Shanghai Syntrans International Logistics Co., Ltd.
Shanghai, China Site Visit
February 7, 2014
By
Eric Xiang

Key Personnel:
Ms. He Yan, Marketing Director

Shanghai Syntrans International Logistics Co., Ltd. (Syntrans) is a member of group company Syntrans Holdings (1995) Co., Ltd, with branch offices in Beijing, Changzhou, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Jiangyin, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Taipei, Tianjin, Wuxi and Xiamen. There are more than 500 employees in the group company and 150 employees in Shanghai.

Its founding business was ocean freight forwarding which started in 1995. Around 80,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) are handled by the Shanghai office and over 120,000 TEUs are handled by the group company annually. Due to its considerable cargo volume, Syntrans has the ability to negotiate with the carriers and get competitive rates. As a result, small, local logistics companies book space through Syntrans to get competitive rates. The cargo volume from small, local logistics companies accounts for 40% of its total volume and the rest comes from direct customers.

According to Marketing Director, Ms. He Yan, the containers are mainly destined to Europe and the Americas. Agents are used at the destination ports to handle the shipments in order to provide qualified service to its customers. Syntrans has experience with joint venture companies in Germany and South America and can secure business nominated by the overseas offices.

In Shanghai, Syntrans has its own trucks for picking up the goods according to customer instructions. There are over 30 trucks of various sizes. During peak season, Syntrans uses

dedicated trucks from subcontractors. In addition, Syntrans operates a bonded warehouse in Shanghai’s Yangshan Port and is very experienced in bonded goods management. Syntrans also has an IT team for systems research and development.

Syntrans was the official logistics services provider in the 2010 World Expo held in Shanghai. It handled the distribution service between the expo halls and the domestic exhibitors. This gave Syntrans the opportunity to expose the company’s brand. Its current customers include Haier, Chery, Suntech Power and other well-known manufacturers.

The group company, Syntrans Holdings (1995) Co., Ltd., is registered in Hong Kong. Most of the branch offices are not wholly-owned by the group company. It seems most of the branch offices are joint ventures.

Syntrans has good network management skills and can provide reliable service to its customers. This has made the group competitive enough to secure large accounts that need service in many ports.

Sources: A&A Primary Research, http://www.syntrans.com/