Third-party logistics provider Damco and Vietnamese warehouse owner Construction and Mechanic JSC (HTM) have opened a new warehouse in northern Vietnam to support key fashion and retail customers whose sourcing patterns are centred there.
The long-term HTM – Damco partnership will lead to the development of Hai Thanh workshop area with more than 20,000 square metres over the next three years.
Hai Thanh workshop area phase I and Damco logistics centre in Duong Kinh district in the northern port city of Haiphong began construction in 2011 with total investment of $25 million.
The project targets foreign investors operating in ancillary industries, and industries that have little effect to environment. Under the plan, in 2015 the Hai Thanh warehouse project will complete its entire infrastructure and it is expected to come on stream from 2016.
The new warehouse will enable Damco to play a dual role as a warehousing and distribution hub as well as a gateway to attract customers who are actively trading to and from South China via this corridor a key focus for Damcos future development in northern Vietnam.
Located in Haiphong, the third largest city of Vietnam and northern Vietnams most important seaport with its deep-water anchorage and large maritime facilities, the warehouse offers a total combined space of 8,000 square metres.
It reaches high international standards and is well positioned to support increased volumes and offer modern safety, security and fire-fighting systems.
A key focus during construction and operation is the reduction of carbon emissions in accordance with Damcos environmental policy.
The Haiphong warehouse will provide customers with access to key services such as inventory management, order processing, RF scanning, bar coding, vendor and carrier. It also offers value-added services such as cross-border and inland trucking.
Damco established a branch office in Haiphong a few years ago and the current investment in expanding the companys warehousing footprint is a clear sign of the positive expectations about the growth of this economic area.
Marco Civardi, Area managing director of Damco Vietnam/Cambodia said, The inauguration of the Damco Haiphongs warehouse is an important landmark in Damcos long history in Vietnam, further consolidating the companys strategy in this country.
The aim of Damco is to continue providing supply chain management solutions that match its customers increasing volumes, while aiming to outperform market growth in ocean and air products on defined trade-lanes and industry verticals.
Key for us also will be the growth of our domestic business such as customs clearance and trucking services, together with our planned warehousing footprint expansion. The latter is based on new business opportunities related to our business and contract logistics customers, Civardi added.
HTMs president Dao Manh Sen shared As a port and industrial city with rosy potential for development of port logistics services, Haiphong is the most favourable destination for foreign investors in Vietnam. In that spirit, HTMs strategy is to become a professional provider of workshop, warehouses and logistics services.
Damco has invested significantly in state-of-the-art warehouse management systems and processes to raise productivity and increase efficiency, directly benefitting customers supply chains.
Customers now get visibility on the status of their products as they pass through the consolidation process in the warehouse, as well as when they are packed into the container and shipped to the port.
Damco is a pioneer in the logistics sector in Vietnam with more than 400 employees and has been operating and investing in the country for more than 20 years.
HTM was established in 2002 with main fields of investment in industrial zones and urban zones infrastructure, seaport logistics and construction. HTM aims to create favourable conditions for local and foreign investors to develop business through providing modern, synchronised and infrastructure and professional customer services