By Aly Winks
Panelists: Peter Amat, General Manager, Vancouver Pacific Basin Shipping Ltd; Allison Boulton, Program Manager, Export Navigator; Adam Cook, Director of Supply Chain Sales, CN Rail; Tabare Dominguez, Commercial Director, DP World Canada
Moderator: Bonnie Gee, Chamber of Shipping
Figuring out how to transport products to customers is often a challenge. Owning a business on Vancouver Island adds another layer to that challenge.
Whether you are a business-to-business venture or a business-to-customer venture, finding cost-efficient and time-efficient ways to get your product in front of your customers is a puzzle many people across the Island have lost sleep over. However, it is becoming easier with large shipping companies becoming more interested in Vancouver Island (partially thanks to increasing prices in Vancouver).
The panelists at this session all deal in multi-million-dollar assets and had two takeaways:
- Research. Research. Research
- It does not have to be cost-prohibitive
Research. Research. Research.
Like all things in business, do your research and find out who is out there and who can help you. The Export Navigator Pilot, championed at VIEA Summit by Allison Boulton, has almost all the answers a person could need. Or at least knows where to find them. The Export Navigator is a BC-wide pilot helping owners and logistics co-ordinators figure out how to export their products to markets outside BC. They have a person on the Island who can help you connect with all kinds of transporters to make the right decision, and even help with marketing into new regions.
Tabare Dominguez of DP World can help clients save up to $500 per shipping container if the container can be brought back full or close to full. This takes organization and creativity.
Cost and Cash
Adam Cook of CN Rail discussed how their integrated approach can dramatically reduce supply chain costs. Their network of rail and truck shipping is the largest in Canada and can move goods from Vancouver Island to Chicago, at low cost, in eight days.
Peter Amat of Pacific Basin offers a tailored solution moving raw logs – by moving to Nanaimo from the Fraser River, they improved productivity, which decreases the cost per log being shipped. This is an example of how by working with the right shipper, you can increase your business and save money for your clients, or increase your profit margins.
