves, scrubbing them with a mixture of diesel and petrol to remove the heavy dust. There was nothing like today’s power wash systems so washing a vehicle took us hours. But we are known for the pride we take in our fleet and this pride is coming from there.”
invested in a new Ford Transcontinental and some trailers to start up the international operation. I was always entrusted with the collection of the equipment from abroad and driving them to Malta. In 1978, Express Trailers Limited was set up to take over the international transport operation”.
“We’re talking the 1980’s here which was also a time when the export sector was robust due to the buoyant textile industry. We invested heavily to be able to transport hanging garments and at one point, we had more export than import Expressbusiness.”Trailersused to travel through Reggio Calabria with its textiles cargo since most of its markets were across Germany, Belgium and Italy.
We ask Gużi about his earlier recollections of Express Trailers as a company and he cannot help not telling us one of the more curious fun facts which concerns the company’s logo
“We’re talking the 1980’s here which was also a time when the export sector was robust due to the buoyant textile industry. We invested heavily to be able to transport hanging garments and at one point, we had more export thanbusiness.”import
“In 1976, roll-on roll-off trailers were introduced to the Maltese market. Malta was going through constant economic change; new markets were being tapped. It was at that time that I encouraged my brothers to expand our operations into the international transportation to and from Europe. For this purpose, we set up a company called Vella Brothers (Malta) Limited, which name was eventually changed to Vella Brothers Limited. We
“It was a long way up and security back then was a big issue. Sometimes, trucks would be stopped and the merchandise stolen so we used to send two drivers with one vehicle so that there would be no need to stop till they reached their final destination and we introduced security devices to monitor the vehicles. Once, one of the vehicles got hijacked. I remember receiving a desperate call for help from our stranded drivers. We were truly worried for their safety. Eventually the truck was found, but the merchandise was never retrieved.”
“The company’s orange colour too was my idea. For some reason, I have always felt drawn to this colour in fact, if I think hard enough, I know that it always fascinated me, from a very young age. In fact, when I was still a child, I had a bicycle which I ended up painting orange and which I rode for hours on Ġużiend!”continues “very few people know that our company’s original colours were red and green. One day however, I bought cans of orange paint and painted one of the trucks orange – much to my father’s, and brothers’ shock. They made me promise them to revert it to the original colours if the feedback to our new image was to be negative. Luckily, people loved the new look, so we took a collective decision to keep this orange Thiscolour.”newly found focus on such a visible colour by Express Trailers seems to have led to the setting of a long-lasting trend because according to Ġużi, today all stevedores have adopted their own colour for their vehicles.
“It was a long way up and security back then was a big issue. Sometimes, trucks would be stopped and the merchandise stolen so we used to send two drivers with one vehicle so that there would be no need to stop till they reached their final destination and we introduced security devices to monitor the vehicles.” and why Express Trailers chose its ‘orange’ colour which is today such a distinct aspect of its “Funnilybrand.enough, the idea for the Express logo came from a toy truck I had bought for my son, Antoine. I remember he had liked that truck so much and even I did! What I liked most about it was the motif printed on its sides. At the time, we were looking at upgrading our image and we had been discussing how our company logo could look. It suddenly dawned on me that the motif on this toy truck could easily be our company’s new logo!”
Ġużi managed to persuade his other brothers to adopt Antoine’s toy truck motif as the company’s logo. It stands to this day and the toy truck remains one of the company’s most prized possessions too! What about the ‘Express Orange’?
“But every time I encounter one of our orange vehicles on the road, I am immediately taken to my younger days and to Antoine’s toy truck.”
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“Basically, the depot in Ħal Far sees all our trailers and containers which would be carrying products from different customers and various destinations. This is why this service is called ‘groupage’ – because it groups together various customers’ loads into one delivery. So when the trailers and containers arrive in Ħal Far, our job is to segregate the different consignments so that we maximise the efficiency in their distribution.”
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THE LINK MEETS MARK VELLA HEAD OF BOND OPERATIONS
“The current international situation has brought a lot of disruption to the way we operate. However, I’m proud to say that together with my team, we have managed to rise to the challenge to reshape the way we work,” says Mark Vella, Head of Express Trailers’ bond operations.
