Transportation & logistics.

New Solutions to Transportation Challenges

This Special Advertising Section was prepared by Latin Trade magazine to help readers learn more about transportation and logistics services in Latin America, as well as assisting global companies direct their marketing efforts to a highly targeted audience. For more information about how Latin Trade can become your transportation business partner, please call Raul Naranjo at [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]. Stop by Latin Trade's booth at the International Intermodal Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, April 20-22, 1999.

For airlines and air cargo, please call Victor Parada at [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]

New Solutions to Transporlation Challenges

With the help of advanced technology, investments in infrastructure and improved schedules, shippers, seaports, airports and logistics companies are meeting the needs of business around the world.

Throughout the Americas, seaports and airports are investing in new cargo-handling and communications technology. Private terminal operators, ocean and air carriers, freight forwarders and logistics companies are also developing new ways to serve their customers. Airports are gearing up for the transportation needs of the next millennium by improving terminals and adding modem, new cargo facilities.

Thanks to these innovative approaches, cargo is flowing more swiftly than ever throughout the region, and companies are able to keep better track of their shipments. The use of bar codes and optical scanners to track containers, automated gate systems, and electronic systems to ease customs clearance are among the technological advances being used by a growing number of shipping lines and ports in the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as in the United States, Asia and Europe.

These technological developments are particularly important in today's environment of rapidly changing trade flows. When a nation's economic or financial situation changes abruptly, such as the recent currency devaluation in Ecuador, shippers can adjust more rapidly and make the most efficient use of their resources.

"In 1999, there has been a significant increase in shipments to the United States from Brazil and other Latin countries because of the currency differential, and a drop in exports from the United States to Latin America," says Rex Sherman, director of research and information services for the American Association of Port Authorities in Alexandria, Virginia. "This is creating an equipment imbalance with some ocean carriers."

Despite the volatility of trade flows in many Latin markets, the continuing trend toward privatization of airport and seaport operations is helping to boost the region's long-term competitiveness, Sherman says. "These larger companies that have won port concessions are introducing new technology. That's where the investment and the innovations are coming from."

For instance, several foreign companies are now operating terminals at the port of Buenos Aires, resulting in a significant turnaround in efficiency, according to Sherman. The port handled more than 1 million TEUs in 1997 and now rivals Santos in Brazil as the largest container port in Latin America. Elsewhere in Argentina, the shipping needs of General Motors have spurred investment in other ports outside Buenos Aires.

Other seaport growth is occurring in Chile, which has decentralized its port system, and in Ecuador, whose port of Guayaquil has become the leading container handler on the West Coast of South America. "Chile was the trend-setter toward privatization in the early 1980s, then Mexico caught on," says Sherman. "Now, the trend is general in Central and South America."

Finding information about logistics services and shipping schedules is becoming a simpler process for the region's businesses, as use of the Internet continues to grow. Many ports now provide easy-to-access shipping schedules in one or more languages on their web sites. In addition, freight forwarders and logistics companies are using e-mail and private web sites to provide their customers with details on specific shipments.

"Using the Internet saves everyone a lot of time," says Sherman. "It's another example of how new technology is benefiting businesses."

Following is late-breaking information about several transportation market leaders and their services:

CROWLEY AMERICAN TRANSPORT INC.

Perhaps no shipping line knows Latin America and the Caribbean better than Crowley American Transport Inc. The company has been serving some markets for more than 43 years and today offers more service to more ports, in more countries and island nations in the Western Hemisphere than any other ocean carrier.

With an overall market share of more than 20%, Crowley operates more than 60 vessels throughout the Americas, and has a fleet of approximately 73,000 pieces of some of the most modem, diverse and reliable equipment in the trade.

Always an innovator, Crowley is an industry leader in information technology and electronic commerce. It recently began offering its customers the ability to print bills of lading in their office via a new application that allows customers to receive bills as e-mail via the Internet.

"No longer do customers have to send messengers to Crowley offices to pick up bill-of-lading sets, or wait an extra day for express mail delivery," said Mary Anne Young, vice president of freight services.

In addition, the company recently rolled out a new cargo tracking feature on its web site for added customer convenience.

Another Crowley hallmark is continuous service innovation. Earlier this year, the company launched a new weekly, fixed-day service between the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mexico and Central and South America. A second new weekly, fixed-day service now links Mexico and the U.S. Gulf with the East Coast of South America.

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Crowley provides liner cargo and related services to more than 70 ports in 39 Latin American countries and has the most extensive network of offices of any ocean transportation carrier in the region.

