GAC West African expansion underway

The company says that the agreement is part of the group’s strategic expansion in West Africa and will come into effect on 1 January 2013.

According to Erland Ebbersten, GAC’s Group Vice President for Africa, Central Asia and Russia, the corporate cultures of the two companies have many similarities, making the formation of the GAC-OMA alliance a natural addition to the GAC global network.

He said to Port Strategy: “The agreement with OMA is an important step for GAC to be able to offer its clients regional solutions. In 2013, we will continue to identify other strategic partnerships in West Africa, with companies that have strong local experience and a similar corporate culture as GAC.”

OMA is already well established in the region – its home port is Lome in Togo, from which it has operated out of for thirty years. But since its inception it has expanded across the region and there is a homebase move on the cards to the Ivory Coast next year.

In October 2012, OMA was appointed agents for Hapag-Lloyd in Ghana, under an arrangement with GAC, which Mr Miller points out resulted in a stronger relationship between the two companies.

The company also secured clearing licences for its logistics operations along the coast this year allowing it to offer a bespoke service with direct in-house control of goods through customs to delivery whether DDU or DDP, hazardous cargoes, cross border movements or cargo brokerage.