Located in Ħal Far, the bond depot consists of warehouses and an unloading area for the operation that involves all trailers and containers that arrive from across Europe and beyond.
customers’destinations.variousThisiswhythisserviceiscalled‘groupage’–becauseitgroupstogethervariousloadsintoonedelivery.” EXPRESSLINKTHE
Trailers and containers containing different customers’ goods come from all across Europe but also from the Far East namely China, Hong Kong, Singapore and “OurTurkey.activity used to be much more systematic, we knew when the consignments were coming in and we could plan the work more easily. However, the current situation which is causing constant delays has been making life a bit more difficult for us. Before, Mondays and Tuesdays used to be the busiest days and then, the rest of the week used to be dedicated to minor operations.”
“Basically, the depot in Ħal Far sees all our trailers and containers who would be carrying products from different customers and
“Today we know that operations are more seamless and I am proud to see my team responding so positively to all these changes.”
“Nowadays, although the bulk of the work still happens on Monday, trailers and containers keep flowing in throughout most of the week. But like everyone else, we too have adapted to this situation because ultimately, our aim is to give the best service to our clients,” added Mark.
Life at the Ħal Far bond depot, nontheless, remained exciting, triggered mainly by all
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“Increased activity required us to explore ways how we can improve our operations to work better and more efficiently. Our administration office is still located inside a container but we gave it a total revamp because we felt it was high time to have more modern and better-equipped facilities. We are also about to start working on the installation of a brand new structural tent which will allow us to work whilst being sheltered from the “Ofelements.”course another challenge was to adapt to the new CarLo system. In fact, all the team which is made up of around 36 people had to undergo training on the new “Todaysystem.”weknow that operations are more seamless and I am proud to see my team responding so positively to all these changes,” concluded Mark.
the new activity related to the shift of the ShipLowCost operations from the Qormi warehouse to Ħal Far.
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TAMARA WEBB MEET OUR BRAND AMBASSADOR
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For the past few months, TAMARA WEBB, one of Malta’s most recognisable brand ambassadors, has been acting as the face of ShipLowCost.
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“As for how I spent my summer holidays, I would say that travelling was one of the best things I did and today, I have very fond memories of my family travels.”
we felt it would be a great idea to get to know Tamara better. Here is our interview with her Tamara, please tell us a bit about yourself… This year I turned 31 and I also happen to be the mother of a toddler who this year turns two. I graduated as a product designer. This eventually led me to start working in marketing and content creation which is what I do now. I also have my own brand, The Balance Queen which I call my ‘other baby‘. This was launched at a particularly challenging time in my life, but today it keeps reminding me that in life, we will always be capable of turning something negative into a positive outcome. Where did you grow up and what are your fondest childhood memories? I grew up here in Malta and I am very close to my family and friends, which is something I greatly value. My fondest memories are definitely the countless days spent at the beach as well as the many hours of drawing, doing crafts, playing hide and seek and role playing with my friends. I think these would be my greatest memories to date.
In her social media posts, she has been communicating with her followers about her online shopping adventures and the benefits when using our ShipLowCost Therefore,platform.
Tell us more about your school days, your closest friends, your holidays… do you still meet your schoolfriends from time to time? I know this could sound strange, but I always loved school! I was blessed with great friends and plenty of memories. We remained quite close to this very day and in fact, very soon, one of my best school friends is about to get married! We have known each other since we were just three years old, and I still cannot believe I am going to be her maid of honour! As for how I spent my summer holidays, I would say that travelling was one of the best things I did and today, I have very fond memories of my family travels. Tell us a bit more about your career in social media. How did it take off? I would say it was a very natural take off! When I started six years ago, I did not even know I was in fact starting ‘something’ but I am quite an extrovert and love the company of others so when one day I switched on my webcam and started talking to myself as if there was someone else on the other side, I felt I had found my calling! Then, Instagram launched, and I started talking to my viewers, and having them accompany me through my day. Several shop owners who are now my dear clients, used to wonder where I was documenting my content because they would suddenly start getting a lot of requests for the same items I would have just acquired! My love for marketing led me to follow a course at MCAST, which helped me a lot. In fact, although it made me a bit anxious, I used to love giving presentations which required us to ‘sell’ the products we designed.
work during the day. We eat quite late in the evening but once my daughter is asleep, it is time to catch up with my emails and with my husband, discussing our respective days over tea, biscuits, or ice cream until it is time for bed before another full day!