The company, with 1,345 employees in 40 offices throughout South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, is a subsidiary of California-based Crowley Maritime Corp., founded in 1892. For more information, see www.crowley.com.

COLUMBUS LINE

Columbus Line and parent Hamburg Sud offer shippers the most comprehensive regional coverage of any carrier serving Latin America today - over 4,200 port calls per year linking Europe, the Mediterranean and North America with the East and West Coasts of South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Basin. Transshipment links with Columbus Line's Australia/New Zealand services expand shipment options between Latin America and the Southern Pacific as well. Columbus Line services include:

* East Coast (EC) U.S. - EC South America.

* EC U.S. - West Coast (WC) South America.

* E & Gulf U.S. - WC S. America.

* US Gulf - Mexico-Caribbean/EC South America.

* WC North America - WC Mexico/Central America/South America.

For detailed information, call 1800-901-SHIP or visit www.columbusline.com.

SEABOARD MARINE

As the No. 1 project cargo carrier in the Americas, Seaboard Marine is well-positioned to be a market leader serving the infrastructure and other needs of the Caribbean, Central America, and the West and North Coasts of South America. Seaboard frequently ships earth-moving equipment, generators and other massive machinery to these destinations, and the company was at the forefront sending donated materials to regions hard-hit by Hurricane Georges.

Seaboard Marine, highly skilled with navigating the specialized customs processes and paperwork required under the Caribbean Basin Initiative, operates an expanding fleet of ships that make regular and frequent calls to 19 countries. The largest ocean carrier operating from the Port of Miami, the company s facilities there include a 60acre private terminal that will be expanded this year. It recently leased a 20-acre terminal at Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale).

A subsidiary of Seaboard Corporation, Seaboard Marine prides itself on its close customer relationships. Its multilingual, multicultural workforce is deeply sensitive to the nuances of doing business across borders.

For more information, please see www.seaboardmarine.com.

INTERMARINE INC.

Intermarine Inc., with headquarters in New Orleans, is a leading worldwide provider of ocean and inland transportation services with a concentration in servicing heavy industry construction projects, power generation plants and oil field development.

As the managing agent of the vessel operating companies, Industrial Maritime Carriers (USA) and (Bahamas), Intermarine is the largest provider of project and breakbulk cargo transport from the United States to South America and Asia. The company operates a fleet of more than 30 modem multipurpose vessels with cargo capacities up to 35,000 cbms and heavy lift capacity up to 640 metric tons. Most vessels were built in the 1990s.

The service to the Americas offers a minimum of four sailings per week from the U.S. Gulf to the Caribbean Islands and South America, including Trinidad, Venezuela and Colombia. The line also offers fortnightly service to the West Coast of South America and monthly service to Brazil and Argentina. Service from the U.S. East Coast is provided as needed.

Intermarine is an ISO 9002-certified company with offices in Houston, Caracas, Guanta, Santiago, Seoul and London. For more information, see www.intermarinenola.com.

PORT OF MIAMI

The Port of Miami is among the top 10 container ports in the United States. It is also an important economic engine for Miami-Dade County, contributing more than US$8 billion to the local economy and providing employment for more than 45,000 people in South Florida.

The port's geographic location and cultural links to Latin America and the Caribbean have contributed greatly to its growth. The Port of Miami also enjoys a substantial volume of commercial trade with Europe and Asia, and it is the closest U.S. port to the southern and western emerging markets of America.

For more information, see www.miamidade.fl.us/portofmiami.

TLA: SUPERIOR PAVING MATERIAL

Trinidad Lake Asphalt (TLA), which is found in Trinidad and Tobago in the largest deposit of natural asphalt in the world, has been applied in some of the most heavily trafficked transportation sites worldwide.

Discovered in March 1595, this natural deposit was used by Sir Walter Raleigh to chalk and seal his ships. Over the past 100 years, TLA has seen numerous other applications around the globe.

More importantly, it has been recently specified for use on several major sites for its unique and exceptional properties. The diversity of the projects undertaken with the material demonstrates the versatility and high performance of TLA.

* Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados. TLA has a long history of use on airports around the world and has been proven effective in these demanding applications for many years all over the world.

* The Jiangyin Bridge, China. Upon completion of this project, 13 of the world's 20 longest suspension bridges will be surfaced with mastic asphalt containing large proportions of Trinidad Lake Asphalt.

