Agility Logistics
Encyclopedia
Agility is a publicly traded logistics
company headquartered in Kuwait
, with more than 550 offices in 100 countries. It offers logistics
, storage, and infrastructure
services to commercial businesses, government organizations, international institutions, and relief agencies worldwide. The company specializes in emerging markets
and "challenging environments."
From 1996 onward, Agility has grown rapidly through organic growth and acquisition of other logistics companies. Some of the most significant purchases have included UAE-based Tristar Transport , Singaporean company Trans-Link Group, Swiss company Cronat Transport Holding AG, Globe Marine Services of Saudi Arabia, Cosa Freight in China, Kenya-based Starfreight, and US-based companies Transoceanic Shipping and GeoLogistics Corporation, WTS of Houston, Inc., and Global Express Line. Some of these brands have a history dating back to the 19th century.
In 2006, the company unified its services under the new name of Agility. In 2009, Agility was named a top ten 3PL provider by industry analysts Armstrong and Armstrong. Agility was also named to the Boston Consulting Group
’s list of “global challengers” from emerging markets. As of 2009, Agility has more than 32,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of close to $6 billion.
and offers customers access to:
Agility's Infrastructure group of companies manage commercial and industrial real estate and offer solutions in customs optimization and clearance, waste management and recycling, aviation services, remote infrastructure and life support. Agility Infrastructure companies include:
Agility also owns a private equity find, Alcazar. The fund’s largest investment to date is in Korek Telecom, a provider of mobile telephone products and services to Iraq.
's Board of Governors for the Logistics and Transportation Industry, and he acts as an advisor to the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Sultan holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
and is a member of Wharton's International Advisory Council.
(CSR) efforts focus on providing logistics support during natural emergencies. Agility has provided pro bono
support to its humanitarian partners in Haiti
, Chile
, Myanmar
, China
, Indonesia
, the Philippines
, Bangladesh
, Lebanon
, Sri Lanka
, and Pakistan
. Additionally, under the auspices of the World Economic Forum
, Agility partners with other private sector partners to assist the humanitarian community in disaster response
through the deployment of rapid response teams (Logistics Emergency Teams). The first LETs were deployed in May 2008 in response to Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, where Agility helped manage humanitarian freight movements that were distributed amongst 1.5 million beneficiaries. Since then, LETs have been deployed in Indonesia, Philippines, Haiti and most recently Pakistan.
In addition to company-wide and employee-led projects to improve sustainability
and support local neighborhoods and communities, the company is participating in a World Economic Forum
initiative to identify best practices in reducing carbon in the supply chain. Agility was the first logistics company in New Zealand to achieve CarboNZero
certification , and has developed a reporting system to help customers understand the carbon footprint
of their supply chains.
2010:
2009:
2008:
’s (DLA) “Prime Vendor” (PV) contract to supply food and non-food products to the U.S. military services in Iraq. Agility’s revenue from this contract and subsequent versions of it exceeds $8.5 billion.
In November 2009, a U.S. Grand jury
indicted the company for overcharging the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), $60 million on the PV contracts over a 41 month period between 2004 and 2007. As a result of the indictment, U.S. v. Public Warehousing Co. 1:09-cr-00490 United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
(Atlanta), the DLA has temporarily suspended the company, but not debarred it from U.S. government contracts
.
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
company headquartered in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, with more than 550 offices in 100 countries. It offers logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, storage, and infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
services to commercial businesses, government organizations, international institutions, and relief agencies worldwide. The company specializes in emerging markets
Emerging markets
Emerging markets are nations with social or business activity in the process of rapid growth and industrialization. Based on data from 2006, there are around 28 emerging markets in the world . The economies of China and India are considered to be the largest...
and "challenging environments."
