Chilled logistics specialist has launched Culina Fresh, a door-to-door freight management service incorporating road, rail, sea and air transport for fresh produce, horticulture and other perishable goods.
It is a separate operating business within the Culina Group and is headed by managing director Thomas van Mourik and operations director Paul Steele.
The move reflects the trend among retailers to direct sourcing. The business will initially operate from two locations. Facilities at Heathrow Airport in the UK will provide offices and warehousing to co-ordinate air freighting operations. Valencia in Spain has been chosen for its proximity to the region where the company expects to manage significant volumes of fresh produce. The company will also work with partners in North America, South America, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Far East.
“Producers and importers have been telling me that their existing supply chains are too disjointed and inefficient, and to date no-one has been prepared to take ownership and responsibility for door-to-door freight management,” says Paul Steele. “We’ve identified an exciting gap in the market which we’ll be filling with a high quality service that will address those issues and offer a new benchmark solution for freight management of temperature sensitive goods.”
The key components of the Culina Fresh operation are air, sea and surface freight. From Heathrow facilities the company will co-ordinate worldwide door-to-door temperature controlled air transport services for customers needing to move fresh produce, horticulture and other short shelf-life items in and out of the UK and Europe.
