Logistics Management
By Jeff Berman, Group News Editor
Third-party Logistics (3PL) services provider BDP International recently announced that it plans to open up an office in Casablanca, Morocco later this month.
BDP officials said that this office will provide various services, including ocean/air export and import; export/import customs clearance; project logistics; ground transport; and warehousing/distribution, for shippers in the chemical/petrochemical, healthcare, energy, retail, oil and gas, and automotive sectors.
This new office will be led by Abderrahim Msaidi, who reports to Fikret Ersoy, head of North Africa and Turkey for BDP.
Ersoy told LM in an interview that there were various drivers for BDP’s expansion into Morocco.
“Our global and regional customers have been interested in Morocco for 3-4 years,” Ersoy said. “Morocco has an important growth potential and also taking logistics hub role in West Africa regions. The government is also trying to get more foreign direct investment therefore they are promoting free trade zone activities in Morocco making it very appealing for commerce. When we take into consideration the infrastructure, geopolitical position, education level, all are important indicators for us to move there.”
Prior to this move, BDP has handled logistics operations through a Morocco-based third party agent.
Ersoy explained that BDP International has global standards in its activities, which will benefit customers.
“We will bring BDP expertise in Logistics fields to the Morocco Markets, our Multinational Customers and also local customers in Morocco will benefit from BDP’s approved service quality there,” he said,
BDP’s new office will initially have seven employees and in September it is planning to open a Tangier Office. The office is in close proximity to Morocco’s largest port, Casablanca Port, which handles roughly 21.3 billion tons of cargo on an annual basis.
“North Africa is quickly becoming one of the most vital regions for growth in the supply chain world, with a great deal of investment in the expanding infrastructure,” Yves Letange, BDP’s Managing Director of Europe, North Africa, and Turkey, said in a statement . “With BDP’s Casablanca location, we continue our commitment to be bullish with growing BDP’s presence in this part of the globe.”
About the Author
Jeff Berman
Group News Editor
Jeff Berman is Group News Editor for Logistics Management, Modern Materials Handling, and Supply Chain Management Review. Jeff works and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he covers all aspects of the supply chain, logistics, freight transportation, and materials handling sectors on a daily basis. Contact Jeff Berman.