* The Mall, England. One of the most visible road pavements in the world, the Mall effectively provides the "driveway" to Buckingham Palace in London. TLA modified hot rolled asphalt was chosen for its proven abilities.

For more information, contact Trinidad Lake Asphalt via e-mail at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone].

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES

Latin America is the fastest-growing region in Continental Airlines' system. The airline is investing in Latin America through equipment (20 new Boeing aircraft on Latin American routes) and through marketing alliances (VASP, AVANT, ACES, ASERCA and Air Aruba). Continental recently purchased 49% of COPA, which plans to grow its hub in Panama.

Continental offers First Class or BusinessFirst service, international cuisine and award-winning frequent flyer privileges on all flights to Latin America.

Continental was the first U.S. airline to specialize in the Latin market. Since 1997, Continental has invested millions of dollars to "Latinize" key U.S. airports with Spanish signage and bilingual airport staff. On Latin American routes, flight attendants speak Spanish or Portuguese.

Continental Airlines, the fifth-largest airline in the United States, serves every country in Central America and major capitals in South America. It files to more cities in Mexico than any other U.S. airline. For reservations, call 1-800-523-FARE (en espanol), 1-800-537-9222.

NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The New Orleans International Airport will take a major step forward with the completion of its Perishable Center in mid-April, 1999. The 25,000-square-foot facility will offer three rooms with separate temperature controls. This will provide shippers more than 200,000 cubic feet of refrigerated area.

The new Perishable Center also includes offices for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The building provides truck docking on one side and aircraft parking on the other side. The facility will be operated by Perishables Group International, Jv, LLC.

ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 

With dramatic increases in international passenger and cargo traffic on the horizon, Orlando International Airport has embarked on an ambitious $1.2 billion expansion program that will double its size. The design concept has been announced for a new terminal complex for domestic and international passengers, with completion of the first phase expected to be open in 2002.

The South Terminal Complex will accommodate as many as 40 million passengers, with minimum walking distances between aircraft and baggage claim, first-class lounges, retail and dining, and easy transition to ground transportation. The airport's expansion project also includes a new taxiway, enhancements to parking and roadways, and a fourth airside satellite terminal. An expanded rental car lobby and improved tour operator counters will open this spring.

Said William Miller Jr., chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority: "This project is demand-driven and responds to the significant growth of our business partners in the region."

For more information, see www.fcn.state.fl.us/goaa.

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 

Miami International Airport, one of the world's major passenger and cargo hubs, has embarked on a massive $4.7 billion expansion and redevelopment program that will greatly increase its capacity and convenience.

The terminal will grow significantly, with the number of gates increasing to nearly 121 and improvements throughout. International gates will nearly double, from 63 to 103, baggage handling systems are being upgraded, and retail space will grow two-fold.

A $500 million cargo project includes construction of 18 new cargo buildings and expanding warehouse space from 1.4 million to over 3 million square feet. A fourth runway planned for the north side of the airport will increase airfield capacity by 22%.

Served by 96 scheduled air carriers, Miami International Airport ranks first in the United States in international freight and second in international passengers. For more information, see www.miami-airport.com.

Introduces New Travel Planning Tool

OAG Worldwide, a division of Reed Business Information, has made available a complete Lotus Notes/Domino-based travel solution designed to revolutionize the world of business travel.

The OAG Travel Information [System.sup.TM] is a streamlined, easy-to-use enterprise-wide travel planning tool that provides integrated cost control, instantaneous access and immediate audits. By empowering employees to plan business trips at their desktops, corporations can improve productivity and reduce travel costs by up to 30%.

"We've created an innovative, all-in-one travel solution that enables businesses to be more productive and to address today's third-largest business expense -- travel and entertainment," says Dennis Flavin, OAG's vice president of enterprise sales. "A typical company that has 100 travelers can save up to $350,000 a year in productivity and cost comparison savings."

The software system combines the strength of OAG's travel information system with the cutting technology of Lotus Notes/Domino. It is targeted at mid-sized and smaller enterprises, but has tremendous value for large firms that utilize IBM's AS/400s, S/390s or Netfinity servers.

The cost of a one-year OAG Travel Information System subscription for 100 users is $10,000. For more information, visit the OAG Travel Information System vendor site at RealXpress.com.

OAG Worldwide is the world's leading independent provider of travel information products and services, offering business travelers, corporations and the global travel industry the information they need to make effective travel planning decisions. More than 600,000 direct and connecting flights and more than 68,000 hotels are included in the OAG database.