Chairman and founder Tan Sri Gnanalingam of Malaysia's Westports, a multi-cargo terminal at Port Klang, is confident the port will continue to experience volume growth after enjoying double-digit growth for the last 20 quarters, according to Shipping Gazette.
"We have to be supply driven because if we do not build, customers won't come," Mr Gnanalingam told the Malaysia Star.
"Westports had expanded its capacity built up to 600,000 TEU every year, and we achieved 500,000 TEU in terms of growth. Our trigger point is when we achieve 70 per cent capacity, we have to build for the next berth length, which requires a 1.5 year gap," he explained.
"To sustain, we have to expand our capacity, recruit and continually train our staff and ensure our workforce is always fit, both in mind and body to embrace challenges ahead. Our biggest worry is not to be more efficient but to maintain the efficiency as we believe complacency is our only enemy," he said.
Mr Gnanalingam said Westports was blessed with deepwater. "We are looking forward to the 18,000-TEU vessel, which will probably be followed by the 22,000-TEU vessel," he said.
The container trade in the intra-Asia region is booming given that it now contributes 60 per cent of the world's containers, compared to only 20 per cent from Europe and the US, which two decades ago contributed double that amount.
-
Company DirectoryFreight RateExport RateAgency PartnershipCargo Leads