What are the most challenging aspects in what you do? I have learned how to do this job, I have had to learn how to become a “It feels very natural to me since I believe that I have been building a community, that over the years, has come to know me better.”
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Can you describe a typical day? I go to the gym three times a week, so a typical day for me when I do go to the gym would be waking up early at around 6am to go through my to-do list to check whether anything needs to be prepared for the day. After gym, I then take my daughter to childcare, which occurs a few times every week. This allows me ample time for important meetings and tasks. After collecting my daughter, I do my best to spend as much time with her as possible whilst juggling the rest of the chores and
How do you feel, opening up to your followers? It feels very natural to me since I believe that I have been building a community, that over the years, has come to know me better. I love opening up on sensitive subjects especially those which many find it hard to discuss. I feel that addressing difficult issues and having someone talk about them helps people relate. And viewers certainly make me feel better! In fact, we motivate and encourage each other in many ways.
In fact, since I became a mother, this has become even more challenging for me. Another challenging aspect is the negativity of certain people when they struggle to understand what I do and why I do it. But I have come to terms with that because one is always bound to find someone who is going to judge you and on social media, it is that much easier to judge. Today I have learned to deal with it. Can you recall a negative life experience and what you learned from it? There are quite a few I can recall but the worst is seeing someone you love seriously unwell. It taught me how to appreciate time and life more.
multitasker, highly efficient and organised.
Do you like to travel? If so, which were your most favourite destinations and why? I LOVE travelling yes! My favourite trips would be Japan which I found insanely beautiful and Disneyland in Florida because deep down, I know I will always remain a child at heart! Can you share a valuable life lesson you have learnt along the way? No one will live your life for you, and you will only get one chance at it. Live it for yourself and try and do more of what makes you happy. Your favourite philosophy in life…. Try to live without regrets, love life and always find time for the simple pleasures in life.
“No one will live your life for you, and you will only get one chance at it. Live it for yourself and try and do more of what makes you happy.”
Tamara Webb
LOOK FURTHER, THINK BIGGER Our ORANGE is the blend of long years of acquired EXPERIENCE, obsessive EXCELLENCE, and proven EXPERTISE in delivering your cargo, whatever it is, from wherever, to anywhere and however. #WeAreOrange Follow our story expressgroup.com ROAD | RAIL | OCEAN | AIR
EXPRESS COMPLETES A NEW SIDE-LOADER
“Thissection.latest delivery confirms yet again the attention to detail and the professional approach which we always put into our projects. Upon delivery of this latest sideExpress
loader, Hammar commended us yet again for the very positive outcome and for our professional approach in making sure to deliver this project on time,” added Noel.
ENGINEERINGTRAILERS
Express Trailers Engineering Ltd. is one of Express Trailers’ latest ventures and the result of over twenty years of professional collaboration with the world leader in proprietary side-loaders Hammar Maskin, a Swedish company that produces proprietary side-loading equipment for Impressedtrailers. by the talent and resourcefulness of Express Trailers’ tradesmen, Hammar had nominated Express Trailers Engineering as its authorized partner in the Southern European region and the only recognised and accredited Hammar equipment rebuilder in the world, recognised for its highest engineering and tradesmanship quality standards.
The side-loader, which needed a complete overhaul now features a telescopic chassis and has been modified with containerstacking capabilities for 20-foot containers and has a weight-lifting capacity of 36 Oncetonnes.it was newly refitted, it was resprayed and made ready for delivery back to Hammar in Sweden from where it will find its way to its new buyer.
