No crushed boxes, no damaged flowers, an increased pack rate, improved stackability and lower transport costs. These are just some of the benefits of the Cargolite packaging concept that is quickly gaining popularity in Kenya. And soon, it will also be available to growers in Ethiopia. Further the successful delivery of one air pallet from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Aalsmeer (the Netherlands) in the last quarter of 2018, Cargolite will proceed to the next stage of the process by implementing their new packaging system into the Ethiopian flower industry. Next week, at the Hortiflora Expo 2019, they will launch their Cargolite packaging concept in this country.
The Cargolite™ concept. Click here for more detailed information about the concept.
Oserian: "Our decision has been one of zero regrets"
In 2016, the packaging concept was introduced in the Kenyan flower industry and rose farm Oserian was one of the first users of the Cargolite concept. They declared it a game-changer for the industry, and now, after several years of using the concept, they are still very pleased with it. Oserian's Managing Director Neil Hellings : "Our decision to move our own airfreight using the Cargolite System has been one with zero regrets. Not only has it made a substantial commercial difference it also enables us to have better volumetrics, less handling, and significantly less damages."
Hellings also adds: "At a time when sustainability of operations becomes ever more important, the system is an industry leading edge on sustainability with far less paper - all of which can be recycled unlike conventional boxes. The locking clips are second use plastic and can easily be recycled."
Perhaps the greatest endorsements are that Oserian has such confidence that they ship their most valuable stems using Cargolite without the conventional internal packing with SFK and that in the past year, most of their large clients have now migrated to Cargolite having seen first hand, just what the system has to offer.
John Kowarsky and Amnon Zamir of Cargolite™ at the IFTF 2018 in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands. Zamir is holding two 400 stem boxes. In his right hand ; a regular box, and in his left hand a folded Cargolite™ box reflecting the amount of packing material used in each box.
How was 2018?
When looking back at last year, John Kowarsky, the owner and CEO of Cargolite, is very pleased. "In 2018, close to 1000 air pallets have been airfreighted to Holland and the UK, enabling the very large players to continue to increase the use of the Cargolite packaging concept for their supermarket and auction business."
And the handling of Cargolite at the airports is improving all the time, he says. "Both Kuhne and Nagel and Panalpina are well versed in the handling of Cargolite and therefore Cargolite has grown accordingly.
And when looking at 2019, Kowarsky sees a bright year. "Since January we have initiated a joint venture with a large company in Kenya (Acme Containers PLC) and this will strengthen Cargolite’s marketing position in Kenya."
Clockwise: From truck into scanner air pallet, to building air pallet to air pallet completed.
Introduction in Ethiopia
After introducing it to the Kenyan flower industry in 2016, the Cargolite packaging concept quickly seemed to have changed the 'look' of the Kenyan flower industry from a packaging point of view. And after successfully delivering one air pallet from Addis Ababa to Aalsmeer in the last quarter of 2018, Cargolite is now ready to change the 'look' of the Ethiopian flower industry too.
In September 2018, Cargolite conducted trials with two farms in Ethiopia in coordination with Ethiopian Airways. "The air pallet was built at the new, state of the art, Ethiopian Airways facility at the Addis Ababa airport. The facility will enable the Ethiopian perishable industry to expand and flourish, coping with the planned growth of perishable goods to be grown in Ethiopia. The air pallet on trial, arrived in the Netherlands in good condition."
Now, they are ready to launch the concept commercially in Ethiopia and Kowarsky sees good opportunities for the packaging concept. "Up to 20 air pallets will be exported from Ethiopia to the Netherlands during the months of April and May 2019, and this will open the way to the commencement of steady deliveries of Cargolite™ cartons from Ethiopia ."
Hortiflora Expo
This week, from March 13-15, the Horiflora Expo will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
For more information
Cargolite™
John Kowarsky
Email: johnk@nalto2012.com
www.cargo-lite.com