Companies celebrate success at the IFW Awards

At the glittering ceremony at London’s Hilton on Park Lane, fourteen companies and two individuals walked away with a prestigious IFW Awards trophy, the international freight industry’s premier prize.

The inaugural Freight Personality of the Year Award was presented to Hilary Devey, Founder of Pall-Ex, for her outstanding contribution to the transport and logistics sector.

Lei Yang of Hawthorn Logistics scooped the Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award after he demonstrated the importance of focusing on the customer.

In the Judged Entry categories, SBS Worldwide took the Freight Forwarder of the Year Award, after the forwarder delivered a new “solution-led value” to their target market, the people centric world of book publishing.

The Customer Care Award went to JF Hillebrand. The judges were impressed by how this company used its Supply Chain Management system to benefit customers by cutting lead times by at least 50-60%.

The 2009 Environment Award went to Eurotunnel, which considers energy management, waste recycling, biodiversity, renewable energy production and staff involvement as critical elements of its ongoing commitment to adding value for its customers while also protecting the environment.

P&O Ferrymasters walked away with the People Development Award, for its real long-term strategic thinking, the company took its long-term plan and aligned this with a clear commitment to people development.

This year’s Innovation Award went to Freightliner for its PowerHaul locomotive, recently seen at Multimodal, which will advance the capacity of the network.

The Business Process Innovation Award went to Maersk Line, which introduced a new product that allowed live lobsters to be transported in tanks in a container, offering an alternative to air freight.

Meanwhile, IFW’s Project/Heavylift Forwarder of the Year Award went to Bellville Rodair International.

The winner of this year’s IFW Road Freight Award was TNT Express for the way it tackled the head-on the challenges of geography, speed, security and cost when establishing its Asia Road Network.

The hotly contested Supply Chain Partnership Award this year went to PD Ports, which designed and implemented a truly successful port-centric port.

In the Readers’ Vote categories, Emirates Sky Cargo was voted the winner of this year’s Air Cargo Carrier of the Year Award.

The Container Line of the Year was MSC, and the winner of this year’s Express Operator of the Year Award was TNT Express.

DFDS Seaways was voted Shortsea/ro-ro operator of the Year.

And, for the sixth year in succession, the winner of IFW’s Rail Freight Award was Freightliner.

Several other companies received high commendations, including CMA CGM, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hermes, City Sprint and Simarco International.

The sponsors were: – AMI, Virgin Atlantic Cargo, Damco, Nightline UK, Elite, GKN Freight Services, Astran Cargo, Freightliner, OOCL, APM Terminals, Palletforce, Eurotunnel, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Red Recruit and Simarco Worldwide.