The largest multinational logistics company, Agility, has established cool chain facilities for developing a highly profitable horticulture export industry in Pakistan.The Chief Executive of Agility Pakistan, Moin A Malik, told Business Recorder in an interview here that Punjab Agri-Marketing Company (PAMCO) cold cargo centre, located at the prime location of cargo complex near Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, is a necessary resource and is a key initiative by PAMCO towards developing a modern post-harvest infrastructure. The facility will provide high quality cold storage for perishable commodities.Special features of this facility include: active temperature control systems that range from 30 C to +20 C; dedicated perishable handling area of 3,759 square feet; six cold rooms having capacity of variant temperatures and additional facility to blast freezer; full temperature recording devices; compliance with security/hygiene standards; capacity 500 tons; quality checking weighing, pre-cooling, grading, packaging, labelling, bar-coding and transporting in a temperature controlled vehicle.
Rapid delivery ensures fresh produce, he said. Similarly, transportation network for raw material pickup from supplying farms and suppliers to warehouse processing facility, and custom-built warehouse and processing facility, temperature controlled re-packing capability for personalising peck size for stores and re-packing bulk items, temperature controlled storage areas to ensure maximum shelf life of goods, are also be available.Moin said that successful transportation of perishables takes a high degree of skill, careful handling, meticulous organisation and sophisticated systems, facilities and equipment. Agility continues to set the standard in maintaining an unbroken cool chain and extending the shelf life of perishables and temperature-sensitive commodities. Agility’s cool chain solution is designed for the movement of highly temperature-sensitive products, including perishable commodities such as fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, confectionery, pharmaceuticals and dairy, both for export and local markets.He said that standing up to the requirements of temperature-controlled transportation the combination of Agility’s experts and its services make certain that goods move seamlessly, with full temperature control. And, it comes with recording, as well as information management, throughout the supply chain. It offers customers a variety of tailored-made solutions, including contingency plans along the entire cold chain, door to door.
The Chief Executive of Agility said that it is a company on the move, “yet we never lose sight of the fact that whether you are a small or large enterprise, the heart of our business is personal customer service.”He said: “Partnership with our customers is the driving force behind our mutual success and the ultimate satisfaction for more than 37,000 employees, 550 offices in 120 countries around the world and over $6.8 billion in annual revenue. As a top global service provider, we do business in the most straightforward scenarios, as well as the world’s most challenging environments.”Malik said that Agility offers a comprehensive range of freight forwarding and distribution services to its customers, employing over 800 people in more than 20 different locations and with 64,000 square metres of warehouse space in six locations throughout Pakistan.
The Company’s air freight, sea freight and transport solutions are coupled with customs clearance and security services that allow companies to enter new markets and implement low-cost sourcing opportunities. In addition, it provides complete supply chain solutions in the areas of contract logistics management, vendor management inventory, just-in-time, warehousing and distribution, origin cargo management, direct-to-store, reverse logistics and facilities management. Its customers span a range of industries, such as FMCG, telecom, pharmaceuticals, hi-tech, retail, apparel, fashion, chemicals, engineering, oil and gas, and government services – Brecorder
