Scan Global Logistics’ investment in strengthening its Latin American organisation fortifies its presence in one of the world’s emerging regions with significant economic and developmental potential and a unique geographical position relative to North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Upon the regional market expansion, Jörn Schmersahl, RCEO Latin America, expands on the expansion strategy in Latin America, a key future regional market for SGL:
‘Latin America holds immense potential, and expanding our regional footprint to include Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil is a strategic investment in pursuing our global growth strategy. Simultaneously, we have enhanced the capabilities of our existing teams in Mexico, Chile, and Peru. Through increased local knowledge and expertise, we address the needs and preferences of local markets with a better understanding. As a result, we offer improved, customised logistics solutions and services and help our local and global customers make informed decisions to enhance and optimise their supply chains. In addition, the expanded SGL LATAM structure will enable a proactive contribution to the SGL network requirements.’
Increased connectivity and flexibility
Besides strengthening the global and regional SGL network, the increased local presence will also enhance the company’s network with neighbouring countries such as Uruguay, and Paraguay. Thus, customers will benefit from extensive cross-border logistics solutions, smooth customs clearance, warehousing, and national and international trucking services.
Across the Latin American region, SGL provides services for customers in aid and relief, energy, pharmaceuticals, industrial projects, automotive, FMCG, food and additives, technology, general manufacturing, and more.
Planned continued investments
Allan Melgaard, Global CEO, on the planned investments in the Latin America region:
‘Latin America is an interesting market with a young and growing population, increasing buying power, and a commercial diversity of industries and customers, making it a great fit for our company. We are focused on continuing to invest in building a strong presence in Latin America to provide comprehensive and competitive logistics solutions to our customers.’
The new additional markets will provide customers with increased flexibility and extensive solutions:
• Argentina (main office in Buenos Aires) offers a robust logistics infrastructure with a well-developed port, airport, and railway system. The country’s main ports along the Atlantic Ocean are providing customers with services of local and global reach. Combined with cross-border services to neighbouring Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia, customers will further benefit from extensive import and export services. Argentina offers unparalleled connectivity and a strategic advantage for businesses expanding and regionalising their operations.
• Colombia (main office in Bogotá) borders the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, providing the country with many lucrative ports. Its geographic location makes it a strategic springboard to Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas and an entry point for South American countries. With its extensive networks of Free Trade Zones in all ports and major cities (Bogota, Cali, and Medellin), Colombia is a perfect location for distribution to the South American continent.
• Brazil (main office São Paulo) has one of the world’s longest coastlines with numerous deep-water ports, providing an ideal port infrastructure for international trade in addition to cross-border trucking to neighbouring countries. The recent acquisition of BLU Logistics, a local key player in air and ocean logistics, with impressive growth rates of 27% and 47% in the last two years, specialises in China and Southeast Asia to Latin America trade lanes. This will provide SGL with a robust operational platform, allowing the company to expand its regional footprint and offer enhanced services to customers worldwide.
In Chile and Mexico, skilled Air and Ocean experts have been added to both countries’ setups, operating from Santiago de Chile and Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, respectively. In addition, SGL Mexico is strengthening its’ cross-border operations and activities in cooperation with SGL USA.
