Far becomes near with Freight Innovations

Fa r b e c o m e s ne a r w i t h Fr e i g ht I nno v a t i o ns

Russel Burger, Financial Director, and Craig Burger, Managing Director, are the leaders of Freight Innovations. Craig received an award from Success Awards in 2019.

Africa is becoming a global village in itself with the aid of transport companies. Huge and small trucks are criss-crossing the continent, making it easier and cheaper to bring more and better products to our doorsteps. Behind the curtains, transport brokers are keeping their fingers on the pulse to make this happen. Since its inception in 2011, Freight Innovations has been highly successful in rendering an essential service. This transport broker caters for a niche market in terms of service levels. Not many start-up businesses on an owner-driver level enter the freight industry as it poses many challenges. To run a professional operation with advanced service techniques, including an online portal for each customer, requires immense start-up capital and a high level of knowledge and experience. The formula for success was devised by the start-up group which is a family business. It is headed by Craig Burger as Managing Director. At the tender age of 25, after having been in the industry and after having received expert guidance from a pioneer veteran in the industry, Delia Cooney, Freight Innovations was destined to become a success. Russel Burger, Craig’s brother and Financial Director, was the junior and at the age of 21, he took up the position of sole driver of the one delivery vehicle in 2011.

The team who takes Freight Innovations to even higher and better places.

The trio of two brothers and their mother sharpened their skills in the industry and established a close relationship with a few suppliers. This formed the basis of what is today a multi-million-rand business with a turnover of R25 million per year and still growing steadily. “We offer a national and international logistics service which encompasses all the services with extra advantages. Although we are not a traditional business, our flat management structure enables decisions to be made swiftly while offering a transparent and unique service which is personalised, even customised to suit the customer’s needs,” says Craig Burger. The team consists of 22 employees under the auspices of the Freight Innovations management, yet about 110 positions are created through its outsourcing. The challenge was to merge the conventional business model with high overheads but quality service levels into a smaller player that could compete with the bigger role players on service. That has been achieved successfully. The Company Head Office is situated in Brackengate Business Park in Cape Town, which includes the customer call centre with after-hours assistance. “Many clients have the need to call after hours when a query arises, so it’s important to us that our clients have the peace of mind that they will get service whenever they need it. The directors interface directly with clients, which provides a seamless service,” Craig says. “An important focus of the business was to be able to offer a much smaller carbon footprint in the transport in

The Freight Innovations office in Cape Town is situated in a beautiful office park.

dustry,” Delia Cooney states. She is a stalwart of supporting carbon control. The company utilises existing space and distribution channels to reduce the impact of its carbon footprint. Neither destination, nor size is a challenge to Freight Innovations. In fact, this team thrives under pressure and welcomes challenges. Russel Burger coined the service commitment in July of 2011, saying that “success is a journey, achieved through innovation.” The two brothers, Craig and Russel Burger, have certainly achieved that. Their services include a road and air service into Zambia. They also have an international department to assist clients with imports and exports.

Your shipment is safe and straight underway to its destination while in the hands of Freight Innovations. Contact Delia Cooney at +27(0) 86-177-7913 or agri@freight-innovations.co.za. You can also visit their userfriendly website at www.freight-innovations.co.za.

Tel: ( + 260 ) 211 256 649 enquiries@rolandtobacco.com / www.rolandtobacco.com Nangwenya Road, Lusaka

Roland Imperial Tobacco is an indigenous Zambian owned company that was incorporated in 2001 to manufacture, trade and sell cigarettes and other tobacco related products. The company is effectively administered via two autonomous divisions which are both headed by a General Manager. The two divisions are Manufacturing Division and Trading Division. The overall head of RITCO is the Executive Chairman who is also the Chief Executive Officer. RITCO limited boasts of the first cigarette manufacturing plant in Zambia located in Lusaka. Roland Imperial Tobacco brands are manufactured locally and use the finest of locally grown tobacco blends, giving them a high quality and fresh taste. Zambia grows some of the best tobaccos in the world. Roland Imperial Tobacco (RITCO) established a cigarette manufacturing plant in Lusaka and commenced production of the LIFE and GUARDS brands of cigarettes which come in two variants, these being LIFE FULL FLAVOUR and LIFE MENTHOL packed in hard hingedlid packs 20s and also in 2s; GUARDS FULL FLAVOUR and GUARDS MENTHOL packed in soft packs 20s. The factory is currently situated along Kafue Road on Plot No. F397A/D11TT and has three production lines with a combined installed capacity of 21,000 sticks per minute. The tobacco processing plant comprises a green leaf threshing plant and a primary processing plant, with a capacity to process 4- tonnes of tobacco per hour. Roland Imperial Tobacco focuses on building customer relations. We believe customers are at the core of our business and are the most valued stake holders. We offer customers good prices, variety product mix and efficient and effective Sales team that meet their needs and requirements.