Peter Gasnier, Managing Director, Fracht Australia
Every business that caters to clients on a global scale requires a robust and efficient logistics infrastructure to ship and deliver goods safely, efficiently, and fast. Of course, this is easier said than done as international shipping comes with several headaches such as the risk of lost packages, damaged products, and hidden fees. Also, businesses might find themselves getting lost in all of the paperwork while desperately trying to decode a matrix of logistics, taxes, and customs. This is where a reliable freight forwarder steps in with their years of experience, expertise, and professional management. A proficient and experienced freight forwarder can have a huge impact on freight forwarding operations through efficient management of freight forwarding processes, and resources, consequently assisting in achieving freight deadlines with cost-effectiveness and improving customers’ satisfaction.
For over three decades, Fracht Australia has been among Australia’s leading international freight forwarding companies, with a proud history of customer satisfaction and dedicated service. Established in late 1987, with the head office in Sydney and a branch office in Melbourne, the FRACHT Group has more than 135 office locations worldwide, with its Swiss shareholder being one of Switzerland’s leading freight forwarders. The Swiss-based FRACHT AG invested in Australia in 1987 and together with FRACHT Australia’s Chairman, Peter Pluess began representing the FRACHT Group’s interests. Fracht opened its fully operational Adelaide branch office in 1991 and further expansion saw the establishment of Fracht in Brisbane and Perth in 1995. Today Fracht Australia is owned 50% by Fracht AG Basel / Switzerland and 50% by the Australian Directors.
An Integrated Service Provider in the Logistics Sector
Apart from the worldwide air and sea freight services, FRACHT’s roster of offerings includes project movements, logistics, and distribution, warehousing, bonded storage, pick n pack, project transports, and heavy lifts, freight consultancy, outsourcing, and various other logistics services. It accesses more than 135 global offices in more than 50 countries and links most of its worldwide partners via satellite and internet-based links to successfully monitor its clients’ cargo throughout the world. FRACHT also operates as NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) as well as a traditional seafreight forwarder which gives them the flexibility to respond effectively to the specific seafreight requirements of its clients. Moreover, it is at the forefront of international project forwarding and has a track record that stretches back almost 50 years. During this period, many value-added services have been incorporated within the project forwarding profile, with the sole objective of offering the discerning client a comprehensive door-to-door service from point of manufacture through to the ultimate delivery point. Fracht’s commitment to excellence does not stop with traditional freight forwarding. After moving the international freight to its destination, it ensures that the product reaches clients’ premises in the professional manner they deserve and expect. The company also provides full 3PL and 4PL logistics solutions for all local and national needs of its clients. Its logistics experience, combined with its extensive warehousing facilities enables it to provide clients with a complete supply chain solution. With 50 percent of its shares owned by the combination of a powerful, well-established forwarder overseas and the other 50 percent by the Australian directors, its clients get the best of both worlds – local Australian know-how coupled with superior European expertise and resources.
Cultivating a Trusted Partnership with Clients
With its years of domain expertise, Fracht has formulated unique approaches and methodologies to make sure that its customers are always happy and satisfied with its services. “Our goal is the delivery of innovative, tailor-made logistics solutions that give our customers quantifiable added value. We achieve this with our dedicated and specialized personnel, our long-standing experience, and the latest information technology,” asserts Peter Gasnier, the Managing Director at Fracht Australia. The deep understanding of end-user needs and specific market requirements enables it to deliver best-in-class solutions, products, and services, harbor trust, and earn a bunch of loyal clients across industry verticals. Fracht’s relationships with customers, subcontractors, and employees are guided by an attitude of partnership, and recognition that all parties are pursuing the same goals. “This is our philosophy from the beginning of Fracht AG in Switzerland back in 1955, which has been a core part of our values at Fracht Australia as well and is one of the factors that enable us to service global clients such as Siemens, GE, Metso Outotec and many more,” shares Peter.
A New Addition to the Fracht Family – Dextra Group
Further strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia, FRACHT has recently acquired its longstanding partners DEXTRA TRANSPORT in Thailand and Vietnam and integrated them into the Fracht family. With Fracht’s global expertise, as well as its position as a global market leader in Project Logistics, the company believes that Dextra is an excellent fit to complement the global service capabilities of the Fracht Group in general cargo and project forwarding.“The takeover will also support our strategic growth initiatives in Asia and especially it will further strengthen our In-House engineering capabilities and services in all aspects of legal, commercial, and technical requirements pertaining to special transports, giving us full access to the expertise of Naval Engineers, which enables the FRACHT GROUP to handle big modules safely weighing 4,000+ Tons,” opines Peter.
Specialized in the project logistics industry and offering tailor-made solutions to its customers, Dextra was founded in Thailand by French Entrepreneurs in 1983 and is still privately owned by its founders and senior managers. Dextra Transport has numerous references creating a strong recognition with world-leading EPC contractors and engineering companies. Having such strong networks of offices with diverse capabilities has enabled the FRACHT Group to weather the storm of the current supply chain chaos and allowed it to develop tailor-made solutions to combat the current disruptions. “Our customers who are responsible for major Power Generation and Industrial Infrastructure Projects, as well as major grocery chains, are relying on these measures to manage risks, minimize supply chain disruptions and optimize the flow of cargo,” adds Peter.
Committed To Environmental Protection
As a socially responsible organization, FRACHT understands that the relationship between logistics provision and the environment is a close one, so it offers its clients full visibility of their Co2 emission footprint generated during the transport of their goods, including the option of investing in a compensation scheme, which is directly linked to comprehensible and traceable climate projects. “With ever-increasing frequency and urgency, we are being reminded of our dependence on the environment. That’s why FRACHT took a conscious decision many years ago to embed sustainability in our company philosophy. In practice, this means that we comply with the ISO 14001 norm and that we take full account of environmental considerations in daily business operations,” elucidates peter.
The company always strives to be as responsible as possible in its use of resources and to constantly raise its environmental standards with appropriate logistics solutions. During the FRACHT GROUP’s last World Meeting in Paris in April 2022, they came to the agreement, that the UN sustainable development goals are perfectly matching with its past, present, and future. Thus, all the 150 top managers present at the meeting signed and agreed to the goal, confirming that together, as a GROUP, they must invest in the planet as a green future is a prosperous future. Forging ahead, Fracht aspires to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably while offering the most economical and ecological transport for cargo and this with the possibility to compensate the emissions through South Pole.
