November 5 - Uniship has launched Houston Express Services, which according to company director, Renato Nunes da Silva, is designed to meet the growing demand for logistics solutions for the export of oversized and overweight loads.
"Our customers are looking for alternative routes for their project loads, and the limited options of the Brazilian trade drove us to develop the port of Houston as a distribution centre for other continents as well as the US market itself," he concludes.
With the aid of the Port of Houston Authority, Uniship has established a partnership and collaboration with an important private port operator in the region which can offer its customers suitable premises and equipment able to receive large volumes of cargo and heavy lifts up to 300 tonnes.
An agreement has been made with Shippers Stevedoring Company which can handle large volumes and offers storage areas for several other products of interest. According to Eduardo Liguori, Uniship's commercial manager, the operation will be located at the heart of the port with diverse road and rail connections for internal distribution; and perfectly positioned to transship to other destinations around the world.
Uniship also confirmed the simultaneous launch of a weekly hotline between the main Brazilian ports and Houston to consolidate cargoes and full containers. There is great interest of entities like SEBRAE to enable container cargo transportation for small and medium businesses that target the American market. The director confirmed that this will certainly ensure regular sailings from Santos and connection services both in the south of the country, and also from Rio de Janeiro and Vitoria, and later in the north and northeast.
With the increasing demand in both export and import arenas, Uniship expects 100 percent growth in its turnover in the year 2011 and has planned the extension of services for the following years.
