TNT to offer discounts to SMEs for European exports

Parcel carrier TNT has said it it to launch a key marketing push throughout Europe to entice small business customers to expand their sales on an international scale. TNT is to offer a 20% discount to new customers if they export shipments of up to 250kg to any of nine key European countries. These countries include UK, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

The offer is due to run for three months with day-definite delivery services by air and road qualifying for the discount. Existing customers of TNT will also benefit from the reduced prices. TNT has said 70% of its goods are exported within Europe are sent to countries within its "Blue Banana" zone, named after an expression which is regularly used to describe the densest business region in Europe stretching from England to Italy.

Managing Director for TNT International Europe, Ian Clough, has said: "TNT's initiative will encourage European SMEs to look beyond their domestic markets. Exporting to Europe, and particularly to the "Blue Banana" countries, has become one step easier with TNT.

TNT Express to cut over a quarter of its Italian workforce

TNT Express plans to cut approximately 850 jobs from its workforce in Italy, it was announced this afternoon. The courier company currently has approximately 3000 employees in its Italian Business Unit, and is preparing to reduce this number by over 28%, to around 2150. 

The plans are a response to what TNT has termed the "harsh economic environment" in Italy and are in line with the company's overall strategy - redefined after the failed merger with UPS -  which entails the loss of 4,000 jobs across the company by 2015.

TNT has insisted that this move does not represent any intention to reduce services in Italy but is intended to secure the company's long-term market-leading position in the country. The job losses will affect 20 facilities across Italy, but TNT has stated that service levels across the whole Italian network will be maintained. 

Source: TNT

DHL opens new freight and logistics centre in Milan

DHL Global Forwarding, the international ocean and air freight specialist, recently announced the opening of its new logistics centre in Milan. The development is supposed to unite DHL’s 730 weekly road, air and ocean freight movements. Moreover, the international freight forwarder aims at optimising its service packages for life sciences, the fashion and food industry.

Image c/o DHL

The new DHL Milan facility encompasses a 83,000 m² territory and 26,000 m² of warehouse space offering 10,000 m² of office space.

Pioneering Technology

One of the highlights of the 40 million Euro investment is a pioneering temperature-controlled cell for cross-docking Life Sciences products and separate area for hazardous goods. But this is not the last of the many surprises as Thomas Nieszner, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Middle East and Africa, reports:

“The new automated vertical storage system for hanging clothes is designed to meet the needs of the Fashion industry. For the Food and Life Sciences sector, we have provided a refrigeration system meeting international standards to conserve their highly sensitive products.”

Environmental Protection

Each year DHL Global Forwarding handles ocean freight of around 110,000 m³ LCL and 40,000 Tons of air freight at DHL Milan. This compares to one minute of water flow of the Niagara Falls. Beyond that, the global freight forwarder focuses on environmental protection as Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Freight, confirms:

“We reach an estimated reduction of facility and transport CO2 emissions of 18 per cent at the new site. 13 per cent of which can be tracked back to an improved road network and a reduction of both transit time and the average fuel consumption.”

With its state-of-the-art technology, DHL Freight hopes soon to be able to provide its Italian customers with best-in-class solutions.

Source: DHL