Chairman’s Message
“Flashes of Thought” is the title of book written by His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. A reader soon realises that this book gives you a rare insight into a ruler’s vision about his country and the challenges he encounters in order to realise his dreams. History has taught us that a nation’s development definitely lies within the vision of its rulers. Not only have my friends and myself witnessed the dramatic growth of Dubai but also its astounding development which has earned worldwide recognition over the past two decades. I consider myself fortunate that I have been witness to the amazing progress that Dubai has achieved. Being a part of this also affords me a little pride. “Flashes of thought” tell you about the determination and vision of a ruler who, in turn, brought happiness to his citizens.
In chapter 15 there is a mention about time management which reads:-
“Some see the year as equivalent to 365 days. Well, I say that a year is equal to the number of days that you have invested in yourself, your family, your society or in your spiritual life.”
Only a visionary leader could think and postulate such a profound idea. I truly feel that all of us should take this idea into our hearts. By striving to interweave such thoughts in the right manner, into our minds and daily lives, we may all improve ourselves and our personality.
I am humbled to have a copy of this valuable book duly signed personally by His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. It has pride of place amongst my books as it provides a reminder of what should inspire us all. This is not only because CSS continues in our belief of adopting the best from around us, but because “Flashes of Thought” also sets by the example. We can learn that by staying focused on turning ambitions into reality it will help everyone at CSS. Consequently I have pleasure in recommending this book as a “must” read which will help guide us all in our endeavours to achieve greater accomplishments.
CSS Group was well represented during the Breakbulk Exhibition, showcasing a strong presence led by a delegation from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, India and Pakistan. From CSS Dubai, T S Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group, Raj George, Senior Vice President Projects, Oil & Energy, Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development, Siby Kurian, Sr. General Manager Sales & Marketing and Amith Horra, Marketing Manager were in attendance. From CSS Abu Dhabi, Renjith Pillai, Branch Manager, from CSS Bahrain Narayan Tagore, General Manager, from CSS India Prabhakar Maniyan and Vice President Projects, Country Manager represented their respective regions during the exhibition.
In today’s economy, it is rare to find an organization that can proudly say that it has completed twenty years since its inception. Today CSS Group, thanks to the enormous support of all its agents, associates and partners can proudly announce that they have embarked on their 20th year of operation by June 2014. Having had a humble beginning in 1995, CSS Group has grown to become not just a regional, but a global player in the shipping fraternity. Today, CSS Group is sought out internationally by partners and customers alike for its outstanding reputation in customer service excellence, quality of execution and global experience. As part of its celebrations to mark this momentous milestone, CSS Group will be inviting all its partners and associates to an exclusive gathering in March 2015 in Dubai, UAE. “With global partners, associates and well-wishers all around the globe, we feel that it would be fitting to invite all those whose unending support have made this possible to celebrate with us right here in Dubai, where we began from our humble roots. It will be a celebration not only of our past but also of our future, one that we can build together through your continued trust and support in the organization,” added T S Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group.
Chairman of CSS Group, T S Kaladharan visited CaroTrans head office in New Jersey and offices in Chicago with Roshmon Manoli, Route Development Manager – North America, in May 2014, with a focus on building further growth plans for the year 2014/2015. During the course of their visit to CaroTrans offices, they conducted meetings with Greg Howard, Global CEO, Michael Forkenbrock, President, CaroTrans International and Riyaz Jordan, Branch Manager, while discussing new opportunities in the market and ways to further develop the business in 2014/2015. The meeting allowed both partners to discuss growth areas within their markets that would serve as a channel for development within the routes that they operate in. “In our business it is vital to meet with partners face to face, as it allows us to better understand the economic scenario that they are working in, while understanding new growth opportunities that together as partners can be mutually beneficial,” said T S Kaladharan.
The National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) on Sunday April 20th, 2014 hosted the Arab Union of Land Transport (AULT) annual meeting and was inaugurated under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Honorary Patron, at the World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE. The event focused on enhancing the industry and to improve operational efficiency in the freight and logistics industry in the region, with one eye on elevating the standards of the industry in line with the UAE’s objectives of excellence.
CSS Abu Dhabi recently attended the Etihad Airways Cargo Customer Appreciation dinner which took place at the Sheraton, Abu Dhabi Arzanah Ballroom. The management team of Etihad Cargo took the opportunity to express their gratitude and cooperation to CSS Abu Dhabi for their continued business and support throughout the year 2013.
2014 opened with grandeur with the inauguration of Container Terminal 3, the World’s Largest Semi-Automated facility, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Forget the luxury yachts heading to Dubai Marina, there are other traditional ways of seeing Dubai and hopping on an Abra is one of the most enjoyable.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2014, the region’s leading travel industry showcase, celebrated its 21st edition which took place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from May 5 to 8, 2014. The exhibition welcomed over 4000 exhibitors from 95 countries with exhibition floor space covering more than 25,000 square meters.
One of the main highlights of the exhibition was the Middle East’s cruise sector which was highly visible and well represented at this year’s Arabian Travel Market. Having been in decline since the global downturn and the subsequent effects of the Arab Spring the cruise sector has seen a recent bounce back with significant infrastructure investment, easing visa regulations and creative marketing.?One challenge that the region faced was the lack of ports of call and the location of cruise facilities – most of the berths for cruise vessels were located within commercial shipping ports, which was not particularly conducive for leisure visitors. In response, Mina Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi is currently undergoing major redevelopment creating a dedicated cruise terminal. Dubai has been upgrading Port Rashid to accommodate seven vessels simultaneously, up from the current five, as part of its strategy to attract 450,000 cruise tourists by 2016.
CSS Group participated in the FPS sales conference 2014 which took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from May 20 to 22, 2014. CSS Middle East was represented by Fida Asghar, Team Manager, NVOCC CSS Dubai and Dean Landers, General Manager, CSS Kuwait. The three day conference consisted of presentations, networking session, one to one meetings, sales training seminars, personal selling skills case studies, team building activities, gala dinners and social sightseeing excursions. “The one on one member meetings were extremely important as they were designed to build on the reciprocal sales activity and business opportunities between members,” added Fida Asghar. The three day event was hosted by Johnny Khoa, FPS member for Vietnam who added, “The conference provided valuable workshops on Personal Sales Technique and Advanced Selling Skills. It was a good opportunity to involve everybody in relaxed outdoor activities, entertainment, and to share an enjoyable stay here in Ho Chi Minh City.”
The Supply Chain Management facility CSLC- 2, of CSS Group began its operations in June 2004, with limited customers and today, has grown to become the preferred partner for major multinationals within the region. Located in JAFZA, one of the largest man made ports in the world, the facility is located close to the main container terminal which is naturally convenient for all parties involved. The current infrastructure of the facility is spread over 25,000 sq.mtrs with 14,000 sq.mtrs of state of the art racked warehousing that has a cargo capacity of 1050 TEUs. In addition, CSS Group is looking to expand this space by an additional 3000 sq.mtrs by the end of this year. The office space is around 300 sq.mtrs with an additional dedicated area of 500 sq.mtrs for value added jobs.
The 37th edition of the India Club UAE Open Badminton tournament got off to a colourful start with a record 595 participants in the men’s, ladies’, boys’, girls’ and veterans’ categories.
As part of our continuous commitment to the freight forwarding fraternity, CSS initiated a thank you scheme over 8 years ago, whereby one lucky name out of the scores of business cards that are dropped into the raffle bowls placed at the Delivery Order Counter will be rewarded with a gift.