“The job took about two months to complete and as always, it involved most of our team from Express Trailers Engineering,” explains Noel Vella from Express Trailers Engineering Ltd who also Heads Express Trailers’ Fleet Maintenance
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anotherrecentlyEngineeringTrailersLtdcompletedreconditioningprojectforitsSwedishpartnerHammar.
STEPHEN MAGRI Local Operations Manager
“After eight years I was given the opportunity to learn and develop further my skills in a new role as a Credit Controller. I therefore decided to improve my skills and in 2010, I obtained a Diploma in Credit Management. I was then promoted to a Credit Control Manager in 2018.”
“These values make me feel honoured to be part of this team. When I joined 24 years ago, I remember less than half the staff there are today, so I have witnessed the Orange team grow and become a market leader. We’re giving an excellent service but we also give it with a smile!”
RITIENNE DEBATTISTA Credit Control Manager
In his free time, Stephen loves watching TV, following his favourite football teams and occasionally he likes to go fishing.
Ritienne joined Express Trailers in 1998 as Finance Clerk after finishing her post secondary education at MCAST where she studied Banking and Finance.
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OUR PEOPLE
Ritienne feels her role as very challenging but also as a very satisfactory one. “I consider myself as a problem solver therefore I enjoy doing my job. It is also nice to work in a family-friendly environment with strong values”.
“I feel very good and satisfied working here and I love the fact that at Express Trailers, everyone works hand in hand to help each other and this is what improves the teamwork between us all.”
“I’m 51 years old and I grew up in Luqa where I also attended primary and secondary school. In 1990 I started working here at Express and my first job was that of a truck driver. Today in my current job, I handle the day-to-day organisation of operations and make sure everything proceeds as smoothly as possible.”
Stephen joined Express Trailers in 1990 and today, 32 years down the line, he is part of the management of the company’s domestic operations.
Johann believes that for three generations and counting, Express Trailers’ reputation has been built on quality.
controlled and operated.
JOHANN VELLA Director and Head of General Management and Quality Assurance
Johann was promoted to General Manager, a post he held for three years until he passed the baton to the “SinceCEO.then, I have been focusing more on Quality Assurance, customer relations and building the ShipLowCost brand. Today, I spearhead a team of twelve highly motivated people who are like family to me. Together, we have accomplished many milestones and it is our quest to continue achieving our company’s objectives and promoting quality in everything we do.”
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Johann is 42 years old, married and father to two teenage boys. He has been living in Mellieħa for the past 30 years and never thought of moving anywhere else. “Some people tell me that Mellieħa is far away, but I actually love the daily commute as I get my 30 minutes of listening to my audio book collection. Basically, my driving to and from work is my free time during the week!”
I held the position of international operations manager and was jointly responsible for the managing, supervision, and support of Express Trailers’ international fleet of trucks spread throughout Europe and North Africa. My duties also included overseeing the good relations with the company’s long list of foreign agents who represent Express Trailers in their respective Eventually,territories.”
“Our work for HAMMAR and the trust that this global brand has always bestowed upon our people and our company has always been a source of pride. We commemorate this fifth anniversary in the knowledge that this has been yet another important milestone for our company that confirmed once again the Express Trailers brand as a strong economic player,” commented Franco Azzopardi, CEO of Express Trailers. Express Trailers’ logistics setup allows the delivery of the rebuilt HAMMAR units to the client, anywhere in the world. So far Express Trailers has rebuilt and upgraded side-loading trailers for HAMMAR and exported them to customers in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean amongst other countries.
“I really believe that our striving for quality is what makes us different from our competition. As a family, our priority will always remain to continue pursuing in the same footsteps of our forefathers. By working hard, staying humble and by respecting others.”
Johann Vella joined Express Trailers in his late teenage years. His first position at Express Trailers was that of an accounts clerk. During the same time, he continued furthering his studies in Logistics & Transport. After two and a half years, he moved on to the operations “Fordepartment.over12years
Is your business at a stage where you can start exporting? Are you taking off? It is easy to export with ShipLowCost for Business. Use our online platform and have your product picked up, packed and delivered to anywhere. ShipLowCost.com | Delivering Success Powered by EXPRESS TRAILERS
