A contract to transport industrial gases to and from Europe for BOC has been awarded to European logistics service provider P&O Ferrymasters. BOC, a member of the Linde Group, is the UK's largest industrial gases provider.
As part of the deal P&O Ferrymasters will transport products between BOC's site at Immingham in North East Lincolnshire and continental Europe.
The contract, renewable annually, involves approximately 500 loads per annum. The deal builds on an earlier project to simplify BOC's supply chain. The two businesses have also developed a safety training package for drivers across the UK and Europe, which was rolled out prior to the formal start of the contract in March.
Phillip Jones, P&O Ferrymasters' General Manager Sales (UK and Ireland), said: "There is a lot of synergy between our two businesses so this formal business partnership makes perfect business sense. We both pride ourselves on making safety and reliability our top priorities at all times and we are both experts in the specialist field of hazardous cargo. Our award is based upon providing flexible asset-based services based at our centre of excellence for chemicals in Ipswich which will result in a simplified supply chain and cost savings for BOC."
Andy Martin, Business Improvement Manager for BOC, added: "The partnership between our businesses gives us a flexible solution to our transport needs and allows us to meet our own customers' needs quickly and efficiently. Within that, safety is the number one priority for BOC. Pressurised gases have to be handled correctly and with regard to all the current regulations. So we work with our partners to maintain the highest levels of safety. This training package will help us deliver that."
P&O Ferrymasters is part of P&O Ferries, which is owned by Dubai World. The company employs 740 people at 27 strategic locations across 11 European countries.