History
Initially established in Kuwait in 1979 as the state-owned PWC (Public Warehousing Company) Logistics, the company was privatized in 1997. When PWC Logistics was privatized, National Real Estate Corporation, a venture of the Sultan Al-Essa family, purchased up to 25 percent of the company's shares and named Tarek Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Essa Chairman and Managing Director.From 1996 onward, Agility has grown rapidly through organic growth and acquisition of other logistics companies. Some of the most significant purchases have included UAE-based Tristar Transport , Singaporean company Trans-Link Group, Swiss company Cronat Transport Holding AG, Globe Marine Services of Saudi Arabia, Cosa Freight in China, Kenya-based Starfreight, and US-based companies Transoceanic Shipping and GeoLogistics Corporation, WTS of Houston, Inc., and Global Express Line. Some of these brands have a history dating back to the 19th century.
In 2006, the company unified its services under the new name of Agility. In 2009, Agility was named a top ten 3PL provider by industry analysts Armstrong and Armstrong. Agility was also named to the Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm with offices in 42 countries. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world. It is one of only three companies to appear in the top 15 of Fortunes "Best Companies to Work For" report for...
’s list of “global challengers” from emerging markets. As of 2009, Agility has more than 32,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of close to $6 billion.
Commercial logistics
Agility's commercial business, Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), is headquartered in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and offers customers access to:
- Freight forwarding products: air, sea, sea/air and road freight forwarding
- LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
capabilities: warehousing and distribution, systems and technology - Specialty services: fairs and events logistics, chemicals logistics, project logistics, and fuel logistics
Logistics-related businesses
Agility's collection of portfolio businesses include Agility Defense & Government Services, a ll organizations around the world.Agility's Infrastructure group of companies manage commercial and industrial real estate and offer solutions in customs optimization and clearance, waste management and recycling, aviation services, remote infrastructure and life support. Agility Infrastructure companies include:
- Agility Real Estate
- Inspection & Control Services
- National Aviation Services
- Global Clearinghouse Systems
- Metal Recycling Company
- GCC Services
Agility also owns a private equity find, Alcazar. The fund’s largest investment to date is in Korek Telecom, a provider of mobile telephone products and services to Iraq.
Leadership
Tarek Sultan has been Chairman and Managing Director of Agility since 1997. In 2009, he served a one-year term as Chair of the World Economic ForumWorld Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
's Board of Governors for the Logistics and Transportation Industry, and he acts as an advisor to the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Sultan holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wharton was the world’s first collegiate business school and the first business school in the United States...
and is a member of Wharton's International Advisory Council.
Scale of global operations
- Americas
- Over 1,400 employees and 108 offices/locations in 23 countries
- In 2009, Agility established a Latin American presence by acquiring new businesses in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to complement its existing presence in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
- Asia Pacific
- Over 8,600 employees and 188 offices/locations in 23 countries
- Agility has made substantial investments in growing its ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
business, including acquiring a company focused on domestic distribution. Today, Agility China has 1600 employees and 50 offices throughout China. In IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Agility has over 1500 employees, and 300,000 sqm of warehousing space in 44 cities.
- Europe
- Over 3,300 employees and 173 offices/locations across 28 countries
- Agility Europe has broadened its coverage in Eastern Europe by opening a new subsidiary in RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, following earlier expansion into PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
in 2008.
- Middle East and Africa
- Over 9,100 employees and 97 offices/locations in 29 countries
- Global Assets
- 2.15 million square meters of warehousing space around the world
- 5.55 million square meters of open yard storage
Social responsibility
Agility’s Corporate Social ResponsibilityCorporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
(CSR) efforts focus on providing logistics support during natural emergencies. Agility has provided pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
support to its humanitarian partners in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Additionally, under the auspices of the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
, Agility partners with other private sector partners to assist the humanitarian community in disaster response
Disaster response
Disaster response is a phase of the disaster management cycle. Its preceding cycles aim to reduce the need for a disaster response, or to avoid it altogether.The level of disaster response depends on a number of factors and particular situation awareness...
through the deployment of rapid response teams (Logistics Emergency Teams). The first LETs were deployed in May 2008 in response to Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, where Agility helped manage humanitarian freight movements that were distributed amongst 1.5 million beneficiaries. Since then, LETs have been deployed in Indonesia, Philippines, Haiti and most recently Pakistan.
