November 5 - Four project cargo forwarders are vying for the honour of taking away the Project Forwarding Award at the 2009 Freight Service Awards organised by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) - www.bifa.org.
This year sees the start of the third decade of the BIFA Awards and many in the UK industry consider them a benchmark of operational and business quality.
The category, sponsored by heavy lift line BBC Chartering, reflects its importance to the industry by the calibre of the entrants. The companies come from all points of the UK, reflecting the nationwide presence of BIFA and its work for its members. The finalists are Asco Freight Management Ltd; Brendon International Ltd; Panalpina UK; RIF Worldwide Ltd.
Aberdeen-headquartered Asco Freight Management Ltd is the most northerly of entrants and has recently been awarded four contracts worth a combined value of approximately £30 million to provide logistics services to four global oil and gas operators. Merseyside-based Brendon International offers bespoke freight forwarding services to manufacturers and traders throughout the North of England. Swiss-based Panalpina is the only multinational in the category this year. RIF Worldwide Ltd was formed in Hong Kong in 1990 and established in the UK in 2002. It now it has five UK branches and almost 30 in China.
Peter Quantrill, Director General of BIFA, said: "The project forwarder category demonstrates the sheer breadth and range of services that BIFA members offer their clients. This is more than just about moving a pallet or stuffing a box: it's about taking charge of an entire project and handling it to the complete satisfaction of the client."