In addition to company-wide and employee-led projects to improve sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and support local neighborhoods and communities, the company is participating in a World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
initiative to identify best practices in reducing carbon in the supply chain. Agility was the first logistics company in New Zealand to achieve CarboNZero
CarboNZero programme
The carboNZero programme is a greenhouse gas emissions reduction scheme that is administered and offered by Landcare Research, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute...
certification , and has developed a reporting system to help customers understand the carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
of their supply chains.
Awards
2011:- CSR National Excellence Award 2011 (CSR Association of Pakistan)
- Top Logistics Company 2011 (Arabian Business Awards)
- Best Client 2011 (Dubai Customs Department)
- Green and Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2011 (Vietnam Supply Chain Community)
- Best Green Service Provider, Logistics Operator 2010 - 2011 (Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards)
- The Logistics Award 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (Lloyds List Asia Awards)
2010:
- Green & CSR Award 2010 (Vietnam Supply Chain)
- Golden Supply Chain Award for Best Cold Chain Service Provider in China 2010 (China Federation of Logistics and Procurement)
- Global 3PL of the Year 2010 (Supply Chain Asia Logistics Awards)
- Supply Chain Innovation Award 2010 (Supply Chain Asia Logistics Awards)
- Regional Yearly Transportation Solution Award 2010 (Transport Council of Skåne and Blekinge, Sweden)
- Quest for Quality Award 2010 (Logistics Management magazine )
- Supply Chain Management Award 2010 (European Outsourcing Awards)
- Special CSR Award 2010 (Arabian Business Awards)
2009:
- Green Supply Chain Award 2009 (Supply Chain Asia Awards)
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Leadership Award 2009 (CSR Summit Dubai)
- Best Community Program Award 2009 (CSR Summit Dubai)
- Best Logistics Provider 2009 (Middle East Logistics Awards (MELA))
- Planet Award of Excellence 2009 (LufthansaLufthansaDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
) - CSR National Excellence Award 2009 (CSR Association of Pakistan and Help International Welfare Trust)
- Star Service 2009 {Bureau of Shanghai World Expo 2010}
- Corporate Distinguished Service Award (2007 - 2009 – National Defense Transportation Association)
- Supplier of the Year 2009 (Newfoundland & Labrador Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada)
2008:
- CSR Award for the Service Sector 2008 Kuwait
- Best Logistics Company 2008 Lloyds List
- Best Export Agent 2008 (International Exhibition Logistics Associates)
- Best Supply Chain Innovation 2008 Supply Chain Asia Awards, Shanghai
- Partner in Excellence (2008 - National Industries for the Blind)
- Best On-site Agent 2002–2008 (International Exhibition Logistics Associates)
- Logistics Exceptional Service Award in Support of OEF/OIF 2008 (Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES))
Controversy
In 2003, Agility was awarded the Defense Logistics AgencyDefense Logistics Agency
The Defense Logistics Agency is an agency in the United States Department of Defense, with more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world...
’s (DLA) “Prime Vendor” (PV) contract to supply food and non-food products to the U.S. military services in Iraq. Agility’s revenue from this contract and subsequent versions of it exceeds $8.5 billion.
In November 2009, a U.S. Grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
indicted the company for overcharging the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), $60 million on the PV contracts over a 41 month period between 2004 and 2007. As a result of the indictment, U.S. v. Public Warehousing Co. 1:09-cr-00490 United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is a United States District Court which serves the residents of forty-six counties...
(Atlanta), the DLA has temporarily suspended the company, but not debarred it from U.S. government contracts
Government contracts
Government procurement in the United States is based on many of the same principles as commercial contracting, but is subject to special laws and regulation as described below....
.